DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0455
LIFE AND TRIAL OF BELLINGHAM.
413
it with his right hand—the pocket was directed to be of a
very particular depth. This coat the prisoner had on when he
committed the murder, and was seen previously to the act,
by Mr. V. Dowling, J. Norris, and Vickery, with his hand
in his side pocket, waiting with anxiety, near the outer lobby
door for the arrival of some person. He was within arm’s
length of all that entered.
The evidence for the crown being closed, the prisoner was
called on for his defence. He proposed to leave it to his
counsel, but was informed that they were not allowed to ad-
dress the court in his defence.
The prisoner then said, that the papers taken from his per-
son were documents absolutely necessary to his defence,
and he claimed them from the court. They were accord-
ingly delivered to him, and he proceeded to address the Jury
in a speech of above an hour’s continuance, interspersed
with the reading of those several documents, and with his
own comments. He expressed his thanks to the king’s at-
torney-general for the resistance he opposed to the defence
set up by his counsel, which went to prove that he was in-
sane; because, if it had succeeded, it would not have
answered to the purpose of his justification. He returned
thanks to his counsel for their zeal in his defence, and their
intentions in setting up such a plea at the desire of his
friends; but neither now, nor at any time, had he ever in-
curred the charge of insanity, with the exception of a single
instance in Russia, when the pressure of his sufferings had
exposed him to that imputation. As to the lamentable ca-
tastrophe for which he was now on his trial before that
court, no man could lament the sad event with deeper sor-
row than he did; not even the family and nearest friends of
the unfortunate Mr. Perceval. If he had been capable of
taking away the life of that gentleman with any deliberate
feeling of malice prepense, he should deserve to be account-
ed the most atrocious monster in existence. He disclaimed.
413
it with his right hand—the pocket was directed to be of a
very particular depth. This coat the prisoner had on when he
committed the murder, and was seen previously to the act,
by Mr. V. Dowling, J. Norris, and Vickery, with his hand
in his side pocket, waiting with anxiety, near the outer lobby
door for the arrival of some person. He was within arm’s
length of all that entered.
The evidence for the crown being closed, the prisoner was
called on for his defence. He proposed to leave it to his
counsel, but was informed that they were not allowed to ad-
dress the court in his defence.
The prisoner then said, that the papers taken from his per-
son were documents absolutely necessary to his defence,
and he claimed them from the court. They were accord-
ingly delivered to him, and he proceeded to address the Jury
in a speech of above an hour’s continuance, interspersed
with the reading of those several documents, and with his
own comments. He expressed his thanks to the king’s at-
torney-general for the resistance he opposed to the defence
set up by his counsel, which went to prove that he was in-
sane; because, if it had succeeded, it would not have
answered to the purpose of his justification. He returned
thanks to his counsel for their zeal in his defence, and their
intentions in setting up such a plea at the desire of his
friends; but neither now, nor at any time, had he ever in-
curred the charge of insanity, with the exception of a single
instance in Russia, when the pressure of his sufferings had
exposed him to that imputation. As to the lamentable ca-
tastrophe for which he was now on his trial before that
court, no man could lament the sad event with deeper sor-
row than he did; not even the family and nearest friends of
the unfortunate Mr. Perceval. If he had been capable of
taking away the life of that gentleman with any deliberate
feeling of malice prepense, he should deserve to be account-
ed the most atrocious monster in existence. He disclaimed.