Unsoundness of mind considered in relation to the question of responsibility for criminal acts / by Samuel Knaggs.

  • Knaggs, Samuel, 1829-1911.
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Unsoundness of mind considered in relation to the question of responsibility for criminal acts / by Samuel Knaggs. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    by the previous unblemished reputation, excellency of disposition, and absence of all motive; but who, knowing the circumstances, would for a single mo- ment entertain a question of the insanity of such an individual? Now, the above is no imaginary sketch, but is drawn from what has passed under the author's personal observation, wherein the learned judge remarked, in reference to the ex- pressed medical opinion in favour of the pri- soner's unsoundness of mind, founded upon the consideration of the details of the case, and their knowledge of moral insanity, that to allow the plea on such terms would be in the highest degree dangerous and unsafe. The prisoner was there- fore condemned, but a well-directed intercession procured a remission of the sentence; ere long the latent evil developed itself in unmistakeable mad- ness, and the poor fellow died insane, within the twelve months after his conviction. Taylor relates the following case, tried on the Midland Circuit, July, 1837: A man named Greensmith was charged with the murder of his four children; he was a person of industrious habits, and an affec- tionate father, but having fallen into distressed circumstances, he destroyed his children by strangling them, in order, as he said, that they might not be turned out into the streets. The idea only came to him on the night of his perpetrating the crime. After he had strangled two of his children in bed, he went down stairs, where he