The proceedings were continued on Wednesday. Further evidence of the
insane conduct and conversation of Lord Kingston was given by medical men and others. The medical men declared that he was decidedly insanus-not sound-that he could not be trusted with a banker's book, or the witnessing of a will, and that if he were to kill his keeper he would not be responsible. Among them were Dr. Hood, Dr. Southey, Dr. Conolly, Dr. Munro. Dr Take alone was of opinion that although eccentric, Lord Kingston was quite capable of conducting his own affairs. The Master in Lunacy adjourned the court that he might see Lord Kingston. On his return, he said he had arrived at the conclusion that it would be inexpedient to empanel a jury to decide on the case. "After hearing the evidence, and after my interview with Lord Kingston, the conclusion at which I have arrived is that which would have been arrived at by any sane person in the kingdom who had been half an hour in the room with his lord- ship. He has talked to me without any apparent object upon all kinds of subjects, introducing the names of various persons, but I could not bring his mind to comprehend who I was or the purpose for which I waited upon him. When I spoke to him about a 4ury he said something about having seen Mr. Seymour, his counsel, this morning., but he had every confidence in me and was quite content to leave the matter in my hands. He declined, in point of fact, to have a jury, after wandering for an hour and a quarter through such stories as have been detailed here, and making the most serious accusations against Mrs. M`Gregor, the proprietress of the hotel at Chester. During the whole of the time I was with him he sat with his hands before him, and his fingers were agitated with a continuous nervous motion. From all I saw I have no hesitation in coming to the con- clusion that he is mentally incompetent to form or express a wish as the act requires in reference to a jury. He seemed hardly to know whether I was the jury or not ; his mind was full of his own troubles, and he gave me a long account of his pecuniary difficulties. He made accusations against various dis- tinguished persons, but I may say that the names now uppermost in his mind are not those which have been mentioned by the wit- nesses, but are those of other persons, some of them eminent members of the English bar, with whom he professes to have had pecuniary transactions. Some of the charges he makes against them are of a singular character. I shall listen, of course, to the whole of the evidence that is brought forward, inasmuch as it is a case of some public interest and importance, but my mind is quite made up that it IS not necessary to empanel a jury. Of coarse it will be open to Lord Kingston to traverse the proceedings if he may be so advised." As the inquiry proceeded, proof after proof of the incapaeity of Lord Kingston was adduced, so that, on Thursday, when the supply of evidence came to an end, Mr. Seymour, who appeared for Lord Kingston, declined then to deal with evidence which, he admitted, had taken him by surprise. Accordingly, the inquiry was adjourned to give Mr. Seymour time to consider what he would do.
A commission of inquiry into the sanity of the Earl of Kingston was opened on Tuesday, at the instance of the Hon. Mr. King, the younger brother, and Colonel King, the second cousin of the un- fortunate peer. Mr. Montague Chambers conducted the case. It appeared from the evidence that Lord Kingston had behaved in a manner so extraordinary that he has been confined in a lunatic asylum. At Euston-square terminus he took a ticket without paying for it, and when asked for the money by a clerk, who ran after him, the Earl struck him, and the police were called to prevent him from taking his seat. At the Euston Hotel he ate with his fingers. At Chester he insisted upon walking on the line when a train was ex- pected, and said he was going to dine with Lord Westminster. At Chester Cathedral he would wear his hat, and was turned out of the building. In the Asylum his habits and conversation were extremely filthy, whereas formerly he was very cleanly in his person. To the medical men who saw him he talked very incoherently, and made the most shocking accusations against distinguished men. Lord Kingston, through his counsel, claims that his case shall be decided by a jury.
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