At the Central Criminal Court, today, John Ramsay was tried
for the murder of Mr. Henry Williams, in November 1844. It will be remembered that Mr. Williams died in some manner that appeared incomprehensible, after getting out of a cab; Ramsay was with him at the time, both being very much intoxicated. Recently, Ramsay volunteered a confession that he had murdered his companion; but afterwards he retracted this confession, averring that he was drank when he made it. At the trial today, as Mr. Bodkin was stating the facts to the Jury, he was interrupted by Mr. Justice Erie; who said—" It appears to me that before you proceed to show that the prisoner had been with the deceased, and had in- flicted any injury upon him, it would be as well to ascertain what was the cause of death. I have carefully read the depositions and listened to your open- ing, and it strikes me that the death may be accounted for by the fact that the 'deceased, while in the carriage, dropped his bead on the ferrule of the umbrella, which entered his eye and penetrated to the brain." He therefore suggested that the medical gentlemen should be first called. The indictment charged the prisoner with striking the deceased on the head, &c. If that were so, it was con- trary to the evidence on the depositions; and if the learned counsel thought he could satisfactorily discharge his duty to the public by adopting this course, the ends of justice would be answered. Mr. Bodkin did adopt the Judge's sugges- tion; M. Fogarty, a surgeon, confirmed the judicial view; and the trial, which was brief, resulted in a verdict of "Not guilty."
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