Army Surgeon Charged With Murder

THE LAMBETH TRAGEDY.

The closing scene of this melancholy and sanguinary drama (the first act of which we have already chronicled), was enacted, on Thursday last, in the Assize Court of Kingston-on-Thames; when Dr. Minor, the American Army-Surgeon, was arraigned for the murder of George Merritt; - the trial taking place before the Lord Chief Justice Bovill, and in presence of an immense concourse of people, by whom every part of the Court was crowded. The vacant space upon the Bench, on either side of the Judge, was filled to its utmost capacity by favoured spectators, mostly ladies; among whom, however, were the Irish Lord Chief Justice Whiteside, the High Sheriff of Surrey, Mr. George Denman, jun., Mr. De Tracy Gould (the American Advocate), and two or three of the County Magistrates.
The prosecution was conducted, on the part of the Crown, by the Hon. George Denman, Q.C. (a son of the late renowned Chief Justice), aided by Mr. J.C. Matthew (a nephew of the world-honoured "Father Matthew"); and the defence was most ably conducted by Mr. Edward Clarke, of the Common Law Bar.
The case for the prosector was stated, not only with great ability, but with singular candour and impartiality, by Mr. Denman; who, while distinctly insisting upon the undeniable fact that the poor man Merritt met his death at the hand of the prisoner Minor, frankly admitted the existence of a strong presumption that the prisoner was not (at the time of committing the fatal act) a responsible agent; and expressed the hope that the counsel for the defence would be able to establish this state of facts so clearly as to justify the jury in absolving the prisoner from the guilt of murder.
Mr. Denman added, that it must, however, be borne in mind that the act of the prisoner was (upon the face of it) nothing less than wilful murder; and that it was for the prisoner's counsel to show (if possible) that it could be regarded in any other light; and it was his (Mr. Denman's) duty, in the interests of justice, to insist that this ground of defence should be fully established; but, if it were so established, it would be as great a relief to himself as to the jury, that they should be honestly able to acquit of either moral or legal guilt, a gentleman whose previous career had been one of honour and distinction; - honour won in the service of his country, and in the exercise of his profession as a surgeon under circumstances which had earned for him special recognition from his own Government.
Witnesses were then called who proved without doubt that Merritt had been shot by the prisoner, in the early morning of the 17th February, under circumstances which were detailed by us at the time of the occurrence; and Chief Superintendent Williamson (head of the Detective Force), testified to the prisoner's having, some weeks before the murder, and at intervals up to nearly the time of its commission, applied to him for protection against imaginary enemies, in a manner which could leave no doubt of his mental derangement.
Mr. Edward Clarke, in a speech marked by singular good taste, quietude of manner, and unaffected elegance of diction, gave an outline of the prisoner's past history, and of the career of honour and distinction in which he was far advanced, when the effects of a sun-stroke - to which he exposed himself in the courageous discharge of his duty - produced the derangement, in consequence of which he had ever since suffered from delusions of the same nature as those which had now culminated in the paroxysm of phrenzy, under the influence of which he had taken the life of a man entirely unknown to him, and towards whom it was simply impossible that he should have harboured malice or entertained any sentiment of vengeance.
In proof of his state of mind at and since the commission of the act, Mr. Clarke called the surgeon of the prison in which Dr. Minor has been confined; and subsequently called, also, the prisoner's half-brother, Mr. George Minor, of Connecticut, who gave his testimony with great clearness and candour, and to the effect that the prisoner had not only laboured, for years past, under the same delusions as at present, but had been for nearly two years an inmate of a lunatic asylum, from which he had been discharged as only "partially cured;" but without a suspicion, on the part of his family, that his mental alienation involved the slightest danger to himself or to others.
Mr. George Minor was provided with certificates from the War Department at Washington, proving Dr. Minor's distinguished services in the army, and the fact of his subsequent confinement in a lunatic asylum; that department having rendered every possible assistance toward the proof of these essential facts; but at the moment when Mr. Clarke tendered these documents in evidence, the jury (in answer to a question from Chief Justice Bovill), declared that they required no further evidence; and they at once delivered a verdict of acquittal "on the ground of insanity;" and the Court made the usual order, that the prisoner should be detained in custody "during her Majesty's pleasure."
The prisoner's demeanour during the trial was marked by the same composure and apparent indifference which has characterised it from the first; varied only by an appearance of evident irritation, when his own counsel advanced more directly the allegation of that insanity, the probable existence of which had been so frankly and impartially suggested by Mr. Denman.
We may add, that in the interview which his brother had with him, two days before the trial he could not be brought to discuss or explain the circumstances under which he had committed the fatal act; - beyond saying that he had killed the wrong man, and might as well be hanged for it, and that it was not worth while for his brother to give himself any trouble about it! Further, he simply expressed his regret that his brother had put himself to the needless inconvenience of a voyage from America about the matter; although, on the other hand, he was glad that his brother should thus have an opportunity of enjoying a visit to London!
We may say further, that, in consequence of the indifference with which the prisoner regarded the matter, there was great fear that his position might be complicated by his insisting upon pleading "guilty" to the indictment; which he at one time declared his intention of doing, and from which purpose he was with some difficulty dissuaded by the judicious management of Mr. Nunn, the American Vice-Consul-General, by whom the arrangements for his defence were directed.

Source: The Anglo-American Times, April 6, 1872, Page 11