Volume I Part 11 (2/2)

yet Sir Everard says, ”_the length and direction of the wound were such as left_ NO DOUBT OF ITS BEING GIVEN BY HIS OWN HAND!” In a conversation we had with Mr. Place, the foreman of the jury, a few weeks since, that gentleman informed us ”_the man lived_ TWENTY MINUTES _after his throat was cut_!!!” We do not mean to say that Mr. Place's knowledge of this matter is to be put in compet.i.tion with that of Sir Everard Home; but Mr. Place urged this circ.u.mstance to us as CONFIRMATORY OF SELLIS HAVING MURDERED HIMSELF. It is, therefore, very extraordinary that Sir Everard Home did not set the talented foreman right upon this all-important point, as it might have been the means of producing a _widely-different verdict_! With regard to ”the hands having no marks of violence upon them,” we can only say that such an account is contrary to the report of other persons who _saw them_ as well as Mr. Home; for both his hands and wrists BORE EVIDENT MARKS OF VIOLENCE! The desire which Sir Everard manifests, in this account, to bring proof against Sellis for an attempt to a.s.sa.s.sinate his master has more of _zeal_ than _prudence_ in it; for, in speaking of the blood said to be found upon Sellis' coat, the learned doctor a.s.serts it to be ”just such kind of sprinkling, the arm of the a.s.sa.s.sin of the duke could not escape!” How ridiculous must such an observation as this appear to any man, possessed of common understanding! Sellis was reported to have used a SWORD in this pretended attempt upon his master's life, _the length of which and the position of the duke_ would render it next to impossible for _any blood of the duke's to reach him_! The worthy knight further says, when speaking of the matters in Sellis' room, ”his coat hung upon a chair, _out of the reach of blood from the bed_;” but several witnesses upon the inquest stated that ”blood was found all over the room, and the hand-basin appeared as if some person had been was.h.i.+ng blood in it.”

What is the reason, then, why blood might not have been sprinkled upon the _coat_ of the murdered man as well as ”upon the curtains, on several parts of the floor, and over the wash-basin?” _Why_ did Sir Everard Home omit to mention these important particulars in his attempt to explain away the ”mystery of the murder of Sellis?” His description of the dreadful wounds of his royal master are also rather at variance with the idea the _duke himself gave of them_, ”THE BEATING OF A BAT ABOUT HIS HEAD!!” The skilful surgeon concludes his statement by saying, ”The Duke of c.u.mberland, after being wounded, could not have gone any where but to the outer doors and back again, since the traces of blood were confined to the pa.s.sages from the one to the other;” when it will be observed in _Neale's evidence_, that ”the duke and witness went to alarm the house, and got a light from the porter!!!” Now we may naturally suppose the _porter slept at some distance from the duke_, and therefore either Sir Everard Home or Neale must have made a _slight mistake_ in this particular; for we cannot accuse two such _veritable_ personages with _intentionally contradicting each other_!!

Having now carefully and dispa.s.sionately examined all the evidence brought forward to prove Sellis an a.s.sa.s.sin and a suicide, we proceed to lay before our readers a few particulars tending to confirm an opposite opinion.

Mr. Jew, then in the household of the duke, and who probably is now alive, (information of which fact might be ascertained by application to the King of Belgium) _was inclined_ to give his deposition upon this subject, in the following terms, alleging, as his reason, the very severe pangs of conscience he endured, through the secrecy he had manifested upon this most serious affair.

DEPOSITION.

”I was in the duke's household in May, 1810; and on the evening of the 31st, I attended his royal highness to the opera;--this was the evening previous to Sellis' death. That night it was my turn to undress his royal highness. On our arriving at St. James', I found Sellis had retired for the night, as he had to prepare his master's apparel, &c., and to accompany him on a journey early in the morning.

”I slept that night in my usual room; but Neale, another valet to the duke, slept in an apartment very slightly divided from that occupied by his royal highness. A few days previous to this date, I was commanded by my master to lay a sword upon one of the sofas in his bed-chamber, and I did so. After undressing his royal highness, I retired to bed. I had not long been asleep, when I was disturbed by Neale, who told me to get up immediately, as my master the duke was nearly murdered! I lost no time, and very soon entered his royal highness' bed-room. His royal highness was then standing nearly in the middle of the chamber, apparently quite cool and composed, his s.h.i.+rt was b.l.o.o.d.y, and he commanded me to fetch Sir Henry Halford, saying, 'I am severely wounded.' The sword, which a few days before I had laid upon the sofa, was then lying on the floor, and was very b.l.o.o.d.y. I went with all possible haste for Sir Henry, and soon returned with him. I stood by when the wounds were examined, none of which were of a serious nature or appearance. That in his hand was the most considerable.

”During this period, which was _nearly two hours_, neither NEALE nor SELLIS had been in the _duke's room_, which appeared to me a very unaccountable circ.u.mstance. At length, when all the bustle of dressing the wounds (which were very inconsiderable) was over, and the room arranged, the duke said, 'CALL SELLIS!' I went to Sellis' door, and, upon opening it, the most horrific scene presented itself: Sellis was lying perfectly straight in the bed, the head raised up against the head-board, and nearly severed from the body; his hands were lying quite straight on each side of him, and upon examination I saw him weltering in blood, it having covered the under part of the body. He had on his s.h.i.+rt, his waistcoat, and his stockings; the _inside_ of his hands were perfectly clean, but on the outside were smears of blood. His watch was hanging up over his head, _wound up_. His coat was carefully folded inside out, and laid over the back of a chair. A razor, covered with blood, was lying at a distance from his body, but too far off to have been used by himself, or to have been thrown there by him in such a mutilated condition, as it was very apparent death must have been immediate after such an act.

”The wash-basin was in the stand, but was _HALF FULL OF b.l.o.o.d.y WATER_!

Upon examining Sellis' cravat, it was found to be cut. The padding which he usually wore was covered with silk and quilted; but, what was most remarkable, both THE PADDING AND THE CRAVAT WERE CUT, as if some person had made an attempt to cut the throat with the cravat on; then, finding the woollen or cotton stuffing to impede the razor, took it off, in order more readily to effect the purpose.

”During the time the duke's wounds were being dressed, the deponent believes Neale was absent, in obedience to arrangement, and was employed in laying Sellis' body in the form in which it was discovered, as it was an utter impossibility that a self-murderer could have so disposed of himself.

”Deponent further observes, that Lord Ellenborough undertook to manage this affair, by arranging the proceedings for the inquest; and also that every witness was previously examined by him; also, that the FIRST JURY, being unanimously dissatisfied with the evidence adduced, as they were not permitted to see the body in an undressed state, positively refused to return a verdict, in consequence of which, they were dismissed, and a SECOND jury summoned and empannelled, to whom, severally, a special messenger had been sent, requesting their attendance, and each one of whom was directly or indirectly connected with the court, or the government. That, on both inquests, the deponent had been omitted, and had not been called for to give his evidence, though it must have been known, from his personal attendance and situation upon the occasion, that he must necessarily have been a most material witness. THE SECOND JURY RETURNED A VERDICT AGAINST SELLIS, and his body was immediately put into a sh.e.l.l, and conveyed away _a certain distance_ for interment. The duke was _privately_ removed from St. James' Palace to Carlton House, where his royal highness manifested an impatience of manner, and a perturbed state of mind, evidently arising from a conscience ill at ease. But, in a short time, he appeared to recover his usual spirits, and being hurt but in a very trifling degree, he went out daily in a sedan chair to Lord Ellenborough's and Sir William Phipps', although the daily journals were lamenting his very bad state of health, and also enlarging, with a considerable expression of sorrow, upon the magnitude of his wounds, and the fears entertained for his recovery!”

The further deposition of this attendant is of an important character, and claims particular consideration. He says,

”I was applied to by some n.o.blemen shortly after this dreadful business, and very strongly did they solicit me to make a full disclosure of all the improper transactions to which I might have been made a party upon this solemn subject. I declined many times, but at length conceded, under a binding engagement that I should not be left dest.i.tute of comforts or abridged of my liberty; and, under special engagements to preserve me from such results, I have given my deposition.”

(Signed) ”JEW.”

The fact of _two juries being summoned_ has been _acknowledged by the coroner_, in his affidavit before the Court of King's Bench in April last. The affidavit of this gentleman, however, contains so many _errors_, that we here introduce an exposition of it, as given by the talented D. Wakefield, esq., in shewing cause against the rule being made absolute in the case of ”c.u.mberland _v._ Phillips.”

”Mr. Wakefield said it would be in the recollection of the court, that this was a rule obtained by Sir Charles Wetherell, for a libel contained in a publication relating to his royal highness the Duke of c.u.mberland. He would not read the alleged libel in detail now, but confine himself first to the affidavit of Samuel Thomas Adams, the coroner who had held the inquest on Sellis. It was necessary that he should read the affidavit, as he had to offer several remarks upon it.”

The learned counsel then read the affidavit, as follows:

=In the King's Bench.=

”Samuel Thomas Adams of No 9 Davis street Berkeley square in the County of Middles.e.x solicitor maketh oath and saith that he hath seen a certain book or publication ent.i.tled ”The Authentic Records of the Court of England for the last Seventy Years” purporting to be published in London by J.

Phillips 334 Strand 1832 and that in the said book or publication are contained the following statements or pa.s.sages which this deponent has read that is to say--”

[Here the deponent, _lawyer-like_, set out the whole of the pretended libel, as published in the ”Authentic Records,” for the purpose of putting us to all the expense and trouble possible.]

”And this deponent further saith that he was coroner for the verge of the King's Palace at St. James's in the month of June one thousand eight hundred and ten before whom the inquest on the body of Joseph Sellis referred to in the aforesaid pa.s.sages extracted from the said book or publication was held and that it is not true as stated in the aforesaid pa.s.sages that Lord Ellenborough undertook to manage the affair by arranging the proceedings upon the said inquest or that every witness or as this deponent believes any witness was previously examined by the said Lord Ellenborough or that the first jury for the reasons in the aforesaid pa.s.sages alleged or for any other reasons refused to return a verdict in consequence of which they were dismissed and a second jury summoned and empannelled to whom _severally a special messenger had been sent_ requesting their attendance and each of whom was directly or indirectly connected with the court or the government. And this deponent further saith that it is not true that any person was omitted as a witness whose evidence was known or could be suspected to be material but on the contrary this deponent saith that when the death of the said Joseph Sellis was notified to him he as such coroner as aforesaid was required to hold an inquest on the body of the said Joseph Sellis and that it being required by a statute pa.s.sed in the twenty-third year of Henry the Eighth chapter twelve that in case of death happening in any of the king's palaces or houses where his majesty should then happen to be and in respect of which death an inquest should be necessary that the jury on such inquest should be composed of twelve or more of the yeoman officers of the king's household to be returned in the manner therein particularly mentioned he this deponent in the first instance issued as such coroner as aforesaid an order that a jury should be summoned composed of the said yeoman officers of the king's household pursuant to the directions of the said statute. But this deponent saith that believing it to be important that the cause and circ.u.mstances of the death of the said Joseph Sellis should be investigated in the most public and impartial manner _he took upon himself the responsibility of not complying with the strict letter of such statute as aforesaid and countermanded the first order as aforesaid for summoning such jury in conformity to the said statute and instead thereof directed a jury to be summoned consisting of persons not being yeomen officers of the king's household_ but living at a distance from and totally unconnected with the palace of St. James's And this deponent further saith that thereupon his agent as this deponent has been informed and believes took the summoning officer to Francis Place of Charing Cross man's mercer and that the said Francis Place then mentioned to the agent of this deponent the names of many persons fit and eligible to compose such jury and out of such persons so summoned by the officer as aforesaid an impartial jury was formed of which jury the said Francis Place was foreman And this deponent saith that before such jury so summoned and duly sworn he as coroner proceeded on the first day of June one thousand eight hundred and ten to hold an inquest on the body of the said Joseph Sellis And this deponent further saith that the court which under other circ.u.mstances would have been a close one he this deponent directed to be thrown open to the public and all persons without distinction And this deponent believes the same was done and that all persons without distinction were admitted into such court amongst whom were many reporters for the newspapers who attended for the purpose of taking and did take notes of the proceedings and of the depositions of the witnesses examined upon such inquest And this deponent further saith that at the commencement of the said inquest the several informations on oath of the princ.i.p.al witnesses taken on that and the preceding day by John Reid Esquire the then chief magistrate of the police were read over and handed to the said jury to enable them the better to examine such witnesses respectively and such witnesses were respectively resworn before this deponent as coroner and permitted to make any addition to their evidence so given before the magistrate as aforesaid and that each and every of such witnesses had full opportunities of making any addition to such testimony which they thought proper And this deponent further saith that all the circ.u.mstances of the case as far as they could be collected were carefully and impartially scrutinized by the said jury and that all the evidence which could be collected and brought forward and that every person was called before the said jury and examined as a witness and no person was omitted to be called and examined who would have been or who it could be supposed would have been a material witness And this deponent further saith that in the course of the inquiry the said jury proceeded to the apartment where the body of the said Joseph Sellis had been first discovered and was then lying and did then carefully view examine and inspect the body of the said Joseph Sellis and all the other circ.u.mstances deemed by them necessary to be examined into and ascertained in any way touching the death of the said Joseph Sellis And this deponent further saith that he locked the doors of the apartment in which the body of the said Joseph Sellis was found and did not permit the same to be inspected nor the state and position of the said body to be disturbed, from the first discovery of such body in the aforesaid apartment until the same was inspected by the said jury And this deponent further saith that on the conclusion of the investigation the said jury immediately and unanimously returned a verdict that the said Joseph Sellis voluntarily and feloniously as a _felo de se_ murdered himself And this deponent further saith that the proceedings upon the said inquest were in all respects regular _except_ as to the jury not consisting of the yeoman officers of the king's household and that such proceedings were themselves conducted in the most fair open and impartial manner and that the verdict so found by the jury as aforesaid was a just true and honest verdict and that there is not the smallest ground for supposing or alleging any thing to the contrary thereof[192:A]

”SAM{L}. THO{S}. ADAMS.”

”_Sworn in Court the eighteenth day of April 1832--By the Court._”

<script>