the year 1809 returned to England, and at Liverpool commenced the
business of an insurance broker. It appears, however, that from a
constant recital of the circumstances which had occurred in Russia, his
complaints were aggravated in his own mind into grievances, and he at
length began to talk of demanding redress from the Government for what
he termed and appeared to consider the culpable misconduct of their
officer, Lord Gower, and his secretary, in omitting to defend his rights
as a British subject; and he eventually wrote to the Marquis Wellesley,
setting forth the nature of his case, and the grounds upon which he
expected that some compensation would be made. By the noble marquis he
was referred to the Privy Council, and by that body to the Treasury; but
his efforts being unattended with success in either quarter, he
determined to proceed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr.
Perceval), with a view to obtain his sanction and support for his
demand. Mr. Perceval, however, having made himself master of the case
submitted to him, declined to interfere, and Mr. Bellingham was then
advised by his friends that the only resource left to him was a petition
to parliament. As an inhabitant of Liverpool, he applied to General
Gascoyne, then member for that city, to present a petition to the house
of commons; but that honourable gentleman having ascertained upon
inquiry that the case was unsupported by the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, he refused to have anything to do with it. Driven now to
pursue a course quite unusual in such cases, he petitioned the Prince
Regent, but from him he was referred again to the Treasury, and he again
received an intimation that all applications from him must be futile.
Three years had now been spent in these constant and fruitless attacks
upon the government, but the unfortunate and misguided gentleman
appeared even yet to cherish hopes that his case would be attended to.
On one occasion, it is reported that he carried his wife, who had in
vain striven to wean him from what she considered to be his malady, and
another lady, to the secretary of state's office for the purpose of
showing them the success with which his exertions were attended; and
although he then, as he had before, received a flat denial of his
claims, yet he continued to assure them that he did not in the least
doubt that ere long all his hopes would be made good, and he would
receive compensation for his sufferings.
He now adopted a new and certainly an unprecedented mode of attack. He
wrote to the police magistrates of Bow-street in the following terms:--
"To their Worships, the Police Magistrates of the Public Office in
Bow-street.
"SIRS,--I much regret its being my lot to have to apply to your worships
under most peculiar and novel circumstances.--For the particulars of the
case, I refer to the enclosed letter of Mr. Secretary Ryder, the
notification from Mr. Perceval, and my petition to parliament, together
with the printed papers herewith. The affair requires no further remark,
than that I consider his majesty's government to have completely
endeavoured to close the door of justice, in declining to have, or even
to permit, my grievances to be brought before parliament, for redress,
which privilege is the birthright of every individual. The purport of
the present is, therefore, once more to solicit his majesty's ministers,
through your medium, to let what is right and proper be done in my
instance, which is all I require. Should this reasonable request be
finally denied, I shall then feel justified in executing justice
myself--in which case I shall be ready to argue the merits of so
reluctant a measure with his majesty's attorney-general, wherever and
whenever I may be called upon so to do in the hopes of averting so
abhorrent, but compulsive an alternative, I have the honour to be, Sirs,
your very humble and obedient servant,
"JOHN BELLINGHAM."
"No. 9, New Millman-street, March 23, 1812."
This letter was at once conveyed to the members of the government, but
it was treated by them as a mere threat, and no further notice was taken
of it, than on Mr. Bellingham's again presenting himself, by a fresh
refusal being given to him by Mr. Read. Once more he applied to the
Treasury, and again he was told that he had nothing to expect; and
according to his statement, Mr. Hill, whom he now saw, told him that he
might "resort to whatever measures he thought fit." This he declared he
considered "a _carte blanche_ to take justice into his own hands," and
he accordingly determined to take such measures of revenge as he madly
supposed would effectually secure that attention and consideration for
his case, which he deemed it had not received, and to which it was in
his opinion fully entitled.
This unhappy determination being made, he began to make the necessary
preparations for the foul deed which he contemplated. His first step was
to make himself acquainted with the persons of those ministers who had
seats in the House of Commons, and for this purpose he nightly visited
the House and there usually took his seat in the gallery appropriated to
strangers; and having obtained a general knowledge of their persons, he
afterwards posted himself in the lobby of the House, in order to be able
to identify them. He then purchased a pair of pistols, with powder and
ball, and had an additional pocket made in his coat for carrying them
the more conveniently.
On the evening of the 11th of May, 1812, he took his station behind the
folding-doors leading into the body of the House, and at five o'clock,
as Mr. Perceval advanced up the lobby, he presented one of his pistols
and fired. His aim was true, and the ball entered the left breast of his
victim and passed through his heart. Mr. Perceval reeled a short
distance, and exclaiming "Murder!" in a low tone of voice, he fell to
the ground. He was instantly picked up by Mr. Smith, the member for
Norwich, and another gentleman, and carried into the office of the
speaker's secretary, where he expired almost immediately. Loud cries of
"Shut the door--let no one out," were heard immediately after the shot
was fired, and several persons exclaimed, "Where's the murderer?"
Bellingham, who still held the pistol in his hand, answered, "I am the
unfortunate man," and he was immediately seized and searched. Mr. V. G.
Dowling was among the first who went up to him; and on his examining his
person, he found in his left-hand trousers pocket a pistol loaded with
ball and primed. There were also found upon him an opera-glass, with
which he had been accustomed to examine the persons of the members of
the House while sitting in the gallery, and a number of papers. Upon his
being interrogated as to his motives for committing such an act, he
replied, "Want of redress, and denial of justice."
During the momentary confusion which followed the firing of the pistol,
he made no attempt to escape; and though when taken into custody he
betrayed some agitation, he soon recovered his self-possession, and with
great calmness answered every question put to him.
During his examination before the magistrates up-stairs in the House of
Commons, he still retained his self-possession, and even corrected a
witness as to an omission in his evidence. He persisted in denying any
personal enmity to Mr. Perceval, for whose death he expressed the
greatest sorrow, separating, by a confusion of ideas, the man from the
minister; and seemed to think he had not injured the individual, though
he had taken away the life of the chancellor of the exchequer.
This event excited the greatest sensation in the country. A cabinet
council was called, and the mails were stopped, until instructions were
[Illustration: _Assassination of Perceval._
_P. 530_]
prepared to secure tranquillity in the districts; for at first it was
apprehended that the assassin was instigated by political motives, and
that he was connected with some treasonable association.
Measures being provided for securing order through the country and the
metropolis, Bellingham was removed, under a strong military escort,
about one o'clock in the morning, to Newgate, and conducted to a room
adjoining the chapel. One of the head turnkeys, and two other persons,
sat up with him all night. He retired to bed soon after his arrival at
the jail; but he was disturbed during the night, and had no sound sleep.
He rose soon after seven o'clock, and requested some tea for breakfast,
of which, however, he took but little. No private persons were admitted
to see him, but he was visited in the course of the day by the sheriffs
and some other public functionaries. He conversed very cheerfully with
the sheriffs and others who were in his room, and expressed no regret
for the deed which he had perpetrated, conceiving himself, as he stated,
justified in what he had done; and that it now only remained for the
laws of his country to determine the nature of his guilt, which he did
not seem to view in a criminal light. He stated that the question would
soon be tried, when it would be seen how far he was justified. He
considered the whole as "a private matter between him and the
government, who gave him a _carte blanche_ to do his worst, which he had
done."
Alderman Combe, as one of the committing magistrates, was very active in
his endeavours to trace Bellingham's connexions and habits, and for that
purpose went to the house of a respectable woman where he lodged in New
Millman-street, but could learn from her nothing that indicated any
conspiracy with others. His landlady represented him as a quiet
inoffensive man, though at times rather eccentric, which she instanced
by observing, that when he had lodged there only three weeks, at 10_s._
6_d._ per week, she was surprised to find that he had given her
servant-maid half-a-guinea for herself. On being told the deed which he
had perpetrated at five o'clock, on Monday the 11th of May, 1812, she
said that was impossible; for that she had met him a few minutes before
that time, when he told her, that he had just been to buy a prayer-book.
She represented him as of a religious turn of mind.
In jail the prisoner requested to have pen, ink, and paper, to write
some letters to his friends; and he accordingly wrote one to his family
at Liverpool, which was delivered open to Mr. Newman. The following was
sent to Mrs. Roberts, No. 9, New Millman-street, the lady at whose house
he lodged. It will serve to show the state of his mind in the miserable
situation to which he had reduced himself:
"Tuesday morning, Old Bailey.
"DEAR MADAM,--Yesterday midnight I was escorted to this neighbourhood by
a noble troop of Light Horse, and delivered into the care of Mr. Newman
(by Mr. Taylor, the magistrate, and M. P.) as a state prisoner of the
first class. For eight years I have never found my mind so tranquil as
since this melancholy but necessary catastrophe: as the merits or
demerits of my peculiar case must be regularly unfolded in a criminal
court of justice to ascertain the guilty party, by a jury of my country.
I have to request the favour of you to send me three or four shirts,
some cravats, handkerchiefs, night-caps, stockings, &c., out of my
drawers, together with comb, soap, tooth-brush, with any other trifle
that presents itself which you think I may have occasion for, and
inclose them in my leather trunk, and the key please to send sealed, per
bearer; also my great-coat, flannel gown, and black waistcoat: which
will much oblige,
"Dear madam, your very obedient servant,
"JOHN BELLINGHAM.
"To the above please to add the prayer-books.
"TO MRS. ROBERTS."
Soon after two o'clock the wretched prisoner ate a hearty dinner, and
requested that in future he might dine at about the same hour; and after
passing the rest of the day in a tranquil manner, he retired to bed at
twelve, and slept until seven the next morning, being attended by two
persons during the night. He breakfasted at about nine o'clock, and
appeared perfectly composed; and on the sheriffs revisiting him,
accompanied by several gentlemen, he was found to be unaltered in his
demeanour. On his being spoken to on the subject of his trial, he
conversed with apparent indifference; but on the melancholy fact of Mr.
Perceval's murder being alluded to, he became less tranquil, persisted
in vindicating the act, and said that when his trial came on before a
jury of his countrymen, it would be for them to determine how far a
minister of the crown was justified in refusing justice to an injured
individual; and he declared that if he had a thousand lives to lose, he
would have risked them in pursuit of justice in the same way. He spoke
of the result of his trial with the utmost confidence; and on his being
asked whether he had any commands to his wife at Liverpool, he declared
that he had not, and that in a day or two he should join her in that
city.
On the 15th of May, 1812, four days after the death of Mr. Perceval, the
trial of the prisoner came on at the Old Bailey. The judges at ten
o'clock took their seats on each side of the lord mayor; and the
recorder, the Duke of Clarence, the Marquis Wellesley, and almost all
the aldermen of the city of London, occupied the bench. The court was
crowded to excess, and no distinction of rank was observed; so that
members of the house of commons were forced to mingle in the throng.
There were also present a great number of ladies, all led by the most
intense curiosity to behold the assassin, and to hear what he might urge
in defence or in palliation of his atrocious act.
At length Bellingham appeared, and advanced to the bar with a firm step,
and quite undismayed. He bowed to the court most respectfully, and even
gracefully; and it is impossible to describe the impression which his
appearance, accompanied by this unexpected fortitude, produced. He was
dressed in a light brown surtout coat, and striped yellow waistcoat; his
hair plainly dressed, and without powder.
Before the prisoner was called on regularly to plead, Mr. Alley, his
counsel, made application to have the trial postponed, for the purpose
of procuring proofs of his client's insanity, which was alleged in two
affidavits he held; and he said that he had no doubt, if time were
allowed, that the prisoner could be proved to be insane. Mr. Alley was
here interrupted by the court, who refused to hear him until the
prisoner had first pleaded.
When the indictment was read, the usual question, "Guilty, or not
guilty?" was put to Bellingham; when he addressed the court:--"My
lords,--Before I can plead to this indictment, I must state, in justice
to myself, that by hurrying on my trial I am placed in a most
remarkable situation. It so happens that my prosecutors are actually the
witnesses against me. All the documents on which alone I could rest my
defence have been taken from me, and are now in possession of the crown.
It is only two days since I was told to prepare for my defence; and when
I asked for my papers, I was told they could not be given up. It is
therefore, my lords, rendered utterly impossible for me to go into my
justification; and under the circumstances in which I find myself, a
trial is absolutely useless. The papers are to be given to me after the
trial, but how can that avail me for my defence? I am, therefore, not
ready for my trial."
The attorney-general was proceeding to explain to the court what had
been done with reference to the prisoner's papers, when--
Chief-justice Mansfield interrupted him, observing, it was necessary the
prisoner should first plead.
The prisoner was again interrogated, when he pleaded "Not guilty" to
both counts of the indictment.
The attorney-general--"I will now answer what has fallen from the
prisoner. He says, that he has been denied access to his papers. It is
true that government, for the purposes of justice, has retained
them--but it is also true, that he has been informed that if he asked
for them at the time of his trial they should be ready; and any of them,
which he might think useful to his defence, should be given to him; and
in the mean time, if he considered it necessary, he might have copies of
them. This we are ready to verify on oath."
The clerk of the arraigns, Mr. Shelton, then read the indictment, which
charged the prisoner in the usual way with the murder of the Right Hon.
Spencer Perceval, with which he was also charged on the coroner's
inquisition.
Mr. Abbott having opened the case,
The Attorney-general addressed the jury. He said that a lamentable and
painful task devolved upon him to state to the jury the circumstances of
this horrid murder,--a crime perpetrated on a man whose whole life, he
should have thought, would have guarded and protected him against such
an attack--who, he was sure, if enough of life had been left him to see
by whose hand he had fallen, would have spent his last moment in
uttering a prayer for the forgiveness of his murderer. But it was not a
time for him to dwell on the public loss, which had been sustained,--its
brightest ornament had been torn from the country--but the country had
done justice to his memory. These were not considerations, however, by
which they must be swayed. It was not revenge, nor was it resentment,
that ought to have any influence on their consideration of the question.
They were to satisfy public justice--to take care, by their verdict,
that the public should not be exposed to such horrid crimes. With
respect to the prisoner, he knew nothing; nor did he know how his life
had been spent, except so far as related to the circumstances of the
case. He had been in business, and had acted as a merchant, in the
course of which he had shown himself a man of sound understanding in
every act which he performed; and he had not only conducted his own
affairs with understanding, but he had been selected by other persons to
manage theirs. Having stated the main facts of the case as we have
already detailed them, he entreated the jury to consider it not as the
murder of so eminent a person, but as the murder of a common
individual--to suppose the meanest subject to have suffered as Mr.
Perceval had suffered, and to return their verdict as they would upon
that case. Was he or was he not guilty?--to that point they must direct
their attention, and he knew of no reason to cause even a doubt. But
what remained? This only,--the attempt which had been made that day to
put off the trial of the prisoner, on the ground of his being fit for
this or any other crime, as he was afflicted with insanity. Let them
consider this a little. The prisoner was a man conducting himself like
others in all the ordinary circumstances of life--who carried on
business, none of his family or friends interfering--no pretence being
suggested that he was unable to superintend his own affairs. What
clearer proofs, then, could be given to show, contrary to the defence
set up, that he was not what the law called _non compos mentis_--that he
was an accountable being? He knew the cases where the plea of insanity
would be received--where for instance a murder was committed by a person
whose mental infirmity might be considered as very nearly the absence of
all mind. Against their defence there was no argument. But he was this
day to learn, whether the wickedness of the act which the prisoner was
called on to answer was to be considered an excuse for its perpetration.
Travelling through his whole life, what ground could they adduce for
such a plea? His every act appeared rational, except one; and that was
only irrational, because it was so horrid that the imagination of man
could not fancy to itself the existence of so atrocious a deed. But how
far must this argument go? It must arrive at this conclusion--that every
act of gross and unusual atrocity would carry its defence along with it,
that every act of peculiar horror would have within itself a certain
defence, for the barbarity of the deed would be considered as a proof
that the mind which directed it was not in a state of sufficient
security to judge whether the action was right or wrong; and if the mind
possessed the power of forming that judgment, the prisoner was
criminally accountable for the act. A man might be infirm in mind,
insufficient to dispose of his property, or to judge of the claims of
his respective relatives; and if he were in that situation, the
management of his affairs might be taken from him and vested in
trustees: but such a man was not discharged from criminal acts because
he could not transact civil business. Many cases had occurred within his
memory in courts of law, in which it was proved that a person in many
respects had evinced symptoms of insanity up to a certain time; but the
question then was, whether that insanity was of such a description as
precluded or permitted the knowledge of right or wrong? In every one of
the cases which recurred to his memory, though a certain degree of
madness was proved, still as the parties seemed to have sufficient sense
to distinguish right from wrong at the time of the perpetration of the
acts charged against them, they were held to be criminally accountable.
Here there was no deficiency of understanding whatever--no opinion of
others to that effect was adduced; on the contrary, he was entrusted
with the management of his own and others' affairs. The question was,
whether at the time the murder was perpetrated he possessed sufficient
sense to distinguish between right and wrong? What conclusion could they
draw in favour of the idea which had been suggested? Let them take from
their recollection the frightful nature of the act with the commission
of which he was charged, let them take from it its accumulated horrors,
and the prisoner stood before them in a state of sanity, and fully
accountable for the act, of which, he thought, little doubt could be
entertained he had been guilty.--The learned gentleman concluded by
expressing his satisfaction at the fact that the prisoner stood alone on
that occasion; that he was unconnected with, and unaided and
uninfluenced by any other person or party in the country, and that this
deed could not therefore be attributed to any but the personal feelings
which he entertained towards his majesty's government. On him, and on
him only, did the disgrace which he had excited rest, and the character
of the country was entirely free from any participation in it.
The first witness called on the part of the crown was--
Mr. William Smith (M. P. for Norwich), who, being sworn, deposed as
follows:--