LASHED INTO FRENZY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5322, 5 September 1928, Page 4

LASHED INTO FRENZY.

TWO WOMEN, STABBED. neuralgia-tortured youth. Tortured; fo,r a long by the excruciating painjs of jiburalgia, until at length the agony, ploying upon a mind which showed signs; of affliction, lashed him into unaccountable frenzy, a 16-year old lad fatally stabbed one woman anjd severely injured another. The ceptr.al character of this unusual Grama, Frederick Finch, appeared at tliQ Old Bailey. One of a family of eight, .who, lived with his parents in Cottenham R6,ad, Holloway, Finch was charged with the murder, of Mr s Matilda Wood, 56, who, with her husband, 'occupied rooms in the same hoube. Mr. G. G. Raphael, for the prosecution, explained that a Mr. and Mrs. Wilder also lived on the stune premieseisi as the Fincli family. Ou the morning of April 27 the boy was alone in iiis part o ( f tlie house. The r.ef>t of his family had gone out. n,nd lie wag waiting to go to his work at a local factory at 2 p.m. Suddenly the quiet’of the household was disturbed ♦by a woman’s piercing screams fr.qm thq backyard. Mrs, Winder, thought they came from Mrs Wood, and she hurried down to see what was the m,a.tter. iOn the first flooj- landing she. found Finch stripped to the waist, with a formidable sharp-pointed table knife in his, hand. "Oh, Mi’s Winder,’’ lie exclaimed, “l am sorry. Don’t fetch a poilcemahl.” Before she could' say anything he attacked her with the knife, stabbing her in the chest. She. struggled with him, aiidi e<ve,ntually succeeded in getting the knife away. Soon afterwards Mrs Smith, a neighbour who had heard the. screams, came to the houae. The twq women went to the backyard l , and there they found Mrs Wood lying face downwards, bleeding from a wound in the CiheSt. she died almost immediately. Mrs Smith turned to the boy and asked, ‘‘Freddy, what ever, made you do it ?” “I don’t know,” he replied ; “I have been awake all night with toothache.” Mrs Winder had to. be treated for her injuries at the Royal Northern Hospital, but fortunately she recovered. Tlie boy was taken to Hollqw.ay Police Station, and there he said to Divisional Detective Inspector Payne : “I was sitting by the fire. My tOoth was aching like; mad, and ray nerves commenced to jump. That is what caii'Sfed me to do it. I cannot think what made me stab them. I; could n|ojt stop myself.” Counsel added that the case would no doubt arouse; the jury’s sympathy, but they must not allow their sympathy to interfere . with their judgment. Mrs Winder, in reply to Mr Vine, for the defence, stated she had: known the boy foi- two years, and had always found him a nice, quiet lad. He h.a.d had no quarrel either witlr her or. Mrs Wojo’d. Dr. Ferguson, of Crouch End 1 , declared that when be was called to the house he found FSnch weeping bitterly. “l asked how he >felt,” proceeded the debtor, “and he replied, ‘I can’t remember anything at all. I have been awake three, nights with neuralgia..’ ” ' J ■ ' Mr Vine’: Do you think if he was suffering from acute neuralgic pains it would prevent him from distinguishing between right and..wrong ? . I think it would be quite ’Sufficient for a boy of that age. Inspector Payne mentioned! that he. had seen! the firm which had employed Fin,eh at a local factory, and they gave him an excellent character. They described, him as quiet, well-behaved, and industrious His mother had told him that her sqn. had been suffering from pains, in the head an.d toothache fo,r two months. He was very popular both with. Mrs Woo.d and Mrs Wilder. ■ The only witness! cajled for the dec fence. wa;s Dr. Watson, the experienced sennior mtedteal officer of Brixton Pnisbn. He stated that he had care/ fully observed the boy in ; prison, and lie had 'sfeen sign,si pointing to the probability that he xvias in the early stage of mental disease. 5 Information which lie: had obtained tended to confirm this suspicion, alfthpugli it should be admitted that, apart from. the extraordinary facts of the tlie question of his mfental condition would not have been likely to arise for sflime time. Since ihe ha.d been in. prison there were no . symptoms \ defiinite enqugh ,to justify certification. Finch did hot deny that he had killed Mrs Wqod, but he appeared to have little or no> remembrance of it. His; explanation that ,a sudden attack of excruciating pain,, rendered him. temp’orarily mad wap probably true, but a normal person would not have acted as he did. In his : state of frenzy he did not know what he was doing. His conclusion was that the lad was suffering from disease; qf the mhid r and from this it was reasonable to infer that at the time of the offence ,he was

unable to, appreciate the nature and quality of his act, Mr Justice Wright:. A normal boy of 16, however violent the neuralgic pain, would not take a knife and stab two women with whom lie had had nq quairel ? —No, my lord. The doctor added that he was afraid tlie disease would develop and become more marked. The. jury, after a brief absence, foun,d Fincli “Guilty, but insane,” and recommended him to mercy. Mr Justice Wright pointed out that there .was no need for the, recommendation. a persons; found to be insane were' provided for in special institutions. He ordered the boy, who had shown nq emotion, throughout tlie trial, to be detained during His Majesty’s pleasure.