THE MURDERER OF THE REV. MR. HILL.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 532, 20 July 1869, Page 3

THE MURDERER OF THE REV. MR. HILL.

It appears that Drs. M'Crca, Palcy, Graham, Girdlestone, and Barker, appointed by the Government as a commission to investigate Ritson's state of mind at the time he murdered the Eev. Mr Hill, have at last agreed upon their report. Their unanimous decision is that Ritson is legally responsible for his acts ; and that he knew well what he was doing when ho struck the fatal blow, and that he intended to kill Mr Hill. In the course of this investigation several curious facts have been elicited. Ritson, who has even now scarcely attained the age of manhood, is believed to be the illegitimate son of a person of some position in England, aud arrived in Victoria while a mere lad. At the time he could scarcely read or write, but while obtaining his livelihood as a dealer in vegtables, he educated himself, and at present possesses more than a smattering of Greek, Latin, and French. Indeed, he is able to read the Gospel of St. John in the origiual without any assistance from lexicon. He persists in saying that he fired the fatal shot from the Protestant Hall, and that he attempted the life of Kinsella, with the idea that if convicted and punished the death of William Cross would be avenged. Except for this extraordinary desire to take life, Ritson's moral character is not bad, and he bore amongst the persons with whom he associated a good reputation for probity and honesty. He will be tried at the next Criminal Sittings of the Supureme Court.