Monday 11 April 2011

John Wilson Indicted for the Murder of Louis Bartolomichi

Or always pay your tailor's bill.

The account of this trial on 28 May 1800 is available among the proceedings of the Old Bailey.

When Counsel was asked the whereabouts of the murder weapon, a short sword, he replied,

Mr. Gurney. No, my Lord; unfortunately Mr. Degville, after the Coroner's Inquest, conceiving there was an end of the inquiry, broke it to pieces.
Court. That was extremely wrong.
Mr. Gurney. He is a foreigner, my Lord.

One suspects that Mr. Gurney may have been a patriot like Mr. Weeks. It seems to demonstrate that being a 'foreigner' is justification for wrongdoing as being an imbecile might be.

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