Daniel McNaughton (1813-1865)

Abstract

Byline: T. Asokan Daniel McNaughton was the son of a Glasgow wood turner. He was harboring a delusion that there was a conspiracy against him, and he perceived harassment by the spies sent by Catholic priests with the help of Jesuits and Tories. following was the revelation by McNaughton during interrogation in Bowstreet police station. The Tories in my native city have compelled me to do this. They followed me to France, into Scotland and all over to England. In fact, they follow me wherever I go. They have accused me of crimes of which I am not guilty; they do everything in their power to harass and persecute In fact they wish to murder me. Commissioner of Police was aware of McNaughton's condition for 18 months before the shooting incident. Two years before the shooting incident, McNaughton asked him to put a full stop to the persecution and later reminded him to apply to the Sheriff. His delusions were directed against the Tories, and he decided to kill the Tory Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel. On 20[sup] th June 1843 Edward Drummond, the Private Secretary of Sir Robert Peel, was coming out of the Prime Minister's residence and McNaughton mistook him for Peel. He followed him out of Whiteall Garden and in Parliament Street; and in front of numerous spectators, he shot him in the back and he died five days later. McNaughton was arrested by a constable who had witnessed the incident and was taken to BowStreet police station. At the inquest in BowStreet, the verdict was willful murder and McNaughton was indicted. Dr. Edward Thomas Monro in Bethlem Hospital examined McNaughton for the defense at NewGate prison. Sir Alexander Morrison, Dr. A. J. Sutherland (Physician, Sir Luke's Hospital) and Mr. William McClure (Harley Street Surgeon) were present during the examination of McNaughton. During subsequent examinations by Monro, Dr. Hutcheson (Physician to Royal Asylum) and Dr. Crawford (Glasgow) were present. Mr. Aston Key of Guy's Hospital; and Dr. Philips, Surgeon and Lecturer at the West Minister's Hospital, had examined McNaughton and gave evidence at the trial. Dr. Forbes Benignus Winslow, an authority in insanity defense, was called. (He did not examine McNaughton and remained as a spectator throughout the trial - a controversy - and House of Lords questioned him about this.) During the trial, Alexander Cockburn (counsel for defense), asked Dr. Monro whether the delusions of McNaughton were real or assumed. Dr. Monro confirmed that the delusions were real and considered that the killing was committed under a delusion and McNaughton carried out of an idea which had haunted him for years. All others who gave evidence confirmed that McNaughton was insane. Alexander Cockburn had made extensive and excessive use of Isaac Ray's Treatise on the Medical Jurisprudence of Insanity. Cockburn quoted extensively from the book, which rejected traditional views of the insanity defense based on the defendant's ability to distinguish right from wrong in favor of causation. …