Mental Confusion

Described by a Hull Doctor as “mentally confused and depressed, with allusions of persecution,” Alfred Furness, miner, Denaby, again appeared before the Doncaster magistrates on Tuesday, charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Robert Shaw.

His appearance followed a remand for medical examination, during which time Mr W.L.Crawford was asked to make enquiries into the case. On Tuesday Mr Crawford said he had gone into the matter at some length with Furness. Prisoner had answered perfectly intelligently son questioned, but he (Crawford) came to the conclusion that Furness was considerably depressed. Furness had spoken of being attended by a doctor for certain disease, but enquiries reveal that was such was not the case. He had however, been treated for neurasthenia.

A certificate had come in from the Hull prison doctor, and it was for the magistrates to decide whether the case should proceed or not.

“The most I could do,” said Mr Crawford, “would be to urge mitigation, in that what did take place was done under stress of circumstances.”

The doctor’s certificate said following observation and examination he came to the conclusion that Furness delusions of persecution.

“In my opinion, he is certified as a person of unsound mind,” he stated.

The Bench remanded Furness to an institution. Prisoner protested and was taken from the court amid some disturbance.