Miles Wetherill, the Todmorden murderer, was tried on Saturday, convicted,
and sentenced to death. No new evidence was produced at the trial, and the only defence attempted was that the unprovoked brutality of the murders proved insanity itself—the most dangerous of conceivable doctrines. Mr. Plow's funeral was followed to the grave by 2,000 of his neighbours, and his own father preached the funeral sermon. This sermon has given rise to some severe comment, the Rev. H. A. Plow calling on Todmorden to set apart a day of humiliation lest the vengeance of the Lord should come upon them for the murder of a priest. The murder of the housemaid clearly was a trifle ; but apart from that forgetfulness which might be natural in a father, what an idea Mr. Plow must have formed of the goodness of the Almighty ! Miles Wetherill murdered a clergyman, consequently vengeance must fall upon the town which assisted the victim and detests the murderer. We talk of justices' justice, but it is equity compared with the justice of priests.
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