One hundred years ago
The trial of Roderick Edward MacLean for high treason, for firing a pistol at the Queen, on March 2nd last, at Windsor, took place before the Lord Chief Justice and Mr Baron Huddleston on Wednesday at the Reading Assizes, and ended, as every one who knew the facts was convinced it would do, in his acquittal, on the ground of insanity. The prisoner had suffered from a very serious fall, causing injuries to the head, in 1866, and was declared of unsound mind in 1874. In 1880 he was placed in an asylum at Weston-super-Mare, and was discharged on July 21st last year as cured. Since then he seems to have wandered about the country in a very feeble state of mind, being under the profound conviction that persons in blue were hostile to him, and that the numeral 4 had in some way a maleficent effect upon him. The prisoner was, of course, ordered to be placed in custody during her Majesty's pleasure and it is to be hoped that he will not again be hastily pronounced 'cured.'
Spectator, 22 April 1882
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