Blood and Judges: Murder Will Out November 3, 2015
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern , trackback
There is the old folk belief that blood calls out for justice. If Beach murders his father-in-law (random example) and then successfully provides an alibi he will soon be undone. The local magistrates will call Beach forward and demand that he lay his hand on dead dad and then poor, much provoked Beach will be revealed a murderer for blood will rush out of the wound confirming Beach’s guilt. Many readers will be familiar with this custom. What is peculiar about the next example is just how late it was still being used in a judicial setting: to have some homemade kangaroo court in the Canadian Tundra c. 1750 using blood as proof would be fascinating but not surprising, but to have a Welsh justice of the peace demanding the blood test in the mid-late eighteenth century is jarring. This account comes from Francis Barrett’s The Magus, 1801, and FB claims to have been a witness to the events. Barrett was almost certainly born in the 1770s.
This singular property of the blood, which Helmont calls Vital Powers, is no less wonderful than true, having been myself a witness of this experiment while in South Wales. It was tried upon a body that was maliciously murdered, through occasion of a quarrel over-night at an alehouse. The fellow who was suspected of the murder appeared the next day in public seemingly unconcerned. The Coroner’s jury sat upon the body within twenty-four hours after this notable murder was committed; when the suspected was suddenly taken into custody, and conveyed away to the same public-house where the inquisition was taken. After some debate, one Dr. Jones desired the suspected to be brought into the room; which done, he desired the villain to lay his left hand under the wound, which was a deep gash on the neck, and another on the breast; the villain plainly confessed his guilt by his trepidation; but as soon as he lightly laid his finger on the body, the blood immediately ran, about six or seven drops, to the admiration of all present. If any one doubts the truth of this narrative, however learned and profound he may think himself, let him call personally upon me, and I will give him such reference, and that truly respectable and fair, as shall convince him of the fact. FRANCIS BARRETT.
Other late judicial uses of occult blood tests: drbeachcombing At yahoo DOT com
15 Nov 2015: Chris from Haunted Ohio Book American examples, but late-ish Random example, my foot! 😉
29 Jan 2017: Numpy writes ‘I’ve looked for a more recent version in a credible context. This is from the writings of Carleton the Irish novelist. Yes, this is fiction but all his work is based carefully on his early experiences. So no judge but clear belief in cruentation in early 19C Ireland.’
