MILLIONAIRE A MURDERER.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 9, 8 September 1877, Page 3

MILLIONAIRE A MURDERER.

Canadian justice is to be credited; with the almost unparalleled feat of securing the convijetion for murder/ in the first degree, of arman worth, it is estimated, £1,200,000, and his condemnation to -death, th'Js being finally mbdified._to imprisonment for life. The man's name is James Ifrjran, and his residence was at Peferfcofo in the- Frovince of Ontario. On becoming, of age, some twenty years ago, he* received half a million in gold from his father, how Hying at the age : of seventy ami possessed of immense wealth, and in Idreaseof this by able business ma"n,agemerit and fortunate investments. He w.as at fiVst very successful in the ttfiiaery business, and improved the degression: which followed the' p£nic?of 1857 to secure' la'pge quantities of real' estate in Chicago, St.Louts, New York, as well as afti; extensive; interest ill Birkenhead, opposite; LiVerpool, at the very lowest prices.- His property brought him in a* lafcge income,- and he happened to sell all his Chicago property just before the i firfe and when real estate was: at its highest.. Thus doubling Sis large estate; he' was regarded as the future leader in wealth in the iybmi&ion, ati3j about eight years age*he married a «wealthy and accomj^ishedr youa^; lady of- Moatr©*!.-

Evei'y thing continued to prosper with him, aiid his house, in which there were two children, was a happy one, until the begining of 1875, when, from some unknown cause, lie took to drinking. The habit soon became excessive, and on May Bth, he had a fit of delirium treinens. Towards evening he steadied his nerves with a largo dose of whiskey, and went to his house, calling his wife to him. After some hesitation, she came and put her arm about his neck, the children being in the room, when he suddenly rose and struck h*er in the side, stabbing her through the heart with a tannery's knife. She staggered from the house to fall dead on the lawn, aud the constables found him sitting motionless in his chair. He wets defended at his trial ! by the ablest advocates of the Canadian bar, who tried to deliver him on a plea of insanity, but were not successful. The argument of the Crown counsel on this point was a noteworthy one i " Insurance" policies distinctly except delirium tremeiis j from deaths commonly known as " natural," and who dies therein or therefrom is counted as one guilty oifelo de se, arid the privileges conferred upon him, or in other words, on his family, are voided. So it is with the spirit of the JEnglish law. Those who commit crime while" laboring under deliriuin tremens are denied the immunity,- if I may say so, the law accords to other forms of insanity, which are considered " natural." The jury recommended Ryan to mercy, but he was sentenced to be hanged, November 22, 1876, but the petition of his townsmen availed for him, and on the day fixed for his execution, he was taken to the provincial penitentiary at Kingston for imprisonment during life. By the old English law, a felon condemned to death became " attaint by crown," and his property, like Ms body, was forfeited to the crown. But that practice has been dropped, mercifully enough, and Ryan'a million and a . quarter is invested with, trustees, of whom his father is one, for the benefit of the two children.