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John Haggerty (died 23 April 1847) was an Irish American self-professed Baptist minister who murdered American gunsmith Melchoir Fordney whilst undergoing delusions about a talking horse. The trial of John Haggerty marked the first case of using the insanity defense in American judicial history, following the trial of Daniel M'Naghten and the establishment of the M'Naghten rules in the United Kingdom.

Life

Early Life

John Haggerty was born in and immigrated to the state of Pennsylvania from the Irish portion of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland at the age of 20. Haggerty initially worked as a lumberjack, before becoming a self-professed Baptist minister. Haggerty was known for his alcoholism, resulting in a years-long imprisonment in the Eastern State Penitentiary for assault and battery. Haggerty was also married, and eventually resided in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Murder of Fordney

Prior to the murder of Melchoir Fordney, Haggerty had progressively become delusional, expressing fierce concern over a horse he owned, who he claimed would talk to him, and berate Haggerty's shortcomings and livestock. On 27 August, 1846, during a storm, Haggerty had sought to use a musket from Fordney's gunsmithing shop on Conestoga Street to kill his horse. At 9am, Haggerty had approached Fordney requesting Fordney shoot the horse, but this request was turned down. In response, Haggerty commandeered a display weapon and unsuccessfully attempted to shoot the horse, eventually retreating into his nearby home with the rifle.

Haggerty later emerged from his home with the display rifle and an axe, presumably firing on the horse. Haggerty had claimed the rifle finally fired due to the use of silver bullets. The gunshot alerted the neighbors, Fordney, and Fordney's common-law wife Catherine Tripple, resulting in Fordney attempting to disarm Haggerty, with Tripple pleading for the rifle to be handed over by Haggerty. Haggerty gave the musket to Tripple, then began attacking Fordney with his axe. Fordney and Tripple both escaped into Fordney's residence, being followed by Haggerty. Fordney and Tripple's daughter, Isabella, was also present in the room, ending in all three being attacked by Haggerty and his axe. Both Fordney and Tripple had died at the scene, with Isabella being temporarily paralyzed and severely hurt due to the attack. As the residence door was open, neighbors observed the massacre, and began throwing bricks and stones into the shop to distract Haggerty. When a brick struck Haggerty's head, Haggerty had focused on the neighbors, threatening to attack them with a now-bloody axe. Six men restrained Haggerty and disarmed him. Another child of Fordney's had also alerted the deputies at the town courthouse. Haggerty was then arrested by the police at the scene.

Trial

The trial for the murder of Fordney was held in 1847, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The proceedings were conducted at the court of oyer and terminer, presided upon by judge Ellis Lewis, and associate justices Jacob Grosh and Emmanuel Schaeffer. Haggerty had claimed he expressed discontent over Fordney and Tripple "living in sin", as they were unmarried, and the two's refusal to let Haggerty kill his horse. Haggerty had also told the police about the talking horse, stating it climbed trees, and turned into a fire breathing dragon to breathe fire on goats that would chase the horse up the trees. Haggerty had also claimed his chickens would turn into an "image of Martin Van Buren" when the horse "insulted" the chickens too harshly.