The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-10-20 00:00:00

THE SIISPECTEB POISONING AT
LIVERPOOL. _ _

- - -
On Friday in last week the inquest on the body of
Thomas Higgins was resumed before Mr. Clarke
Aspinall, the Liverpool Coroner. The man died end.
denly on the 29th ult„ under such auspicious circum-
stances as to induce h;s brother, Patrick Higgins, to
give information to the police.
Mr. Marks, the prosecuting solicitor, attended the
inquest on behalf of the police; Mr. QUelch watched
the case for Patrick Higgins; Mr. Hannan and Mr.
Liversage represented the Royal Liver Friendly
Society.
Mr. Hannan paid it had been stated that the de.
ceased was insured in that society. As a matter of
fact a proposal was sent in to insure his life, but the
deceased could not pass the medical examination, so
that he realist was not insured. The only persons in•
sured were Ellen Flannagan, the daughter of Mrs.
Flannagan, for £9, and Patrick, aged 20, the son of the
same woman, for £l6.
The coroner said since the jury last met they would
have seen from the papers that this investigation was
assuming daily more extendd proportion, and
becoming of deeper moment and public interest. He
had been in communication with Mr. E. Davies, the
analytical chemist, and he had had the advantage of
several conferences with the prosecuting solicitor; and
in cons qnence of what had taken place he felt that
an adj ,urnment was inevitable. He saw no purpose
to be served by making the adjournment a short one,
as another would then pr bably have to take place,
and likely another ; and he therefore proposed, after
taking a very short statement from the doctors as
to what he did in the matter of the post wtortem,
a short statement from the beadle, and one horn
the analytical chemist its to the result of his investi-
gations, to adjourn the inquiry until that day three

weeks.
Dr. Whitford, of Shaw-street, Liverpool, said he at.
tended the deceased previous to his death, on the 2nd
inst. On the 4th inst. he made a post•mortem exainina •
tion of the body, and placed the viscera in a jar, which
was given to an officer of the Court.
The Coroner: Did your p,st mortem examination,
apart from any subsequent analysis, lead you to any
opinion as to the cause of death?
Witness : It led me to be strongly of opinion that it
was due to irritant poisoning. I was led to this opinion
by inflammatory patches on the stomach and bowels.
The Corner : You are aware of the result of Mr.
Davis's analysis so far as it h... 8 gone ?—Yes.
And from the quantity of arsenic found, what is
your opinion as to the cause of death ?—I am of
opinion that death has been been caused by arsenic
poisoning.
John Hargreaves, coroner's officer, deposed to re-
ceiving the jar containing the viscera from Dr. Whit-
ford and handing it to Mr. Davi+, analytical and
consuiting chemist, at the Royal Institution, Liver-
pool.
Mr. Edward Davis said he had commenced an
analy.is of the viscera contained in the jar, but had
not yet completed it. He had only worked on a por•
tion of the viscera, but had found arsenic, which would
be equivalent to one-third of a grain for the whole
viscera.
The Coroner: All I want to ask to-day is, has the
analysis so far proceeded as to enable you to give any
opinion as to the cause of death?
Witness : Considering the quantity of arFenic
actually found it is certain that arsenic has been taken.
and although one third of a grain would not cause
death, this only represents what remained after
absorption into the body generally.
The Coroner: What is your opinion as to the cause
of death?
Witness: Poisoning by arsenic.
The inquest was then adjourned.

Catherine Flannagan, who stands charged with
administering poison with the view of obtaining in.
surance moneys, and who for more than a week had
eluded the Liverpool police, has been arrested at
Wavertree, about three miles from Liverpool. Flan-
nagan was seen in a public-house, and a police in-
spector, finding she tallied with the description of the
missing woman, arrested her, and communicated with
the Liverpool detectives, who identified her. She was
at once taken in a cab to Liverpool. She is about
fifty years of age, and is respectably dressed.

Mrs. Booth, of 3, Mount Vernon green, with whom
Mrs. Flannagan stayed front Wednesday morning
until Monday morning, has made a statement in which
she said that Flannagan came to her house on Wednes•
•ay in last week, ahout half-past eleven o'clock in the
forenoon, and asked if she could have lodgings for a
week. There was a " let "in the window. Flannagan
was told by Mrs. Booth that she could not take her
without a recornmendation. She agreed to give her a
sovereign as security, and ten shillings for anything
she might require. She said she had just come
from Manchester to Liverpool to take back a
niece who had been confined in the workhowe.
During all the time she stayed with her she never
went out, and as an excuse said she was troubled
with rheumatism. On the Friday she asked Mrs.
Booth to read her the newspaper, as she could
not read. She questioned Mrs. Booth about what she
thought of Mrs. Flannigan, the suspected poisoner,
and asked if she thought she would be caught. On
Saturday Mrs. Booth read to her the weekly paper
containing the report of the anqusst, and on Sunday
night they were talking about Marwood's successor,
and wondering who would be the first person he would
bang. She ate scarcely anything while sbe as there.
When she paid her she noticed Mrs. Flannigan had a
purse full of gold. She had no box or luggage with
her, and said she had left her basket and umbrella in
the train.