The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-05-06 00:00:00

THE ALLEGED CONSPIRACY TO
MURDER.

In London, at the Bow-street Police-court, on Friday in
last week, William Kimpton Vanae, medical student, 59,
Easton-road, and Helen Smee, married, 20, of 48, Crowndale-
road, Camden-town, were re-examined on the charge of
having conspired to murder some person at present un-
known. Mr. Poland, instructed by the Treasury Solicitor,
conducted the prosecution. Mr. G. Francis appeared for
Mrs. Smee, and Mr. M'Call for Vance.— The following account
of the proceedings is from The Times of Saturday :
During the remand both prisoners had been de-
tained in prison, the magistrate, on reflection, having
withdrawn his consent to accept bail. The defendant
Smee, on taking her seat in the dock, looked extremely
pale. Her husband, who returned from abroad on
Monday, sat by the side of the solicitor for the
defence, Mr. Payne, and during the examination she
frequently passed notes, written in pencil, to both
gentlemen. The defendants were accommodated with
seats in the dock.
Mr. Poland said that since the last occasion every
inquiry had been instituted in the hope of eliciting
some explanation of this most mystezious occurrence.
It had been ascertained that on Saturday last, the day
after the first examination, a gentleman went in a
brougham to a Post-office receiving house in the
Kentish Town-road, and inquired for lettters addressed
to " M.V." There were some lying there for that
address, but the postmaster very properly refused to
give them up, and after communication with the postal
authorities, they were handed to the police and opened
by the warrant of the Secretary of State. It was
then sufficiently apparent that these letters related to
the present case and would add a most important link
to the inquiry. He would at once read these letters
to the Court, merely premising that the defendant
Smee bad evidently desired that her letters should be
returned to her by Vance, who had accordingly en-
closed some of them with his own replies. It would
be noticed that one of the envelopes used bore the im-
press of "Bell Hotel, 59, Euston-road," this being the
actual residence of Vance, and so at once identifying
him with the correspondence. In addition to this it
would be shown that the letters signed "W. K. B."
were in the same handwriting as those produced last
week and identified as those of Vance, while those of
the prisoner Smee were signed in her assumed
character of a niece of "W. Quarll." The letters
were read :
Envelope addressed "To he called for—M. V., 149, Kentish
Town-road Pos.-office, N.W. :—April 9.—Dear Sir, I cannot
thank you enough for the admirable way in which you have
managed ever) thing. My niece knows nothing of 3 our being
a medical man. I have given her to understand you are
something of a virtuoso, and that the box contained impres-
sions from antique seals, also that I owe you a great deal of
money. lam inclined to think the chloral will be perfectly
satisfactory. I should like to know if there to any likelihood
of its strength evaporating, especially in the corked bottle.
It is possible that this may get somewhat wasted with sniff-
ing and experimenting, and that a further supply may be
necessary, but I will try not. Supposing that I do not give the
dog his? A portion of it diluted would, I suppose, do for me in
every sense of the term. Is a portion equal to ex teaspoons
full of the labelled bottle quite certain in its effect. If you
can assure me of this. I shall not want any other medicine,
except, perhaps, a drop or two of prussic acid in a tiny phial
in case of failure with the dog, but that I can let you know.
I think I had better get a little oil of peppermint at any
ordinary chymist's. Tell me what quantity will suffice. I
shall be in the city early to-morrow, and will post your fee
whole, after drawing it out. I do not think there is any
danger, and you will want it for your holyday, perhaps.
Don't forget the oils. I can trust my niece to see it paid
but you may have to wait six months after the event. The
lovely weather has given me great desire to see one parti-
cular spot of the country in the north for the last time. I
think I shall start on Tuesday afternoon and give myself
a week's holyday. This may defer the event till Easter
Tuesday or Wednesday, but cannot make much difference to
you. Tell me in your next, if the Euston-road address is
good for six months. Yours most faithfully, Wm. Quarli. In
what way is alcohol a poison? I have sometimes met with
the following passage : ' Arsenic will not destroy life so
quickly as alcohol, for the former has to decompose the struc-
ture of the stomach, whereas alcohol directly assail the prin-
ciple of life in the nervous system.' "
"39, Euston-road, N.W., 124 76.

"Dear Sir,—l notified to P. 0., K. T. Rd. (149), that I re-
ceived your letter Monday. But I feared to reply to the old
place lest you thought of changing your address. I hope this
may not cause unpleasant delay. The prussic acid is quite
ready for post, and as for the essence of peppermint, you will
find some three or four drops suffice to flavour and neutralise
odour. Alsohol kills like chloral ; both are narcotic; they
induce sleep and simulate apoplexy. Sometimes apoplectic
folks lying in the street are taken for dead drunk. My full
name is William Kimpton Vance, but my address remains
59, Euston-road, N. W. You keep the solutions corked care-
fully; they evaporate little. The dog's poison would do for
you ; the full half of it is sure to be effectuaL Your own solution
is diluted, and doubly so from having found the fluid rushed
about in the bottle (filled more than half) and made a noise
when the packet (for your niece) was shaken. I filled up the
bottle with water. Let the label remain, but (should you
use your solution) take two good tablespoons. It might be
a good plan, having abstracted your dose, before swallowing
to pour in some clear water, but not to the extent of filling;
for if the solution were foinad very strong and undiluted'
suspicion were aroused. You understand you may employ
either bottle. If the smaller, abstract a full half of the
poison in a little water. If the larger, two tablespoonfuls,
and then pour in a little water. Whichever bottle you use
throw the other away, and let the bottle you employ be left
on the mantelpiece or table, not bard by the bed. Let no
specimen of my handwriting save that relating to debt be
found, and let all around you remain in usual condition, to
imply absence of design. The entire affair is to show prima
facie accident."

"April 13, 1876.
"Dear Sir,—The vile weather on Monday and a sharp at-
tack of rheumatism prevented my visit to the City or to K. T.
until this morning. There I found your card. Please reply
to and return my last letter (also this) to M. V., 149, K. T.
Road. I have deferred my week's visit to my native place
until the weather be more propitious. The remittance only
awaits your further advise. Do you wish it sent to Easton-
road? I miss your letters much. Won't you tell me about
the alcohol? I drew out the bill I spoke of to you.
"Yours very faithfully,
WILLIAM QUAALL."

"Thursday, 12.30 o'clock, noon.
"Yowl; received. I will go with this to Kentish-town-
road, 149, and drop it in immediately. lam anxious to have
remittance to-day. lia.nk holyday to-morrow. Can you send
by some trusty person to me at this address? You might
wire if you think proper. I should so like the money directly.
I shall write again and enclose bill and send the prussic acid.
—"Very truly, "W. K. V."

(Envelope addressed 'Will be called for. M. V., Post.
office, 140, Kenttsh-town-road, 69, 13-446.)
"My Dear Sir,—l had expected you would have received
with toe card written Mond. my little letter penned last
evening This last, as the former, simply explains delay on
my part. You did not renew address, so 1 feared to risk
any more letters left at a Post-office 'to be called for' after
the history of the first batch. You will agree this is a natural
scruple I thought I had given you to understand that
my address remains as now. It better, I can make my ad-
dress care of Dr. Fuller, Ossvestry, county Salop, or
Dublin; for I only came to England three years ago, and
only came to town ix months back If any hubbub were
excited about my £,70, it would be unpleasant if I made
out a bill dated five years back and it turned out I but lately
came to England, and that I am so young in the profession.
Why not let it stand so: the £7O is a loan from me to you;
the sum lent, ray, in 1874 when I was in Oswestry, or 1875.
when I was in Guernsey. You might in your will and
the body of it direct the loan of £7O to be returned
without interest as soon as executors have paid' imnie-
diate debts to within six months. I might 'hold in
your own writing a promissory note and letter
alluding to the transaction, and among your ! vers. a .
1
letter of mine might appear showing evidence of loan. I
fancy this plan is better than the bill. A £.70 Medical bill
would imply attendance in a long and serious illness, of
which there would be no evidence, and no evidence, dertainly,
to connect me with you as attendant. I presume You mean
a medical bill. If you mean a trader's account—well, I have
never had any trade asscciations. But I might appear as a.,
private lender. Will you think over this and say What you
I consider advisable? 1 might hold a receipt for p Anent of
' some £lO of the assumed loan, and the loan might stand as
£lOO, of which £3O have been paid, and of which th remain-
ins £7O is to be paid, with all other various claims. As yon
defer holyday (I regret the unpropitious weather nd your
consequent rheumatism) there is space to communicate on
this matter. On receipt of yours this morn. I rthwith
replied, and enclosed your last two letters. I ask d you
.to
oblige me by remitting your favour as soon as co venient.
Indeed, I should have been off again to day, but for he delay
in this matter. I returned from the black coun ry Wed.
morn, to be on the spot. I give the affair earnest considera-
tion. I shall be off as soon as I again. hear from you. Kindly
' Viturir art entire and-believe me; very sineerely,' W. K. V."
Envelope endorsed "M. V., 149, P. 0., Kentish-town-
road." Letter.—" 69, Euston-road, N.W., Sabbath.— My dear
Sir,—When yox go to 149 for your letters (if you have not
gone already) you will find I have been diligent in explana-
tion since receiving your last, which assured me of your
address. I hope you are satisfied with my reply. I trust
yonr attaek of rheumatism is fully passed over, and that you
can now enjoy a holyday. I have spent only a bastion of a