The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-07-20 00:00:00

CHARGE OF POISONING.

At the Chelmsford reasizes, Ellen Kettel, a young
married woman, about 21 years of age, was indicted
for the murder of Elizabeth Kettel Ole former wife of
her husband) at Great Bromley. The prisoner, wire
was very near her confinement, pleaded ' Sot Guilty'
in a firm clear tone of voice.
This case was one of an extraordinary character. The
deceased woman was the wife of the husband of the
prisoner, and the prisoner watt married to Lim in
December last. The prisoner, who is a rather good-
looking young woman, and who did not exhibit
the slightest emotion either when she was called upon
to plead or at any other clag,e of the inquiry, wan the
(laughter of a farmer in a very good position at Great
Bromley, in the neighbourhood of Manningtree ; anal
the husband of the deceased was a labourer la his
employ, who Was very much older than the pit
goner. It VMS alleged, however, that, notwithstanding
the disparity in their age and condition, the prisoner
fell madly hi love with this man, and in order that she
might become his wife, she committed the dreadful act
of destroying the life of the woman who stood in her
way, in a must deliberate mariner, by poisoning her
with arsenic. The case for the prosecution waste that
tun the sth of October last year the prisoner gave the
deceased some beer in a bottle, and humediately
after taking it she became very via, and died on
the Tuesday following. the prisoner was represented
to have uttered threita against the deceased, and
to have told several persons that she intended to
be married to her husband before the following
Chiistinies ; and this was actually carried out, for
in less than two months after the death of the unfortu-
nate woman the prisoner was actually married to her
husband, and they were living together at the time the
present charge of wilful murder was preferred against
her. It should be stated that when the death took
place a earoner's inquest was held, the father of the
prisoner being the foreman of the jury, and a verdict of
"Natural Death" was returned. A good deal of talk,
, however, appeared to be going ouiu the neighbourhoad
• in reference to the aff air, and the marriage of the pri-
soner with the husband of the deceased so speedily after
her death, and other circumstances led to the matter
being taken up by the authorities, and the result was
! that the body of the deceased Was exhumed, and the
centents of the stomach were sent to Mr. Stephenson,
Professor of Chemistry at Guy's Hospital It was then
ascertained that as very large quantity of arsenic was
present ins the body, and this poison was no doubt
the stance of death ; and after a long and careful
inquiry by the local magistrates, the prisoner was Com-
mitted to take her trial upon the present charge. There
did not appear to be any doubt that poison was the
cam* of the death of the deceased, and evidence was
given that a relative of the prisoner's father was a
vermin killer and cheep dresser, arid that he was con-
stantly in possesaion of arsenic for the purposes of his
occupation, and the case for the prosecution was that
the prisoner had visited him shortly before the death of
the deceased, and that she could have easily obtained
possession of poison if she had wished to do so.
The prosecution was conducted by the Hon. G.
Denman, Q.C., and Mr. Croome, and the prisoner was
defended by Serjeant Parry and Mr. Pearce.
The learned counsel for the prosecution having
briefly opened the case to the jury, and narrated the
extraordinary circumstances comiected with the death
of the deceased, the following evidence was adduced :
Maria Kettel said I am twelve years old. Before the
9th of October last I lived with my mother, who is dead,
and the rest of the funnily, at Great Bromley. On the
sth of October my mother and I and the other children
were engaged in gathering sloes in one of the fields
beloeging to the prisoners father. The rrisoner came
Irate the field with two of her sisters, and her cousin,
and she gave us some beer out of a glass bottle. I
and my another and my sister and brother partook
of it. The prisoner herself and the other young ladies
else drank some of the beer. Alter I had drank the
beer, I was von- sick. The prisoner went away, and returned
some time afterwarda and brought more beer, and we drank
It out of the bottle ely sister, any brother, and nay mother
were sick after drltuking the second lot of beer. This took
place two or three days latere my mother died. She died on
the Tates:lay alter she had drunk the beer. I was very sick
ena the Friday and the Saturday after I had taken the beer,
'and my face was else very meet swollen. My mother was
:also very sick. I slept with my mother oil Thursday night,
the sth of 0 lob,. she war very sick during the night
die hoot in the strata state unlit the Tuewlay following, and I
wheal awoke on the monaug of th dat day I foun my
mother was dead.
Cr, so-examined: The prisoner drank some of the same
beer that we had. It was the harvest beer. The beer the
paisaaer brought on the se :oust is,asion tastsil like the
other. We wero gatherihg sloes, end we ate a few of them.
I slid not feel any heat in the throat eta drinking the beer,
nor auy pains in the stomach.
Arthur Starlinz, a boy living at Crest Bromley, said : 1
knew the deceased, and I remember seeing her with three
of her children mug:serest in mitt:mime sloes in a field on a
Thuredsy itllast October. I saw the prisoner give them all
Softie beer about eleven o'clock in the morning, and I saw
they were sick after driukiug the beer.
Charles Kettel said: I live at Great Bromley, but am no
relation to the hualtand of the prisoner. I remember seeing
the deceascd in the field gatherbm sloes. Ausout four o'clock
in the afternou n Isaw the arisouer go into the field with her
two sisters told her cousins, and she remained in the field
nearly au hour. During that time the prisoner went away
from tie others and appeared to be sick. Alter this she went
away with her companion& [rho wituess was belay cross-
en:milted.
Joseph Kettel sent : lam a soils of the deceased. I was at
home on the riathrilay In-h•re nary mother died, arid I noticed
that she was very sick. My sisters, Maria and Sarah, and
my }rather George wire also sick. rau ~iti:e3s was then
briefly erosaexamined.
Eliza Kettel no relat ion to the ale teamed) mia t I had known
Mrs. Kettel for several years, and I went to see her Cu
Sunday, the oth of October, at her cottage. She appeared
to be very bad at this time. I only remelt:est wills her for as
quarter of au inair, :aid went to see her agaia the next morn-
ing. She was thee lying on her tacit upstairs. As I was
returning hone I met the prisoner nail far front the
house of the sleceased, and I told her Dust Iles. Kettel
was very bad. She replied, "It serves the old right ;
there is nothing too bad for her." She had a basin covered
with a cloth in her hand at the time, and she was going to
the house of the deceased. I prepared the deceased some
corn flour that haul been sent for her by the prisoner, and I
also gave her some mutton broth. Site was only able
to Wake two or three spoonsful, and appeared a good
deal worse. This was on Monday before her death. rho
husband of the deceased came to me on the following morn-
ing, and I went to his cottage and found the deceased was
dead. I and Mrs Starling laid out the body. Ihe deceased
sirgreedu dto have,ro withue!hwo apauc,eltuotodoin. Viets
room.!srevsm is
remember the day IT the funeral, the 15111 of October. The
prisoner was in the cottage of the deceased. and I said some-
thing *Mont the mice being in the cupboard. The prisoner
replied that she would so::n get rid of them ; she had got
plsnty of poison, such as was made up by her coasin. Ota
this of:cation the prisoner took away two glass bottles, and
sail they were what she imd taken the old woman some
peer in. [The witness was then es uss.examiued.]
By the learned judge I The cottasse of the deceased pros
wanted an appearance of great poverty, and filth also.
Mary Anne Starling said I anal the wife of a labourer
at Great Bromley, and we, acquainted with the deceased.
I know the prisoner, and remember meeting her as she
was coming from the house of the deceased. She had a
basin and spoon in her heed, I asked her how the de-
ceased was, and she said she was very ill, and she believed
she would die. She afterwards said that she " could throw
the old— on the fire fur two pins.'' On the following
day I went to the deceased's cottage, and found her
lying dead on the bed with her eyes and month wide
open. i stet the deceased on Thursday, the Stir of October,
as she was returning from sloeisug, but did not observe any-
thing particular about her. The prisoner came to the
cottage while we were laying out the body, and said that
Kettel baul given her leave to do as she pleased, and they
were to ale everything that she told them to do. I had
previously informed the prisoner that Mrs. Kettel was
deaca and asked her to tell her husband that his poor wife
was dea I. The prisoner replied. " lie might very easily
have woke me, as I did not sleep that bight.
knew she would die that night." The prisoner continued
In the deceased's cottage until she was buried, and
told me to arrange for the funeral to take place on the
. following Sunday, and she said she should be there. She
came on the Sunday and washed the children and prepared
" them to go to the funeral, and after the deceased bad beets
' buried alas said she was glad the old was dead, and if
she had known it she should have been dead before. During !
the summer before the death of the deceased, the prisoner,
, in a cobversatlon she had with me, said that she knew she
r should be married before Christman., and that she should be
married to an old man. After she had been married to
the husband of the acceesetl. I told the prisoner that
there was a great talk about the body being takea up;
' mei slat asked me what people said she died of, and I mei
' that some people said she died of a cold, some of a fever,
' aud ethers that she died of poison. I also mid that the body
would have been taken up before if there had tint been ap,
• hist:test I noticed at the time the deceskwd was lying dead
' that there was vomit on her fuse and breast, and slau on the
f bed tick. The pi 'senor, after the funeral, told me to take
Keay this bed tick and burn it. She told me that the hes-
t band of the deceased had buried the pillow.casse, sad she
assisted to chop up the bedstead. [The croseassaraiisatioa of
• I the witness then followed.]
I Mrs. Elizebeth Youngs said tOn the 9th ofeactober I met
u the prisoner affabe was returning from the Wee of the de-
Inceesed. The witness Mrs. Starling was present. I sahl to
the Donee of Commons, July 17, Sir It, Blennerhassett, tho pre,,,„g„ o nee bs poor Mrs. Kettel and she replied
In moving the second readiug of the Railways (Ireland)
thst ale was very ill, mad she believed that she would die.
Bill, referred to the evidence given before the Duke of ,
Sho had a boson and spoon in her hand, and she said
Devonshire C mis 's omsion to thew that the failure of • --
she hati been taking Mrs. Ka It-el something.he deceased's
I saw Ito
the Irish railways to ellmulats trade or to induce the
spirit of proersas among the Irish people in the ream ; again in prisouer the afternaon coming Dons t
' house, and I asked her how she was then. She replied,
as
proportit onresulL as Wag dant bant aft, y railway s I
a n other countersue " I don hro
't know. I could the the old -- on the fire for
whe of the wim nd the existence „
of jealonsiee and rivetries between the varloaa menage- ' "wo
treats, and of the faulty anal inwlequete arrangements which Mr. Cook, a eurgeon at Manningtree, proved that he wits
were dads. The railway s had not given due' foe titles for ' called in to stteml the deceased on Sunday, the 9th of
II e travelling, commercial, agrisfultural, and tislairae, in- , Detainer, anal complained of wanting dud purging.
terests. Every braneh of Irish industry Wee Clnnied tie the Ile. prescribed for her. She died on the Pith October, aud
enormous tax impesed upon carriage by raiL There was a witness saris examined at the coronerei it:quest. So must-
unanimous omelets its Ireenuil that the only ray in which the mortem exemluation was made at this time. After the
tax aptun t. ansport could ha reduced was by the purchase . body had been exhumed witness used° a post-mortem es,
of the railways I y the State There were fifty.six lines le anal:Alen in eattemetion with Dr. :Shinn, and he statue-
Ireland, averaging forty -eight miles sash its length, and'nior.,mtiy deliveted the stomach, a portion of the boweL
most of them haven trp.irato boards of directors and stile and the spleen, liver, mid kidneys to Professor Stephenson,
which abseil:teal the greater portion of the profits. The j el Guy's Hospital.
whale purehafse could be made for thirty millems, and : Croon-examined : Witness; only saw the deceased ince,
after payiag interest on the capital, the Governmeint I which was on the Sunday before her death. She told him
would have at the end of the th mt. sear £:18,755 surplue, ! that she had been suffering from her liver for several years.
and addiest the lowest estimated saving from antalga- ' Witra as gave a certificate that she died from liver disease.
motion, itals surplus would be increased to £lOOOOO. and at the tinte he cet tainly concluded that this was the cause
Ascertained statistics showed that the nianagenient of of death. lie also bribe, d that syncope, OCC:1410110ti by loss of
railways could he conaucted at least as economically as blood from the accident she had sustained in her bedrooln,
private management • but independently of that, lie eons I had accelerated berdeath. The deceased ma ode n complaint of
tended that the greaCrocols :if the couattry should be placed ; havieg taken Leer or anything else that had disagreed with
in hands responsihie to the people. This principle had been ner, but she did my that she had been gatherina sloes in
almost unanimously affirmed by lash public men and public field end had eaten them. Sioes would very often occewon
Idltes, and it should be adopted at the cost of Ireland ' vomitipg and purging. The syncope or stoppage of tbe
alone, action of the heart might have been :soca:dotted by the loss
Mr. Goldemid moved ea an amendment that the hill be of blood from the acsident. Supposing she had not taken
read a second time that day three month. and Pointed out any poison at all, in the condition of debility in which she
that the priuciple which it proposed fair Ireland must also was on Sanday the syncsspe would fully account, for the
apply to Euglam d and Scotland. The sante principle would apply death. There was nothing whatever on the Sund -ty to indi-
also to omnibasee, steernleials. and other metnis of coesmunis cate that the deceased had Wesel poison. lie only knew by
cation. The advantages of amalgamation and of improved report that the prisoner, at the present these, was far ad-
mania:ems sit were questions for private rather than State vanced in pregnancy.
intertermsce. The direetors end sharsholders of Irish rails the Frederick Norman, a farmer, reaisling :at a place called
ways would Ins few years learn that it was for th: Is own somerelaare, in Suffolk, proved that the prboner was distantly
advantage to give increased facilities to the puhlic. The vast related to him, anti she was in the habit of visiting him
addition to the debt which wollid be reedered necessary by occaelonally. See had been at his house to take charge of
the State purchase otenilways would be sr great ineubus %fon the place dtiring his wife's coufinernent, and when the WaS
trade and Industry, and ougla ut to be incurred. gousg away she Asked him to RtYO her some poisen that he
Sir T. Baaley seconded the amendment. hal promiscil bur mother. He had promised her another
The Marquis of Harting/on, in opposing the bill, ssed some pollon to kill vermin. He went tone with the
the proposal which it made was not only epee Is the prisoner, and took some arsetlic iu ki bottle. The arsenic was
objection that the principle might be extended tui Eng- mixed with grease, and it was :4 a brown colour. Ile had got
Wei and Seetlaud if OaCa adopted is Ireland, but there the poison from a persoft named Vincent. It was not mixed
were many cireumstarnes undscted with the question at that time, and witness mixed it with glees°. It was not
as bearing upon Ireland which rendered it Uudesirte the same colour ter the ingrediet t that we its the bottle now
bits to sdopt the euceestten offered by the bill. Its Produced. Witnesa sulisevently gave Fuller. a Policascen-
argued that the admitted mismanagement of Iriah rail- etsl'ee, some amend that be bad mu:hared of a Person
ways vats a Wrong areurneet agattst the percease at a large named wiggies, and he also gave him some grease.
pme stasis wisuu„,ful and doss ing Watol that the Cr..se-examir ed :Be eubsequsetly discavered that the
subject had been carefully canetienser by the Ooverumeut poison he gave tat the dsliteneth he Met se:rained from
I n all Its killed& he laid down the geeeral proposition Vinsfent, and not Iron Wiegi.. Witness used the Polla,n
that asten if the c,uestion of State purclasee should ever Le for warniug sheep. The prisoner usually came to visit him
malmsey eetertened by the Government, it must erst of all with her mother ia the spring of every year, and upaa
aarida Yaileiatly Vilna 114 tnn tailwaya ucaikt kg Lnught at nail “Citatiin f,,L41 intitL.y racy Qay vexy &witch

lhe amendment was agreed to.
inrd Ripon thin moved that their lordahips accept the
Commons' amendment on the idlterate Clause.
The Duke of Richmond said that he should have preferred
his own amendment, that the voter should make a decla-
ration bdore the Retnrulidi Officer, but If the Govern-
ment preferred that he should &liver a written declaration
that he could neither read nor write he had no objection.

Tbe amendment was agreed to.
Lord Ripon said that the word polling place " had been
Inserted in the amendment by udsLake for •• polling.station,"
awl that, as a matter of form, it would be neeewary for the
bill to go back to the Conniwns for this verbal amendment.
The Sites for rlaces of Worship unit Schools Bill went
through Committee, and their lordshipa a journed

- -
In the Mouse of Commons, Mr. Foster, in answer to Mr.
Backhonse, said that although the Medical Itopatttneut of
the Privy Council had no statistical information on the sub-
ject, he had reason to inhere that foot.aud-mouth disease
was prevalent at this time, and in some districts more
virulent than it had hitherto boon. Lies' authorities were
being reminded that they had powers to make regulations
for checking the removal of cattle; but although the local
authorities had i ower to make such regulations for sortie
time past, ony about &O per cent, of the counties had made
use of that power.
Mr. Monsen, replying tO Mr. Ina, said that a reduction of
i charge for telegrams to 6.1. involved the employment of
• much larger staff of cleiks. Them was not room in the
present office. at Telegi sph street for more clerks, and, as
be could not state when the new buildings would be com-
plete, he dtil not think the time had arrived for such a re.
duction to be issue.
_ . . . . . .

Lord Entiell, in answer to Mr. Medic, stated that be-
srotiations wow in progress with Germany for the consolt.
dation of the hews on the subject of copyright. aeveral bills
on the subject were before the Congress of the United States,
but her Majesty's Government could hardly he said to he
yet in official correspondence with the United States on the
matter.

Mr. Baxter, replying to Mr. Seymour, said that a recom-
mendation had been made to the Treasury by the Postmaster-
General to commute the pensionr of the entploy'sof tbe tato
telegraph companies, and the Treasury proposed to act on
that recommendation.
The Attorney-General, in reply to Mr. E)kyn, mid that as
far as he knew neither the Home Secretary nor the Solicitor
to the Treasury had any intention of not proceeding with
the prosecution of the Tichborne claimant.
Mr. Gladstone went through the ceremony usually known
as the Massacre of the Imincer to." The rite on this
occasion embraced only level. measure., which he described
as stmdiug in a row on the Orders like criminals waiting ex-
ecution—viz., two Irish measerea the Grand Jury Present-
ments and the County (Ifficers), one Scotch Bill (the Land
Transfer Mll, the Juries julll, Master and Senmitie Wages
Bill, Metropolitan Police Suiwrannuation Bill, and the Con-
tagious Diseases Prevention Bill. At this lastannouncement
there was considerable cheering, lie meant to proceed with
the two Mines Bills, the Public Health Bill, the Licensing
Bill, and the Corrupt Practicea bill, with this reserva-
tion, however, as to tile hwt—tbat it would be proceeded
with only if the House wished it after seeing the Govern-
ment amendments, which he hinted would be extensive.
The Thames Eninankment Bill, the Local Government
I Ireland) Bill, the Encloses° Bill, the Educattm Act
(Elections, Bill, and the Merchant Shipping Bill he hoped
also to pass. Mr. Gladstone, in conclusion, appealed to
private members to withdraw their bills about which at this
period of the Session they could no longer have anything to
Lope or to fear.
The House spent the remainder of the evening in Com-
mittee id Supply on the Navy Estimates, which was the first
of 42 Orders of the Day.

The bills cond env. ti by Mr. Glaklatone early in the sitting
were withdrawn, and several other hula were forearded a
formal stage, alter which the House adjourned at three
o'clock.

In the House of Lords. July 10, the Lird Chancellor pre-
sented the Statute Law Revialon (No. 2) Bill, whirls was read
a second time.

Lord Egerton presented the report from the select com-
mittee on the Church of England lire insurance Bill, and
was understood to intimate his intention of not proceeding
further with the measure this session.

The Metropolitan Tramways Provisional Orders Supen-
don Bill was riad a first time.
the luelosure Law Amendment Bill was reported as
amended after two divisioni—one upon an Amendment
moved by Lord Portman, making ten acres the maximum
Instead of the ininimnia to be allotted as reerfation around
or field gardens, which was lost by a majority of 7; and
another, of less importance, moved by Lurd Itedeedale,
which was carried by a majority of 1.

_
The Commons amendments to the At of Cuiformity
Amendment (187.2) Bill, the hiAhopd' licsiguatlou Aet (I 6
Perpetuation Bill, and the BaptLiana rout bill wile Con-
sidered and agreed to

On the report of the Education (Bc.tlaud) Bill various
amendments wore considered and agreed Li.
Lord Rosebery moved an amendment against the teaching
In the schools of any religious catechisni or formulary dis-
tinctive of ally particular denomination. lie gave reasons
for thinking that the clause as it stood would nut be a satis-
factory settlement of the It eligiou.a Difficulty.
Eventually the amendment was negatived without a divi-
sion, and tile Nil ordered to be read a third time.

•
The L.ril Chancellor explained the provisions nt the Sum-
mary Jurisdiction niU, which was read a second time.
... • .. •

The Treaty ot Washington Bill was read a third time and
passed.
. . . _ .

- - --
The Archbishop of Canterbury called attention to the
volumes of smoke charged with muriatic arid poured forth
from the pottery china:eye in Lambeth. There was reason,
he said, to believe that this smoke was dektroying the stone-
work of the Houses of Parliament as well as that of Lambeth
Palace, and he pointed out its deleterious effects upon the
binding of the works in the library and the trees on the
Thames Embankment. A dense popul Won resided around
these potteries, and the high death-rate was probably
traceable to the same cause. As the Horne Secretary had
been memorialized, he wished to know whether the Home
Office bad taken any Ater, to put the Smoke Nuisarwe Re-
moval Act in force for the proteition of the healih and
property of the neighbourhood.
The Duke of at. Allan's explained the action of the Beard
of Works for too protection of the stone of the Houses of
Parliament

Lord Morley promised to make inquiries at the Dome
I 'nice and communicate the result, and their lordships then
adjourned.
In the House of Commons, at a morning sitting, the de-
bate on going into Committee on the Public Health Bill wan
resumed, and after the House had been occupied some time,
the Committee adjourned until Thursday.
The Metalliferous Mince Regulation Bid, as amended, was
conaidertd, and various uew amendments were introdua,l
into it.

On the third r•ading of the Coal Mines Itegu'ation Bill.
Mr. Golds] ,Id withdrew Mr. Fawcett's amendment for attilf•
log out Cause 16, a lUch provides that the men shall be paid
by weight and not by measure.
• •

The Bill having been recommitted to make some verbal
amendments in clauses 11 and 30, it Wee then read a third
time and passed.
Several other bills Were forwarded a stage.
At the Evening Sitting, Mr. Delahunty next moved a
kesolution calling on the Government to promote a hill
which would facilitate the .tablishment of Joint Stock
hanks of fume in Ireland. At the outset of his remarks lie,
was Interrupted by an atiemnt to "count out ;" but this
proving unsuccessful, Mr. Delahunty took advantage of the
opportunity to ventilate his peculiar views on the currency
laws of the three kingdom*, and the peculiar disadvantages
under which Ireland labours in this respect. Ile announced
that he should riot prom the motion to a division, but would
reserve himself for next Session. Under these circumstances,
The Chancellor of the Exchequer also reserved his reply
until next Session. hut, in the meantime, he pointed out
several important fallacies into which Mr. Delahunty had
fallen. Mr. Delatiumy, in withdrawing his motion, remarked
that after Mr, LOWtill " miserable speech" it would be LOCO,
eary Lr him "to smash him up" completely next Session.
The Second Reading of the Church Seats 13111, which has
come down from the Lords, was moved by Mr. llereslord
Hope, who explained tlrd its objeet is twotold—to empower
the Eoclesisetical Com cuissioliera to receive sites for churches,
under conditions that all the seats shall be free and un-
appr priated, and to empower churchwardens to till up seats
which are not occupied by their ordinary holders whtn the
service commences.

Mr. D. Dalrymple moved the rejection of the bill, which
he thought needless, meld! . aome, and insidious ; but he
principally objected to the teeond part. Mr. Hope offered,
at Mr. Hunt's suggestion, to give stat-holders five minutes'
law and Mr. it. Fowler sueg.-eted that the " First
Lesson " shall he the time at which the churchwardens
shall begin to 1111 up the vacant scab, A long conver-
sation followed, turning chiefly on this point, in the
course of which Mr. Illingworth made his usual protest
against Parliament occupying itself with legislation about
the internal affairs of the Church, and Mr. Whalley pleaded
strongly easiest the disturbance of the pew system, because
it was only in the seclusion of his pew that a layman WAS
WM'S nowadays swathed the vagaries of his clergyman. On
a divition the House decided to go into Committee by 89 Loan.
On arriving at Clause 3, which contaias the previrlon re-
lating to the filling-up Si the vacant scats, many suggestions
were made for its improvement but Mr. New degate main.
that it was altogether out of the PCOpt of the hill. This view
was endorsed by Mr. Bruce, Mr. Selater-Itooth, and others :
and ultimately Mr. Hope yielded to a strung pros-ore
brought to beer upon him from all titles, and consented to
expunge the Ciente aitogether.

The other Orders were dispdaed of, and Vie House ad-
journed at a quarter-past two o'clock.

_ __-
troubled with mice, and she should like to have tome
potion. Ile volunteered to make her up some, and did
no, but she went away without it. The prisoner told him
that her mother wished particularly to have the poison
for the mice, but he did not give it to her, but took it to the
house of the prisoner's father. There was arsenio in the
stuff he took to them. It wax mixed with rough dripping or
ham fat and the jar was labelled “Poi.on "by himself. He
took nu arsenic in powder to the Fisoner's house it was all
mice) with grease. It was a very nasty offensive mixture.
It laugh) lie shonld not like to have used it fur cart wheels
Loughter.)
SerJennt Parry inquired of the witness how long he had
known the prisoner?
• • -

He replied that he hsd known her since she was twelve
months uhf, and he had always considered her a very kind
mil affectionate girl. lie conaViered her quite lucapthle of
making use of foul and diegu>tiug language such as had been
attributed to her.

Mr. %lucent was then c died, aml he proved that he hot
:unlined sonic arsenic to the last witness ; but when he MI
so it was mixed with verdigris. The arsenie was supplied by
him lu the spring of 1871.
- - .

Dr. Nunn, sturgeon, of Colchester, proved that when the
body was exhumed he made a post-mortem examination,
and he discovervel traces of arsenical poisoning. The effect
of arsenic in the human body was to preserve the viscera
in a very extraordinary mariner, and this appeared to be the
cAle in the Maly of the deceased.
Dr. Sit phenson, of Guy's Hospital, said he examined and
tested the contents of the stomach and other portions of a
Inuanan body that were brought ti hint by fir. Cook on
the 4th of April. The effect of the analysis to which
he subjected these matters was to 'Rodin.* a per-
tiott of white arsenic. The stomach was washed with
pure water, and that water subsequeetly yielded nearly half
a grain of arsenic. He also picks,' cif the stomach nearly
two and a half grains of almost pure arsenic. The
total quantity of arsenic Ile discovered altonether ix
, the stomach and the other portions of the body that
, were brought to him, was about five grains, which
was quite sufficient to destroy life. The brilliant yel-
low colour, and the state 44 preservation of the stomach,
at once excited his suspicions as CO the presence of
arsenic. Some particles of arsenic were embedded ox
the coats of the stomach, and very extensive iellammation
had been thus created ; and he was of opinion, from all the
appearat.ces he observed, that souse of the arsenic must have
been adminietered within twenty-four hams of death. The
conclusion arrived at by him, from all the appearaeces that
esented themselves, was that the death was caused by
white arsenic, awl that souse portion of the poison must have
been administered within twenty-four hours of death. Where
one fatal dose of arsenic was administered, death generally
ensued from twelve to eighteen hours, but in this case
the quantity of arsenic amounted to several fatal doses,
awl in his opinion it was impossible tor the deceased to
have lived for more than a few hours after such a quantity
of arsenic hail been adiniuistered. Ile could not discover in
the body any other cause of death than the administration
of arsenic. Dr. Stephenson then went on to ray that the
arsenic supplied by the witness Vincent to Mr. N, rman was
of the same description ass a portions of the arsenic found in
the stomach of the deceased. There W. a trace of copper in
the stomach, copper being an ingredient of verdigris.
In cross-examtnation Dr. Stephenson said that he found
no portions of the arsenic in the stomach to correspond
exactly with the arsenic that was shown to him whoa he was
examined before the niagistrates.
- -

Serjaant Parry called for the production of the portions
of arsenic found in the body of the deceased and those
supplied by Vincent to Mr. Norman, aud be asked that
they might be shown to the jury, and said it appeared to
him that they wero as dissimilar as 'two things possibly
could Mx
In further cross-examination Dr. Stephenson said that
arsenic mixed with veruigna would Ipive a very nauseous sod
unpleasant taste. Arsenic by itself would not. It would
have rather a sweet taste.
- - -

After some further evidence had been given the trial
was

adjolumed,

The unhappy young woman was very ill in the
course of the day, and a couch had to be brought into
the dock. Medical men were summoned, and it was
thought at one time she was likely to be confined in
the course of the trial; but shortly after the adjourn-
ment the prisoner was confined.

The court re-assembled on Tuesday morning accord-
ing to adjournment, and the jury were placed in the
box
When the Judge had taken his scat, the prisoner, of
course, being abatnt,
Mr. Denman said he had no doubt the learned Judge
was aware of what had occurred.

The learned Judge said he was, and at once directed
the surgeon of the gaol to be examined, in order to have
formal evidence of it. . . . .

The surgeon was accordingly examined, and stated
that the prisoner had the previous evening been con-
fined, and that it would not be safe for her to be brought
into court for the trial to proceed, but she would
probably be able in a month to take her trial.
The learned Judge thereupon said the jury must, of
course, he discharged. The only question was when
the trial should he resumed There might be no
winter assizes for that would depend upon the number
iof prisoners n gaol on the lot November. Theie
might, however, be an adjournment of the trial say till
October.
Isle. Serjeant Parry, for the prisoner, said he should
prf fer that comae.
In the result, after a brief discussion, the trial was
adjourned until the 24th cf October, and the jury were
discharged.