The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-01-20 00:00:00

chocolate

TTfISTOVIRWRTIierr OBSERVER.

not notice any bad taste, but I had violent internal pain
and burning In the throat which came on about an hour
alter eating them. I took sortie brandy, which made me
worse, and then some castor oil. The pale and burning in the
throat continued for about 40 minutes. In March last I
- It some more chocolate creams, pink and white, at Mr.
iard's, Ira Weabstreet. I ate a portion of one, but it
so bad that I did not eat the remainder. It bad a
metallic taste; It took away my taste. I felt very ill about 10
minutes after taking it; my throat felt burning hot, and I
was strange all over, and had I feeling of tightness in the
throat. I took some brandy and water, which made me wore°,
and then some castor oil. About three or four in the afternoon
I felt better, and went and called on Mr. Maynard, and
saw him In his private room. Mrs. Maynard was also pre-
sent, and I told them how lii 1 had been from the choco-
late. Mr. Maynard said it could not be that, and that the
metallic taste I complained of must have come from some-
thing else !had been eating. They brought several from the
shop to try, anti I tasted a very small piece of some of them,
bat they were free from the peculiar taste I had perceived in
mina. I said I should like to know what was ill therm and Mr.
Maynard said I was at liberty to kayo uny anal) zed out of
the shop. I told him to try and find no like that I had,
for if he once tasted it he woald believe what I said. ha
said he was obliged to me for coming, anti would write to
his French agent. I gave one to a lady al the same time
that I partook of sae myself ; she ate it, and it made her
111 like niyself, but she took a glass of wine, which made her
bick, and She soon after got better. I took the remainder
of the chocolates that I had left to Mr. Schweitzer and told
him how! had felt, and I wanted to know how so small a
portion of chocolate cream could have made me no strangely
and suddenly ill. Mr. Schweitzer treated it very lightly.
He thought I was nervous and fanciful, but he altered his
opinion after he had tasted one hinisrlf, and he said he would
make an analytic, and he gave the result in writing. I gave
it to Mr. Rugg, but did not mention Mr. Maynard's name.
Mrs. Maynard ate several trona the shop, and tooted one of
those I had left. Some of those I had left were good, but
othen I am convinced were bad. I did not communicate
the analysis to Mr. Maynard as lie seemed so sceptical. My
object in going to him was to warn him..
Harriet Elizabeth Cole, the wife of a grocer iu Church-
street, Brighton, said in March last the prisoner came to her
husband's shop, and after she had left witness found a bag
containing some chocolate creams. Witness's daughter and
another young woman staying with them ate some of the
creams, alai were very sick and bad. In June the prlsoosr
again came to the shop, and after she had gone witness
found that a bag of chocolate creams and lemon bull's-eyes
bail been dropped into a zinc pail near the oouuter. Wit-
ness ate some of the lemon bull's.eyee Her daughter
broke a cream In her mouth and spat it out Immediately.
Witness gave the remainder of the creams to a little boy
named Walker.
-

fled. There is a vport current that you are going to take
fillOceellings against Maynard. We all Lope to hear, if you
dii not, some one will take the matter up, and yon may feel
coital. When it, cage Is tried before the Intelligent mess,
%Mile& redras tor the wrotggs you have rgect4elyill;
what katisaat:f ICl,e'r= that you cannot Of course
rest sated with. Such a deadly poison as strychnine
°Tight ISWIY to be In existence. I believe other evidence
might be bought forward, having heard of several who
have been nods UI by Ilayssard's sweets. I have ne doubt
that you wit take some further steps. NO parent could let
the loss of hi; child be passed over in this cursory way. The
Brighton Wile earsiestly hope you will do something, for
Who knows w sere this may end ? More of these sweets may
be sold by tie maker, mai other lives lost. The greatest
sympathy is Lit for yourself and family ; and in say lug what
I have I have only expressed the feelings of must of the
Brighton inhabitants.—I remain, yowls truly,
"C. G. B.
"Brighton, July 1, 1871.
" Dear Sir—lf awing seen your letter in the Daily News
permit toe to say that, as you seem doubtful whom you are
to proceed against, it is generally thought that the seller of
the chocolate is the proper person, and it is the Ilrm convic-
tion with rill who ktiow the case that this man, after being
warned, and snaking no Investigation, is certainly answer-
able. Hail he takeu common precaution— had his sweets
properly examined—this sad event might never have oc-
curred. Are persons' warnings to be disregarded because he
chooses to thitk them nervously I aucif al ? Such negligence
ought not to la tolerated. A letter from Mr. Ware's selicitor
makes the case worse, for Inc says if the sweetmeats were
supplied by Inn, the poison must have got into them after
leaving his premises. Now you have good grounds
for pursuing your investigations, for who supplied these
chocolates tote seller As the Brighton non, observed
to-day, the cast cannot be dropped ; that you are the person
to take proceetings, and of course cannot rest satisfied—the
public will not I frankly conies.. Had I lost my child in
such a sad ww, as a parent I should feel myself in duty
bound to take procee.lings against the seller of the sweets.
Justice I woull have, and you have certainly not hail it
shown in your use. Excuse the liberty I take in agvisliin
you, but you nay not see the papers, and know what is
hoped for and expeeted from you.-1. am, Sir, respectfully

3lspurd's,
bought
tasted so

1104
that
jI
The
the •
the

yams,
" A Losnoa TRADESMAN NOW A VISITOR AT MRIOII7ON.
" N. lam are that many London tradesmen, with my-
self, will seeoul you in your efforts."
This closeo the case for the prosecution, and the
Court then aljourned.

Caroline Walker, Mother of the boy of that name, said
she ate a piece of the creams given to her by her son, and
felt a strange sensation in her head and as if she was likely
to lose the use of her limbs. She went to get some water,
but could not hold it in her hand, her arms and hands shook.
She felt a very bitter taste in her throat, aud was ill about
an hour. She did not rim from bed the whole day, lie
medical man saw her. She never felt anything like it before
or Mince.
William Henry Halllwell, 13 years of age, son of a statioaer
in North-road, Brighton, said he had seen the prisoner often
at the shop. she canm In March last. She bought some-
thing, and after she left the shop he found a bag of choco-
late creams with the name of Maynard upon it. Ile went
to look for her, but could not find her. Two or three days
afterwards she came again, and lie showed her the
bag of creams and asked her if she had left it. She said
she had not. A day or two afterwards she called again.
Meanwhile he had eaten all the creams but one or two.
There were about a dozen of them. Ile did not eat them all
at once. When he ate the last one he felt sick, his legs
ached, there wsa a burning in his throat, and there was a
drawing up of his limbs. Ile was obliged to go tu bed, and
was 11l tea days. Ile was quite well the day before he ate
the creams. About a week or so after he recovered the pri-
miter called again, and after she had gone he found another
bag of chocolate creams. Ile did not try them. (A laugh.)
Henry Diggens, mother boy, 15 years of age, living in
&sex-street, Brighton, said he remembered being on tip
4th of March with a boy named Benjamin Caulthrup, M
spring-gardens, Brighton, and the prisoner speaking to
Caulthrup. She gave hint a paper hag, and then went away.
After she had gone Caulthrup gave witness a chocolate
cream, and he tasted it. It had a hot taste, and he spat
it out sad threw the rest away. About half an hour he
was very sick and giddy. Ho had never felt so before.
- -

Before the proceedings commenced on Tuesday, the
learned judge said he should like to see one of the
chocolate creams, and it was handed to him. He was
informed they were what were called French choco-
lates, but they were manufactured by Mr. Ware.
Serjeant Parry then proceeded to address the Jury for the
defence. Ile said that the case was one of the most extraor-
dinary that had ever been brought before a jury, and he
cont./Jed that he had great difficulty in dealing with the
facts that had been brought forward. Ile should,
however, lay before She jury every fact connected
with the prisoner, awl the circumstances connected
with her conduct, and he should then leave the
matter in their hands, confident that they would return a
Just verdict. The issue was, in fact, a very narrow one. Ilse
Prisoner was charged with the murder of an unhappy boy,
whom she had never seen, and against whom she could
not possibly have entertained the slightest motive of
hatred or revenge, fie admitted that, if, having poison
In her possession she had sown it broadcast over the
town of Brighton, and they had partook of It, she
was guilty of murder, just as much as if she had
entertained towards the deceased the most deadly revenge
and hatred. That was the law of England. Some of
the facts cquid not be denied. He w,uld not deny that this
unhappy womsin had obtained possession of considerable
quantities of deadly poison, but he must say he was
astonished that Mr. Garrett should have allowed the prisoner
to get poasession of poison in quantity sufficient to poison
sixty people upon such a flimsy pretence as that she wanted
It to kill eats and a dog. This conduct utterly passed Ids
(Mr. Serjeant Parry's) comprehension. lie could not, again,
deny that the prisoner bad given chocolate creams contain-
ing some noxious ingredient to a number of children, but
he must deny that it was proved that the poisoned choco-
lates taken by the deceased boy were proved to have passed to
him through the instrumentality of the prisoner. This fact
must be actually and positively proved before they could
convict the prisoner upon the present charge. There was
no doubt that Adam May, the boy who had been examined,
had been sent to Mr. Maynard's shop at the end of Slay or
the beginning of June to purchase three creams of large
chocolates, at fourpeuce per ounce. There was no doubt
that he did n, and that he gave them to the prisoner,
who opened the bag, looked at them, twisted
them up again, and laid that they wore not the
articles that she wanted. It appeared to bins
to be an almost ascertained fact that the same bag was re-
turned to the shop, and although it might, no doubt, be sug-
gested that the prisoner ought have put poisoned chocolates
Into the bag, this was not sufficient. The proof must be
positive before they would be justified in convicting the
prisoner of the crime of wilful murder. He would remind
them that on the other occasions when also was proved to
have sent boys to the shop and obtained chocolate creams that
it was not pretended that she sent back poisoned chocolate
creams. She might have been guilty of other offences, but what
he contended was that the charge of wilful murder had not
been established, and that the jury would not be justified in
acting upon the evidence that had been adduced to support
it. 'they would remember that the chocolates sold to the
uncle of the deceased were not sold until toner twelve days
after the prisoner was alleged to have sent them to the
shop, and it was proved that the compartment was filled
up every morning, and that at least three or four
pounds of these chocolates must have been sold
during that interval. In looking at these facts tliey
would not, he was sure, forget that the result of an
adverse verdict would inevitably be that the life of the psi-
roner would be forfeited. Even supposing that one or two
of these poisoned chocolates had remained at the bottom of
Ise compartment, and the cho,olates that were purchased
afterwards, and which were found to have contained
strychnine, were also found to have been taken from the top
of the compartment, was it not something wild and
extraordinary in the last degree to suppose that by some
accident one of the poisoned chocolates had got from
the bottom to the top of the heap? It appeared to him
that these rere all matters of the gravest consideration, and
be was sure they would &al with it as it deserved, but he
repeated that before they could convict the prisoner they
must be satisfied that Vs prisoner had placed the poisoned
chocolates into the hag that was taken back by the boy,
Adam May, to the shop of Mr. Maynard. In addition to
this he should give them the history of the prisoner, but he
thought there could be no doubt that the intellect of
the prisoner was impaired, and they would deal with her as
they thought proper. He confessed that the case baffled him.
He had never in his now somewhat long experience heard of
such a ease, or read of such a case. Ile should prove that
the father of the prisoner died M a lunatic asyluns, where he
had been placed some years before his death, his
malady being described in the certilleate as suicidal and very
destructive. A brother of the prisoner died an idiot at the
Earlsworat Asylum. Her grandmother awl grandfather
were perfectly imbecile, and both were in a state of un-
sound mind. lie would also show that the sister of the
prisoner suffered from hysteria, and that she hail attempted
to commit suicide. The prisoner, when 25 years of age,
suffered from paralysis, which her mother would detail,
under the most painful circumstances. About 12 or 13 months
ago a great change came over her. She, even at the present
time, and under the existing circurnatances, had the idiotic
vanity to deny her age. The calendar stated that else
was 34, but her mother would tell them that her
real ago was 43. lie would call before them
medical gentleman, who would tell them the nature of leer
Insanity, and he believed they would toll them that her
moral sense was almost entirely gone. In all probability
she would say, if asked, that she knew murder was a
crime. and although this was no, still the medical men
would toll them that her moral sense was of that character
that she really slid not know the real consequence of moister.
If this were no, he questioned very much whether they could
find a verdict of murder. After other remarks the learned
serjeant concludrd by urging that the acts of the prisoner
throughout went to support his statement ants her insanity.

By Mr. Serjeant Parry Ile had never seen the prisoner
belt ire. Spring-gardens, in Brighton, form thoroughfare,
and this occurred in the daytime.
• -

The boy Caulthrup gave corroborative evidence. Ile said
the name of Maynard was on the bag containing the creams,
and he ate about 12 of them. He felt a burning sensation
In his throat about an hour afterwards, a stiffness in the
limbs, and could hardly walk. He went home, his mother
got a powder for him ; he went to the hospital next morning,
and was mi out-patient for a week. He was not well again
until a month afterwards.
- - - - -•

tinily Selina Baker, a pretty child, 10 years old, said after
the Easter Monday Review, on coming out of school, the
prisoner spoke to her and asked it she liked sweets, and she
said she did. She gave her a bag of sweets—chocolate creams,
lemon drops, acid drops, and cough drops. She took them
home, and her mother picked out the chocolates and wit-
ness ate five or six. One of them was very hitter, and she
spat it out. She felt sick and ill about half an hour, and was
unwell for two days.
Harriet Baker, the mother of the last witness, corroborated
her evidence, adding that Mr. Maynard's name and addresa
were upon the bag. About eight or nine slays after that the
prisoner called on witness and asked if she bast any one ill
In the house, or if she knew any ,nie ill in the street. Witness
said her little girl had been unwell. The prisoner said
nothing more and went away. Witness's daughter did not
seem to be the person she wanted to Ibid. She had asked
the little child where she lived.
- - - - - -

Inspector Gibbs recalled On the 13th of August I bad an
interview with the prisoner, at her residence in Gloucester-
place. I hail previously seen her mother. The m honer
was lying on a couch close to the door, and ellen she saw
me she paid, "here I am again, Mr. Gibbs, nearly poisoned."
She edded that f was aware she had had a box sent to
her with fruit in it, and that the hex had Lome by post
and it was evidently sect by some one not well acquainted
with her, as her name was wrongly spelt. She then
said that the box contained some strawberries and
some apricots, and she had eaten one of the apricoW•and it
had made her very ill. She alas said that alto had heard
that Mrs. Beard had had one. I told bee it was true that
Mrs. Beard had received a box of fruit of the same kind.
I did net take her Into custody until the 17th of August.
She was then charged with administering poison to Alm.
Beard, and when the warrant was read to her she said
"Ste poison Mrs. Beard !I have been nearly poisoned my-
self.

Cross-examined : I hart- made inquiries at this time, and
had ascertained that similar boxes of fruit had been received
by other ladies in lirighton. The prisoner was lying on a
sofa, and looked pale when I saw her.
Dr. Letheby recalled : I have examined and analysed the
packet marked No. 2. It contained chocolate creams, but
they were perfectly harmless. I have heard the symptoms
described by the children who have Imen examined, and a
good many of them are some of the symptoms that would
be produced by the administration of strychnine.
Mr. Nethercliffe, an expert in handwriting, was the next
witness, and lie expressed an opinion that all the documents
that had been produced were In the handwriting of the
prisoner.
In

• _____ ______ the witness said he was examined as
a witness in the case of Mrs. Byres, who had claims to the
Crown of England. He was called as is witness on her be-
half, and he spoke to certain signatures, and among then,
those of George the Fourth, the Duke of Cumberland, and
other distinguished persons.
Serjeant Ballantine then proposed to call Dr. Beard as a
witness to what took place in September. •
Mr. Serjeant Parry said he should make a formal objec-
tion to Dr. Beard's evidence being received.
The Judge : I know what Mr. Beard's evidence is, and
there Is a great deal alit that I should not admit at all.
Mr. Serjeant Parry The moment my learned friend puts
a question as to whit took place at so remote a period as
September, 1870, I shall object.
The Judge As I understand It, my brother Ballantlne
does not intend to press It in the way I think objectionable,
but I think it would be competent to him to put the question
as to whether the prisoner attempted to poison a person by
these chocolate creams. There are two objections. In the
first place there is that of remoteness. In a case of this
kind one would be unwilling to admit evidence there was
much doubt about, and especially when it does not seem to
me to assist the case. But if you will put the question I
can then bear the objection.
Dr. Beard was then called.
Mr. Serjeant Ballantine Were you in September last, or
rather September, 1570, practising as a physician at Brighton?
—I was.

Anne Christina Edmunds, the mother of the prisoner, who
was deeply affected, was then called, and deposed that the
prisoner was born at Margate, in 1828. In 1843 witness's
husband became insane, and was sent to a private lunatic
asylum at Southall. Ile was confined from 1843 te 1844. He
leas insane some time before that time. Di msech. 1845, he
was sent to the Peckham Lunatic Asylum, where he re-
mained till 1847, when he died. lie was paralysed some
time before his death. Ile was 46 years old. Witness's son
Arthur, brother of the prisoner, was subject to epileptic Its
for many years, from his childhood. He was sent to the
Earlswood Idiot Asylum in February, 1860, and remained
there till 1866, when he died. Prisoner's sister attempted,
in 1860, to throw herself out of a window. She died at
the age of 36. She was always excitable, and suffered
from hysteria. Witness's own father was paralysed five
years. He died at the age of 43, in an epileptic fit. w it-
ness's brother's daughter suffered from weakness of in-
tellect. The prisoner suffered from an illness in 1853. She
was sent up to London, and on her return she became para-
lysed in the left side. She could not walk. She also suffered
from hysteria. She would sometimes walk to witness's room
at' night and say she could not breathe. She suffered in this
way several years, and even now she was occasionally at-
tacked. As a child she used to walk In her sleep. Wit-
ness had noticed a great change in the prisoner since she
had known Dr. Beard.
Cress examined : The medical men who attended witness's
husband were all dead with the exception of Dr. Stewart.
Her husband was an architect, and built the lighthouse and
other public works at Margate. Since Dr. Beard left
Brighton Mr. Humphreys had attended the prisoner. In
consequence of what took place at Dr. Beard's the prisoner
was greatly excited. Witness went to Dr. Beard to obtain a
retraetation.
Re-examined 3ly daughter came home excited, and, after
some questioning, said that in consequence of Dr. Beard's
coldness she asked what had changed him. He replied. I
never respected you so much since the chocolate cream."
She was greatly excited when she came home and walked up
and down, saying, " Oh ! I shall go mad." Witness said,
"Yost are mad already ; you, of all people, ought to be par-
Henke," alluding to her father, which she had never done
before. The prisoner was now 43 years cf age, a period in
her life the approach of which witness hail always dreaded.
Dr. Stuart, proprietor of • private asylum at Southall, re-
membered receiving Mr. William Edmunds into his estab-
lishment in 1843. Ile was admitted upon the usual certifi-
cates (produced)
Dr. Onslow, proprietor of the Lunatic Asylnin at Peckham,
depumad that William Edmunds was received into his asylum
in 1841, under the usual certificates, and died in March,
1847.
Dr. Gravil, resident physician of the Earlswood Asylum,
produced the certificate relative to Arthur Bum Edmunds
(the brother of the prisoner), who died in that asylum on
the 11th of January, 1866, He was subject to epilepsy,
which, as stated, was produced by a blow on the head.
Crostexarnined—Disl not believe that a blow on the hgad
would produce the species of insanity from which Arthur
Edmunds suffered.
The Rev. 3f r. Cole, chaplain of Lewes Gaol Was two
years chaplain and secretary of At Luke's Hospital. Prisoner
was taken to Lewes (bell on the loth of August. There was
a rule of the gaol to notice the condition of the minds of
prissmers admitted. Prisoner was nosier his observation from
the Ildit of A lignst till Christmas Day. lie noticed a very
peculiar fi•rmation of the eye, and the motion of the eye was
also very peculiar. He noticed a vacant expression at times.
lie hail many conversations with her. They were perfectly
coherent. They struck hint as being extraordinary, con-
sidering the circumstances under which she was placed. Ile
found unnatural calmness and exceeding levity. He had
spoken to her regarding the position in which she stood,
and she broke out into an extraordinary laugh. Ile en-
deavoured to fix her mind on the gravity of the charge, but
she seemed to havens power to fix her mind. Site would
sometinses cry, and then burst out into a laugh. She never
appeared to realise her position. 110 had focused an opinion
that prisoner was of unsound mind.
Alice Obert, living at Brighton, deposed that she hest
known the prisoner six years. She had resisted at witness's
house two years. Prisoner's demeanour while in her house
was ladylike, quiet, and kind in every way. Noticed Baler
time before she left that she was not so quiet. About March
or April last year she appeared very' strange, and said she
thought she was going mad. Her eyes were very large and
dull.
George (Sheet, husband of the last witness, gave similar
evidence.
Dr. Woods, F.R.C.P., physician at St. Luke's Hospital, ansl
formerly resident of the Bethlehem Hospital, said he hail
seen the prisoner in Newgate about a fortnight ago in com-
pany with other medical gentlemen. lie was very much
struck with her absolute indifference to her position, and he
failed altogether to impress her by the serums position in
which she was placed. Ile believed her to be quite incapable
of estimating her position, ller mind was so weak that she
personaa an h tt. r •
en ;in- a
liable- l u f .
was really incapable of judging between right and wrong in
the same sense as other people would. He saw her for about
they would he predisposed to insane acts.
ntt
thye, calnildicr enny
yopf
yni ins snanlye
tolinturibtteinlisaY
He told her they had conic to ascertain the state of her
Cross-examined : The prisoner knew the object of his visdt.
mind with a view to hoe trial. Ansongst other things he
lurked her was whether she knew the consequences of a
conviction, and she replied that she would prefer a con-
viction to being brought in insane. He asked her whether
she thought it was wrong for a person to attempt to destroy
the life of another because she believed the hwiband of that

Among your patients was the prisoner at the bar 7—She
waa.

-
Did she visit your house /—Certainly.
And in consequence of something that occurred, dill you
make any accusation against her?
Mr. Serjeant Parry I object to this question, in the first
place, because it does not refer to the particular case we are
trying.

- -
The Judge Sly impression is it is admissible, but I would
say to Mr. Serjgant Ballantine, do trot pr or it. I think,
If it is pressed, I must reserve a case for CfM Court of Ap-
peal.
Mr. Serjeant Ballantine: I need not say that if this were a
matter that could be appealed in a civil court I should feel
It my duty to persist in putting the question. Butt feel
that in a criminal ease I ought at once to yield, because if a
doubt arose in your lordship's mind, I would not allow a
matter to be given in evidence that might be given in error.
The Judge Then you withdraw it?
Mr. Serjeant Ballantine Yes, my lord. Then that will be
the case for the prosecution.
The Judge You must have another witness to prove that
she is not a married woman.
Caroline Pettit was then called. She stated that she is
servant in the house, 16, Gloucester-place, Brighton, where
prisoner resided with her mother. As far as she knew, pri-
soner was a single woman. They comported themselves and
bore a very respectable character.
Three anonymous letters written to Mr. Barker, the
father of the deceased child, and proved by Mr.
Netherclift, an expert, to be in the prisoner's hand-
writing, were put in evidence as part of the case for the
prosecution. The letters were AA follows
Susaex-square, June 27, IS7I.
f' Slr,-11aving seen the result of the investigation of the
Inspirit of Thursday last, I feel great surprise to find that
no blame is attached to airy one. I have felt great interest
In the cage, and frilly sympathise In your sad loss. Great
dissatisfaction is felt at the result by most of the inha-
bitants, and we all feel it rests with yourself now to take
proceedings against Mr. Maynard. As a parent myself I
could not rest satisfied, nor would one in a hundred. I
trust you will come farward for your own sake and the
public good. You shall have all the assistance possible.
1 feel sore the young lady will willingly come forward,
as I know, from good authority, she was very dis-
satisfied with Mr. Maynard's conduct ; of course snpposed
he would have taken the same step she did and have
them analyzed. I can only say tLat Mr. Maynard, after
boing duly warned that his chocolates were irdminus, and
had made three persona ill, ought to have them analyzed or
destroy them. The public mind is not satisfied, and feel
great blame is attached to him for selling to your family
chocolates from the snore stocks he had Irvin warned
against. He spoke of investigating, and what was his In-
vestigating ? Merely looking ever arid tasting a few choco-
lates with his ahopwoman. Why, the young lady was ro it
satisfied with that, even and as to writing to his French
agent, It appears lie never 4lid. I hope no monetary consi-
derations will prevent you taking proceedings. The Br ighton
inhabitants are all up in arms at the laxity of proceedings
In the want of justice, and will assist you in every way arid,
with the facts tried before unbiassed and unprenelicedmen,
I think Mr. Maynard will not escape scot free. My feeling
of disgust is felt by most of the influential and respectable
inhabitants of this town.—l am, Sir,
"AN OLD INHABITANT AND A SEEKER FOR JUSTICE.
"Y.S. The Town Council cannot take up the case again
it rests with you, and you shall receive all the aid we can
offer. The papers are taking this up, both Brighton and
London. See the London Observer."

Vernon-terrace, June 28,1,71.
" Sir,—l hear there is a general feeling of indignation at
the termination of the proceedings of the inquest of Thurs-
day last ; that a jury should be no lenient, and attach no
blame to any one, is unheard of. All that can be done now
Is for you to make further investigations, and it certainly
seems a duty to yourself and the public, who will, I fun as-
sured, never let the matter rest. Why is Mr. Maynard to be
screened, and the whole affair glossed over? He was warned
of his sweets, and yet he deliberately sells some of the very
same to your family, and you are to lose your poor child
through his great negligence. Why didn't he investigate
or destroy his sweets at once? Are people's complaints to
be disregarded because he excuses himself by saying he
thought the witnesses' versions are knelt til ? Why shunt he
see her friend? I say he took no means to ascertain what
was wrong, and is certainly answerable for selling those
sweets after being warned. Your lawn er (excuse me for saying
it) did very little on your behalf. Ile never taxed Mr. May-
nard with not taking steps tit know what the sweets really
contained, and for daring to sell them without a proper in-
vestigation, never even waiting to inquire of the French
agent he had them from. Of course, you cannot rest supine
no one could sustain the loss you have done and rest satis-

- _ -
but she.did . stayed. The
as meaning. of tiNe was interpreted by a female
itiondr,
sdhenaldwism
shaedy
site. lee Uttie 16- ,-;-3. any cause In her condition why execution should be i
she really thought so. lie reminded her that it w pret.,nan Thereupon, according
t say%it in such a manlier sie would lead him to believe ' eh! trough
s prisoner here rose and said t
ible for innocent people someturast titleben.coen.viberectedd. lizsielosnwghbnaprp%ren,oda
tojurybeotfnmtahtreeni
rue which the prisoner
a questions that were put to lier)- lie did not remember herb., I forthwith empanelled to try th • i
by heransegr had raised. In that they were assisteel by Dr.
*he answer, but her manner struck him very mach, d
beide. Gveison, the prison surgeon, and by Dr. Bereeford It) ley,Thof
o'Vrtchaotsenthiemtlind tulle. Vags
think It of ally
t lob r
oolwich, who chanced to be among the audience. e
brim,
rt,o,dhedtv
,terteimmet.shbee
rdtkihenotil°S result was a verdict that the prisoner was not prog
rant.
see underetood all of them.
Ite-examlned Inelgiug by her appearancet deumanouie While this wad going on, the prisoner looked wildly
and conversation, he believed her to be insane': round the court, and despair was written lightly on
Dr. Robertson, one of the visitors of the Court of chancery her countenance. The Clerk of Arraigns directed
to lunatics, said that be had for many years paid great that she should be removed, on which she turned
attention to insanity as a disease. lie had seen the pri- towards him, as if she would have said something ;
Boner in October last, and on the occasion deposed tu
but the gaoler, taking her by the arm, said " Come
comingfro any conclusion es to the state of her mind. on!" and she was lad away. With that the trial emded.
order-land be-
tweEn crime and insenity. Ile regarded her intellect la
quite clear and tree from any delusion ; he thought that Ing
bre) I.:ah '7l:apehrsadoniver•: t:ree:
moral sense was dctinient, similarly as he had observed M
the descendauts of insane parents. Ile failed to beiges,
her with the gravity of the position in which the was placed:
her as morally insane.
Coupled with the history of the case he was led to regard
By the Judge r Ile believed
if she administered poison to
destroy life she would know that it was a wrong act.
Dr. Mauasley said he had visited the prisoner upon the
same occasion as the too last witnesses. Ile agreed gene-
rally with Dr. Robertsou. In reference to her moral Sense
he considered her mind Impaired.
of moral feeling with regard to eveuts or acts regarding
Cross-examined r By impaired moral sense he meant a want
which a perfectly sane person might be expested to exhibit
feeling.
Re-examined The only real distress that prisoner exhi-
bited was when she complained of the reports which had
been publieleed with regard to her conduct in Newgate.
The certificate of the prisoners baptism on the 3rd
October, 1828, was put in, and :that consisted the case for
tho defence.
, Mr. Serjeant Parry, reviewing the evidence adduced on
behalf of the prisoner, contended as a fact that she was a
member of an insane family, and had very likely inherited
the disease from her lather, and also from her mother's
father, who was imbecile and lunatic, dying at the early age
of 45 lie commented on that part of the mother's evi-
dence in which she said she dreaded the arrival of the
in-
souer at a certain period of life, remindiug witness so much
as it did of the prisoner's father. These were facts ex-
tremely well worthy the consideration of the jury, and he
argued that the acts of the prisoner appeared to have been
motiveless. She could have had no motive for the com-
mission of such a crime. He cited the case of Hatfield,
who shot at George 111. In 1800 under the delusion that he
was the Saviour of the world, as one in point. Ile knew the
crime he bad committed was murder, and yet Serjeant Parry
had never heard or read • syllable against the propriety of
the verdict in that case that the prisoner was insane. Ho
dwelt on the evidence of Dr thimble) es to the hereditary
effect orinsanity in a family, and urged that the prisouer in
this ease must have suffered from the insanity in hers. Thera
was uever probably such a family history in reference to in-
sanity, and he over an d over again entreated thejury to bear it in
mind. He dwelt on the important evidenee of the Bev.
Mr. Cole, the chaplain of the Lewes Gaol, in support of the
slew he was urging. That gentleman evidently thought her
insane, as did also Drs. Wood, Robertson, and Maudsley.
lie asked If this case was to be • contest between the law of
the country and medical science. If the jiffy belleved the
prism., to be of unsound mind, then she did not know the
difference between right and wrong. Deprecating the un-
seemly contest between the law and medical selence in thts
case, he took occash in to say the men who had made mental
disease their peculiar study were benefactors of the human
race, and were entitled to respect wherever they were. If,
by thelaw of England, the prisoner, like any ordinary person,
knew the difference between right and wrong and the quality
of the act she committed, and, notwithstanding that, per-
petrated the crime laid to her charge, be it so ; but it was
for the jury to decide, arid, whatever their verdict, it would
be received with the respect to which it was entitled.
Mr. Serjeant Ballantine, in reply, said he recognised the
difficulties with which his learned friend had to contend in
defending the prisoner, and while he joined with him in
acknowledging the responsibility which devolved upon the
Jury, he reminded him that the public were eonserned in
the issue. It had been contended that possibly the
chocolate :cream causing the death of the unfortunate
boy did not originally come from the prisoner. If that
had stood alone there might have been room for a doubt,
to which the prisoner would be entitled ; but he eould
not forget the artful manner in which the prisoner had
obtained strychnia from the chemist, Mr. Garrett, and the
forgery to which she had had recourse in procuring it. lie
was obliged, having regard to that evidence, tb come to the
conclusion that she was a woman exhibiting 'towels of
great contrivance and e insiderable cunning. It was clear
there was upon her yawl a feeling which altered her lean-
nee in relation to the charge that was brought against her
by Dr, beard, of having done a certain act in relation to his
wife. Folly always followed in the wake of crime, and even
the crimes of very clever people. The primary motive of
the prisoner, he submitted, was to absolve herself from
blame in a family with which she had been intimate, and a
secondary one to fix on anybody else the culpability that
Would otherwise attach to herself. Referring to the sug-
gestion of hereditary taint, he said that was a favourite
specific with (lectors of a certain class. It was also one in
I which the public for various reasons had great Merest. He
I did not deny that "the hereditary taint" was s matter that
might be fairly raised in matters of lunacy, but it was not
itself a ground, in the absence of anything like distinct
I evidence of insanity, for believing that a person was insane.
A more uoble profemion than that of medicine, as it was
constituted in this country, nerer had existed. Ile knew ,
of none for which he entertained feelings of higher respect '
and consideration. It was on that account that he felt in-
diguant when men used the honourable character attaching
to that profession to propound views before a jury net cal- I
°elated to elucidate questions under consideration. lie could I
not help thinking they rather went into the witness-box
confident in their own powers of verbiage, which did not
convey ally clear idea In the ease of Hatfield there was an
admitted delusion, as also in the ease of M'Naughten who
was tried for shooting Mr. Drummond; and where there was
an admitted delusion, and where the act done was the neces-
sary consequence of such delusion then the person was not
responsible for his actions. Insanity essentially consisted in
delusions, and without delusions there might be maula, but
there could be no insanity.
liaron Martin, In summing up the case to the Jury, said
there were two questions for their consideration. The first
was, whether they believed that on the occasion of the boy
Adam May buying at the shop of Mr. Maynard a packet of
chocolate creams at the request of the prisoner and on his
taking them to her she contrived to substitute for them, or
some of them, others containing poison, and asked him to
take them to the shop of Mr. Maynard to be exchanged,
wills the iatention on her . part that they should lie
sold there. if they believed she gave the boy May
poisoned all ect meats, Intending Unit he sheuld take them
to Maynard's shop and that they should be sold there,
and if they also believed that one of these poisoned
sweets was sold to a relative of the deceased boy Barker, and
arimintatered to him, and thathe died from its effects, the
prisoner would be guilty of the murder of the child. The
second point Wes, whether the prisoner was in such a state
of mind as to be responsible for her actions. He reviewed
the evidence as lathe circumstances umler which the choco-
late creams we re given to the deceased, and said he thought
they might assume it to be an established fact that poison
had been added to the creams he took. Assuming the child
Will poisoned by strychnine and that it wets found in the
creams, the question was whether the prisoner was the person
who put it into them. Its read the evidence bearing on that
part of the case, and left it to the jury to say whether
there mould lie any doubt that labs had possessed her-
self of strychnine aud in considerable quantity. There was
alas the fact that she clearly knew what she got at the
shop of Mr. Garrett was poison. The learned judge dwelt
upon the manner in which she had given sweets to children
in the streets and left them at shops, and upon the illnesses,
dangerous in some cases, resulting to those who had eaten
them. He referred to her voluntary examination before
the coroner, and mid that afterithti she seemed to have gone
almut with creams and given them to either children. Ad-
dressing himself to the question of imanity, he said it was a
difficult one. A poor person, he remarked by the way, was
seldom afflicted with insanity, and It was Icommmi
to raise a defence of that kind when people of means were
charged with the commission of crime. Ile had heard a
doctor say that all maekind were mad more or less,
lint that had little to do with the case under considera-
tion. The state of mind which excused crime was well
lined in our law. There were many diseases to which
Chu mind wag fac well as the body. There was
the idiot, who was born without any mind whatever.
Again, there was the man who was raging mail, and if he
had what was called a homicidal tendency he would have
110 more criminal responsibility than a tiger. But the most
numerous eases of that kind were of persons said to be sub-
ject to delusions. They were persons who believed in a state
of thiegs which did not exist, and acted on that state of
things. It might he that because the father of this unfor-
tunate woman bail I.en the inmate of a lunatic asylum her
mind was not sound ; but that Wan not in the least the
question the jury had to try. The learned Judge read at
length. aa bearing upon this part of the case, the answers
of the late Justice Monte, Lord cranworth (then Baron Rolfe ,
and Baron Parke to the questions submitted by the House
of Lordsto the Judges in 51'Naghten's ease in relation to in-
sanity ; and he submitted that on their high authority every
man must be responsible for his acts until it was shown to
the contrary. If the jury in this case should think that the
prisoner did not know right from wrong at the time she
committed the crime with which she was charged, if she did
commit it, they would acquit her: but if they so found, they
would accompany their verdict with an intimation that they
did so on the ground of insanity.
The jury retired to emusider their verdle tat ten minutes to
four o'clock, and returned into court exactly an hour after-
wards with a verdict of Guilty.
The court was at that time densely crowded.
Being asked, after a pause, in the customary manner by
Mr. Avory, the Clerk of Arraigns, if she had anything to say
why the Court should nit give her judgment to die, the
prisoner replied that she wished she had been tried on the
other charge which had been broukht against her. As to
the improper intunacy which she mel existed between her-
self and Dr. Beard she had wished to be examined on that
subject.
tiaras Martin, who had by this time assumed the black
cap, explained to her that it did not rest with him for her to
be tried on that charge, but with the counsel for the pro-
mention.
The prisoner u It is owing to my heving been a patient of
his, and the treatment I reecivsil en going to him, that I
have been brought to this dreadfnl business. I wish the
jury hail known the intimacy, his affection for me, and the
way I have been treated. •
Baron Martin said lie was not it ill disinclined to believe
her statement. Ile believed the nehappy circumstances in
which she placed herself towards the end of 1870 probably
led to the position which she was now in; but the truth
of that only confirmed the propriety of the verdict. In
order to have her ease fairly tried he himself had wished
to keep out the whole of that ease, for it seemed to him,
tile more he thought of the matter, it was only calculated
to make her position the worse. Ile was quite satisfied
the unhappy circumstances under which she became
aequallited with Dr. Beard and Mrs. Beard led to her
poisoning fruit and a variety of other thing.. Tied he
canfil well believe ; but he hail but one duty to perform.
lie concurred in the verdict of the jury. They had, he
believed, arrived at a right conclusion. lie believed that,
having got into her mind the idea of poisoned sweets,
she contrived to poison those she got the little boy
Adam Ilay to bring for her, and in that way, in the
result, the little child Barker came to Ids death. That
she had no docile to kill that particular child he ceuid
well believe halt she got into a morbid state of mind in
comegneme of her relations with Dr. and Mrs. Beard, and
that had led to all that had occurred. .'t'at he believed to
be the truth of the matter ; bathe had wished to keep Dr.
and airs. Beard entirely away with the view of giving her
the fairest trial in the position in which she stoeel, lie him-
self believed she was guilty, and that the verdict of the jury
was correct in rejecting tile defence of insanity. In truth,
he believed there was no reliable evidence to go to the jury
on that point and that they felt it impossible to arrive
at any other conclusion. The real question was, not whether
she was a person of weak mind, but whether her mind was
in a stateto distinguish right from wrong. That, undoubtedly,
was the form in which the law recognized the question.
With such letters before them as she had written, it was im-
possible for the jury to have arrived at any other conclusion.
If they could have found another verdict they would, as
honest men, only have been tooglad to dam. He did not wish
to make any observationecalculated to distress her. Ile only
said he believed, in his judgment, the verdict was a right
one, and right upon both points. The law imposed upon
him the duty to pass upon her the sentence of death,
which he proceeded to do in the prescribed form, directing
at the same time that it be carried into effect in the ,county
of Sussex, in which the crime was committed, and adding,
with much fervency, might the Lord have mercy on her
soul !
The prisoner had been removed from the dock while the
jury were deliberating, and on their return she was brought
in again. Of her OS'll motion she walked to the front of
the bar, her bearing at that supreme moment being singu-
larly firm and betraying no visible emotion. It was also re-
spectful and becoming. She heard the verdict without any
appareat distreas. lier countenance was slightly Hushed, and
her eves beamed with an unwonted expression. In the few
words of complaint she addressed to the J udgc she spoke with
much modesty and propriety, and after. rads heard the sen-
tence with fortitude. At its conclusion she was asked by the
Clerk of Arraigns the customary' question put to all women
wader sentence of death, as to whether she knew of

It is a noteworthy circumstance that there has been
no occasion before for empanelling a jury of matrons
at the Central Criminal Court since the September
sessions in tlif .ear 1647, when Mary Ann Hunt, who
had been convicted of the murder of two children by
throwing them into a canal, declared, in reply to the
officer of the court, that she was pregnant. As was
the case in the present instance, a jury of matrons were
empanelled on the spot, and after making what they
represented to have been a careful examination, they
declared that the prisoner WU not "quick with child."
Hunt was therefore removed from the dock, and would
probably have undergone capital punishment, in pur-
suance of her sentence, had not Mr. McMurdo, then
medical officer of Newgate, entertained some doubt as
to the actual condition of the convict. At his request
the execution was regpited, and in a few months' time
Hunt gave birth to a full-grown child within the pri-
son, thug entirely negativing the skill of the jury of
Natrona.

budi

.urrEnrri. TNTELLIGENCE!—A perfumer has
been tined In for using a crested envelope without
paying duty for armorial bearings. It appettrs that
the unfortunate vendor of sweet odours had borrowed
the envelope, or the magiataates would have fined him
£2O, says Figaro, and continues:—
In London alone there are at least 100,000 persons who
use a crest, and do not pay the duty. Fine them £2O each,
and the Exchequer would be enriched with £2,ooo,ooo—that
is, it the tines were paid. We are too soft-hearted to desire
suds wholesale ening but, those who offend after this
warning, will deserve punishment. For the duty on armorial
bearings is a nmst fair and unohjectb amble tax. No one is
bound to wear a ereged rite,, or to have a crod on his plate
or 011 his envelopes. The use of a crest Is a mere gratifica-
tion of pride, and those who indulge therein ought to pay
the small deft.% We understand that next session Mr. Lowe.
n addttion to the tax payable for the use of hair powder,
wit I propose a tax on the use of ace powder. If so, the
Budget will upset the beef nrutnt. Every 11. I'. blessed with
• wife and grown daughters vs-ill oe compelled to ode
against tlfe Ministry. Perhaps Mr. Lowe still lake this hint,
and not meddle with face nowder.
MR. ODGER ON CONVICT LABOMR.—At the
Trades Congress held at Nottingham, Mr. Odger called
the attention of the Congress to this subject, as bearing
upm the interests of trades. Those interts had
been largely destroyed by convict labour cowing and
competing in an unfair way against them. Convict
work had subsidised labour, and the prison authorities
took up a certain trade (mat-making), and sent the
goods into the market at a less price than it was pos-
sible for ordinary manufacturers to send them into
the market. Thus a certain branch of industry was
destroyed. The mat-makers had sent a memorial to
the Congress ; but an there was not time to read it, he
would move that the Congress viewed with serious
apprehension the unfair competition which the intro-
duction of convict labour had created in the public
market, and that the disposal of such labour Should
be confined entirely to the various charitable institu-
tions which existed in this country.
A MEMENTO OF THE LATE SIR FRANCIS
CROSSLEY', BART., M.P.—The Rev. Newman Hall, in is
sermon at Surrey Chapel on Sunday morning thus re.
' ferred to the deceased baronet :

" The last speech he delivered was in this church, on the oc-
casion of our anniversary. He was looking exceedingly ill, and
spoke with evident difficulty. He said '1 am not able to say
much, for I don't feel well; but I wanted to show my esteem
for my old friend, whose great object is to make you happy.
There is only one sure way, and that is by setting your hearts
on Christ. I have known men who set their hearts on the
world, and the world failed them, and their hearts broke.
I have known men who set their hearts on money, and
the bank broke, and their hearts broke. Set your hearts,
friends, on Christ lie won't break, and your hearts wont'
break. lam not able to say more. Good night.' The hon-
ourable baronet's words, spoken by one even then apparently
on the brink of death, will not soon be forgctten by those
who heard them. Ile had wealth and honour, but he set his
heart on something better; and, while many may think its
hard lot that he should be snatched away from prosperity
which he had so recently attained, and when he was at an age
to begin quietly to enjoy it, he himself had no regrets at
having exchanged the corruptible treasures of earth for the
eternal glories of heaven."
-

DON'T FORGET BUTLER !—TIIO Court Journal
is responsible for the following
At a recent ordination one of the candidates for deacon's
orders was so slow in his theological attainments that he
was very near being "plucked." As, however, he had been
strongly recommended for his piety and zeal, his lordship
consented to ordain him; but warned him that he must
study very diligently before he came Up to the next exami-
nation, urging kim especially to familiarise himself with
that well-known theological work Butler's A eulogy. When
the young nian departed, his lordship accompanied his, to
the door, lie seated himself in the omnibus, to proceed to
the railway station. The bishop went up to him kindly,
shook bands with him, and, as a parting reminder about the
'Analogy," exclaimed, "Good-bye, Mr. —; don't forget
' Butler." "Oh, no, my lord," replied Mr.—, " I've just
given him five shillings!"
BOOKS PUBLISHED is 1871.—1 n the course of
the year 1871 the Publishers' Circular recorded the
publication of 3,547 new books in Great Britain, being
170 more than in the preceding year. The new books
included 162 on theological subjects, 496 juvenile works,
479 educational and classical, 359 year bra .ks and bound
volumes of serials, 203 hooka relating to arts and science
or finely illustrated works, 213 books of history and
biography, 1.80 relating to bake lettres, essays, mono-
graphs, &c. ; 176 belonging to poetry and the drama,
155 novels and other works of fiction, 144 books of
travel and geographical research, 117 on medicine and
surgery-, 101 on political and social economy, trade and
commerce; 75 books on law and jurisprudence, 287
miscellaneous publications, including pamphlets, but
not sermons. A comparison of the year 1871 with 1870
shows an increase of 73 in the number of educational
books, aud 46 in serials ; a decrease of 45 in the number
of novels, 56 in patry and the drama, and 101 in books
of travel. There is a large increase of 162 in the item
"miecellaneous," which comprises paniplilets, and in-
cludes 20 relating to the Tichborne case, 35 of the
Dante Europa's School elm's, and 30 connected with the
Battle of Larking. Besides the new works published
in Great Britain in 1871, there were 1,288 new editions
of books originally published before 1871, and 322 new
American books were imported. The total is 5,117, or
75 more than in 1870; the new books published in this
the list for 1871 none appear for December) fewer by
immoproertbaytil.7.9,,fatiromd
Athmenenriecwaesjitfiwonhiser
inre
104.
by
,un,t
SUGGESTION TO MR. Low.—Lay a heavy
rYbuit'ethineg
tax on all persons telling old jokes, making old puns.
Let the tax be doubled in the case of any, person
attempting to pass off such old joke or pun as ' a good
thing he's just heard," or as "a funny thing that
happened to his cousin the other day." Mr. Lowe
will find public-spirited men ready to hand in nearly all
clubs who will voluntarily give their services, and for
a moderate percentage will act as Collectors of this
particular form of taxation at every dinner-party
(where the name and address of the offender will be
taken down), and in Society's drawing-rooms. This
and a tax on photographs will bring in a tiandsome
additional revenue for Eighteen-Seventy-Two.—
Pasch.
IRISH SENTIMENT !—A few of the admirers
of the celebrated greyhound "Master Magrath,"
(thrice winner of the Waterloo Cup) are anxious to
erect a monument at Colligan-lodge—the place of his
birth—commemorative of his many brilliant achieve.
meets. Subscriptions, limited to 10s., will be received
by the hon. treasurers." A circular to the above
effect has been printed, and the subscription list
already contains the names of several subscribers. It
has long been said that "a live dog is better than a
dead lion," but it is only in Ireland that a dead dog is
honoured by a public monument.
BROUGHAM'S OPINIONS ON LORD ELLEN-
Ellenborough, thodgh very short, is interesting from
BOROUGH.—Lord Brougham's notice of the Earl of
the very recent death of the subject of it. This is all
he says :
" Edenborough was another formidable adversary. Ile
was one of the best speakers I ever beard—clever, nervous,
short, incisive, with such a voice as few have for sonorous
and penetrating force. It was to me one of the highest
gratifications to hear him. Ile worked hard, too, and argued
almost as powerhilly as he declaimed. His judgment was
not so remarkable. He committed one of the greatest
errors I ever knew, wheu be showed his cards on .sur re-
signing in 1832. In his East India government he was most
successful; but Peel as usual, did not well defend him, and
he always said he owed his defence to the Duke of Welling-
ton and myself. His error in India was not treating the
directors with sufficient respect and flummery. Lord Wel-
lesley. like Ellenboreugh, had refused to do their jobs ; but
he had refused with great politeness."
A TENDER IN COPPER.—A curious CMG has
just been heard in Paris before a juge de pour. A
widow who had at last with some difficulty agreed to'
pay her doctor's bill of 140 fr. in instalments of ten
francs a month, took the trouble to collect the sum in
pieces of one centime. The medical man accepted
them the first time, and again the second, but in count-
ing them he found them in such a filthy state that he
began to suspect that they had been made dirty inten-
tionally to annoy him. He, in consequence, refused
to accept the third instalment in such coin. The lady
maintained that, as no stipulation had been made as
to the mode of payment, she could make it in the kind
of money she pleased, and both parties afmealed to the
magistrate to decide. The court declared that, by is
decree of 1810, copper money was only a legal tender
for sums below five francs, and accordingly gave judg-
ment in favour of the doctor.
AN ADVENTURE WITH AN OCTOPITS.—A gen-
dem= writes to the Daily Telegraph
"In your remarks on the Crystal Palace aquarium, in
alluding to the octopus, you say "all the stories that
have been told about its power or leaving the water and
attacking men on shore are as absurdly false as the old
fable of the sailing nautilus, &c. Permit me to say you
have been unintentionally led into error in making this
statement, I have myself personally experienced the
power of one of the largest of these monsters In the
Mediterranean in August, 1864. While bathing off Fort
Ricasoll, Malta, with several other of my brother officers. I
was seized round the leg and thigh 11111211 standing near the
rocks in shallow water, and, escaping after a violent struggle,
was pursued to shore by the fiend-like creature. I know not
how far I might have been followed bad hot my faithful dog
come to may assistance. He was canted off to the sea and
nearly drowned ere he escaped from the animal's clutches,
the creature's grasp having been relaxed after many severe
blows had been administered to it with a thick stick, which
was handed to be by the assistant-surgeon of my regiment,
who was one of my coinpanions."
THE Plies:des POLICE.—At the sitting of
the Prussian Chatuber on the 9th, Dr. Eberty made a
comparison between the London and the Berlin
police, greatly to the diaadvantage of the latter.
London, with three and a half millions of inhabitants,
has 10,000 policemen; Berlin, with 825,000, has only
or one policeman for 751 inhabitants. At night
no police are to be found in the streets of Berlin, but
only night watchmen, who have too much private
service to do. Dr. Eberty brought in this motion that
the House will request the Government to come to an
understanding with the magistrat of Berlin (the
burgoinaater and paid town councillors of Berlin, ftfl
distinguished from the unpaid town deputies) with
respect to the transfer ef particular branches of the
police adminiatration of Berlin to the Commune. The
motion was adopted. Another motion, removing from
the Budget the pay of the police presidents (State and
not commercial officials, of Dantsic Stettin, Cologne. , in,
and Aix-la-Chapelle, as also adopted.
AN ODD COINCIDENCE .—The most devoted
agent—we can hardly say Minister--of Napoleon 111.
Count Persigny, has passed away just at the time
when the act which most strongly exemplified his un-
bounded obedience to his master has been unanimously
condemned by a Commission of the National Assembly
(remarks The Times in a leader). When the Prince-
President resolved, at the commencement of the year
1852, on the confiscation of the property of the
Orleans family, M. de Persigny separated him-
self from his colleagues by countersigning
the decrees. The men of ability about Louis
Napoleon refused to take any part in an act as unjust
as it was impolitic. They threw up their portfolios,
and retired from his service. Nothing less was to be
expected from M. Fould, who was one of them; and
M. Magne, another of the recusants. though wanting,
according to M. 'Miens,
in "ferocity," has more
than once shown considerable independence. But
on this occasion MM. Rouher and de Moray also
carried their opposition to the President's decision to
the point of retirement. M. the Vicomte de Persigny
alone proved himself ever faithful. The will of his
chief was then, as always, his law, lie never hada more
striking opportunity ot proving his fidelity, and it is
an odd courcidenoe that he should die just as the
French Aasenably has, through a Committee, stamped
the act with its heaviest reprobation. Al, de PeroiktnY
has been in a critical condition of health for some time
past, and we cannot suppose that his end was hastened
by chagrin at theprospeet of any such implied censure;
but the vote at 1, ersaalhe has occurred opportunely to
remind Us of the most striking incident in the career
of the dead servant of the Emperor.