The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-12-20 00:00:00

- -
THE WIMBLEDON MYSTERY.

STRANOZ DISCLOSURE'S.

On Friday afternoon, George Henry Lannon, who
stands charged on suspicion of having caused the death
of Percy Malcolm John by administering poison to
him, was brought non remind at Wandsworth Pollee-
000rt, before Mr. Paget.
Mr. Wontner said the charge on the last occasion
was not formally one of murder, but now he preferred
this charge, and proposed to complete the evidence of
what °mune lon the 3rd December. He should show
that the prisoner was the brother-in-law of the deceased.
who was entitled to .C 3,500 which, on his death, went
to his sister. He should slow that at the time of the
occurrence, the prisoner was in want of money, and
had pledged his watch and surgical Instruments; and
on the 2nd December he want to a tradesman, who
cashed • cheque, which was returned, marked "No
account," so that he committed a criminal offence to
obtain funds. He 'toyed at Nelson's Hotel, in
London, where he was unable to pay the bill.
Prisoner told a M, Tulloch that Percy was getting
worse with curvature of thespian, and would soon die;
but the story was untrue. His intention probably WM
to go to Pain and to see his brother-in-law on the
Friday. lie failed to get means, and put off the visit
till the following day, when ha presented • fraudulent
cheque on the Wilts and Dorset Bank. Two chemists'
assistants who had seen and identified the yrisoner,
would say that about the 24th the prisoner came to the
' shop ant said he was Dr. Lamson, and he wanted two
grains of aconita. Both assistants saw the poison
weighed, and put in the packet, and the prisoner took
it away. The price paid was 21. 6d. for two grains.
Mr. Wontner went on to state that various other
suspicious circumstances would be adduced.
Mr. Thomas Bond, F. R.C.S., lecturer on forensic
medici eat Westminster Hospital, liviog at 7, elanctu•
' au-y, Westminster, was then called, and said: In
accordance with instructions from the Director of
Criminal Investigations, I went to Wimbledon on the
6th of December. I there made • post-mortem on the
body of the deeessed, insisted by Dn. Berry and
Little. The body was not at all decomposed, There
was no mark of injury or violence. There was
old-standing paralysis of the lower extremities,
with great deformity. There was also curvature of
the spine. Apart from that, the body appeared to
be that of • perfectly healthy young man, me
muscular development of the chant and upper extrearii.
ties was very masked—that is, he was very strong.
Th 3 surface of the body was pale, and the pupils of
the eves were dilated, the nails on the feet and hands
were livid, but there was no contraction of the hands.
The mucous membrane of the mouth and lips was
very pale, but not excoriated or burnt in any way.
The surface of the tongue was rough and furred. /
opened the skull cap and found the membranes of the
brain somewhat congested. The brain itself was also
slightly congested. There was no fluid in the
ventricles of the brain nor under the membranes. On
opening the chest I fund the apex of the right
lung adherent to the walls of the chest, the
I result of the old inflammation. There was a
general congestion of both lungs and excessive cone's-
tion at the back of each lung There was a little fluid
, in the cavity of the pleurn. On opening the bag of the
I heart I found about • tableep nisful of blood.stained
Neil. The heart was normal in Mae and flaccid,
Neither the ventricl-s nor auricles contained any bd,od.
but they were very darkly stained with blood. All the
valves were perfectly healthy. The blood generally was dark and liquid. The liver was normal in size, but much
congested. On opening the stomach I found about three
or four ounces of dark fluid, which I carefully preserved.
On examining the mucous membrane of the stomach I
found it congested over the entire extent. On each