The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-07-09 00:00:00

THE SOMERS-TOWN POISONINO:_4.

On Thursday morning the jury previously enipan.
nelled re-amenibled before Mr. Cl. S. Brent, at the Elep-
hant and Castle, King's-road, Camden-town to further
investigate the circumstances attending the death of
Thomas Palethorpe, aged four years, who, as allege.l,
fell • victim to poisoe wilfully administered by his
mother to herself, the deceased, and two others of her
children. . . _ .

The Deputy-Coroner informed the jury that in
accordance with their request ho had applied to the
Secretary of State, the result being the presentation of
an order for the accused's production before them on
her delivery from the House of Detention into the
custody of the police.
Mr. Inspector Stokes, 8 division, then brought in the
prisoner from • private room, and a seat was provided
for her in such • position as to shield her MI much Al
possible from the public gaze.
The Deputy-Coroner informed the accused that she
was present on this accession for her own benefit. She
would hear the evidence, and if any incorrect statement
were wade by either of the witiemees, she would either
by herself or solicitor be able to refute them, or he (the
Deputy-Coroner) would a.-,k any question she might
think necessary
Henry Letlieby, Professor of Chemistry, said that on
Friday last lie received from Mr. Sutherin and Mr.
Skinner • pared containing a porcelain dish, in which
seas the stomach of a child : also • jelly pot containing
the intestines of • child. The stomach was unopened.
Ile found on examination of the contents two ounce* of
gruel-like subetance, but no amearance of food. The
et.ouiach was healthy. The matter was subjected to
chemical test for mineral or metallic poison. He found
• trace of mecolic acid and morphia, both of which
exist in laudanum. He then examined the intestines.
They were cut open from one end to the other. They
showed no trace of disease. They were carefully tested
for poison, but lie discovered no metallic poison, but,
as before, memilic acid and morphia, from which he
concluded that opium was prewnt in the body. Ile
could not ray the quantity that bed been in the stomach.
There was, however, sufficient to kill a child of four
years uf age. On the Saturday a piece of liver and $OlllO
blood were presented to him by Mr. Skinner, hut after
S csreful examination, awl having found the
constituents of opium in the stomach, he was of opinion
that deeti, mrse t.h romult of opium.
By the Jury: It was not nasal in such cases to find
opium in the liver end blood, unless taken in very large
quantities. The opium mind have been administered
recently.
Mr. Sutherin then gate his opinion in full agreement
with Dr. Letheby, that the adminstration of opium wise
the cause of death.
By the Jury: Three-quarters of a drachm of opium
would be quite sufficient to narootise the mother in the
state in which she warn found. The younest child had
also evidently been narcotized.. .

Mr. Inspector Stokes repeated his former evidence as
to finding the accused in the St. Pancras Infirmary, and
subsequently removed her to the police court. He also
produced a paper which was found in a box, apparently
an appeal for assistance ; it wa4 not, however, read
through.
The Deputy•teroner then imititurA tip,and defined the
difference between murder and manslaughter. The evi-
dence before them showed that three persons had had a
powerful narcotic administeied, and a fourth person had
taken it. The object of the jury now was to consider
the amount of culpability attached to the person who
did administer it. Ilis opinion was, although there was
much grief and distress it the case, that the act ap-
peared to be one of premeditation. and he could see but
one verdict to return, lie wool,l, however, leave them
to consult alone.

Mr. Wilha,n Lawrence, outfitter, of Brewer.street,
Soiners-town, was, by the wilt of the jury, produced as
relevant to the case, lie stated that he knew the ac-
cused. who had worked foe him for about air or eight
months. She worked on slop-work (engineers' slops),
and earned from 7i to Ss • week. perhaps not quite ab
much ; she was not an expert hand. He paid her for
her work 2s. • dozen for articles that sold for 4s. each.
He know she was in a distressed condition, and directed
her to apply to • police magistrate. saying if he would
give her a pound or two, he (witness) would give her
sufficient to buy • mangle.
Mr. Skinner was recalled, and, in answer to the jury,
said he had attended daily on the deceased while in
the infirmary, and he saw no symptoms of unsound
mind. _ _

The court was then cleared of strangers, when, on its
being reopened, the jury returned a verdict of "Wilful
murder againgt Jane Palethorpe," bnt accompanied this
this verdict with a strong recommendation to mercy on
account of her poverty.
The accused throughout the whole examination wu
bathed in tears, and during Dr. Letheby's examination
was compelled to have stimulants administered to
her:

The prisoner, who is a native of Leeds, it appears,
has never been married. For some years she lived
with • man named Palethorpe (the father of her
children), who was employed as a railway porter at
Leeds ; they subsequently removed to London, where
they cohabited together until about twelve months ago,
when Palethorpe abandoned her, and left England for
Australia with another woman. Since then, as the
above evidence clearly shows, the priAower has been in
the deepest distress.