The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-03-21 00:00:00

THE' POISONING CASE IN THURSLEY.

--
The adjourned inquest on the bodies of Thomas all ki
Charlotte Coombes and their three children who died.
showing sy widows of ha, ing taken a virulent poison,
at Rowler'sigreen, near 'Oxidated, ma held at the
4' Half-moon" Inu, Thundey, on Tuesday afternoon,
before Mr. George li. iiu3, the coroner for W 0 t
Surrey.
Mr. John Tobitt, a farmer, Bring at Brook, stat,
ii
that the deceased Thomas Coombe*, was • carter in
his employ. He left his service about all weeks since.
Before he left, witness cleaned out a granary. this
Iwo wooden tube, which had been need for c ,ntainu,g
sheep-dressing composition, were turned out. A ISt e
of the composition was in each of the tubs and witne
turned the stuff from the tubs into his garden. Tz.e
deceased man raked fur one of these tube to use as •
water *I. IVltnem gave him the tub. The tub pro.
duced was the one he pose the deceased.
In answer to the con ner, witness wild he thought
he told the decearnd the tub had contained poison.
lie was not in the habit of burning these tubs.
Sarah Edgeler, the wife of a labourer, said, at the
request of Mrs. Coomoee she scrubbed the tub out
with • brush. It was used to hold water on the
Friday. The family were all seized with Maeda on the
Sunday. She thought the bucket had contained
barley meal.
William Enticknap, • blacksmith, said the tub was
brought be Mrs. Coombe* to him to have an iron handle
put on. He fixed the handle on while Mrs_ Ceombes
walled. There WA something like soap suds at the
bottom of the bucket. When he tipped the bucket up
some of the stuff came on his hand and made it smart.
A nurse who was called in to attend the family said
she made the beef tea, gruel, and tea from watt r taken
from this bucket. She herself became iii. Her
patients gradually got worse and all died in etrong
convulsions. Two of the children were still very un-
well. She never suspected anything was wrong with
the bucket until the police took it away.
Dr. Stephenson of Guy's Hospital, the analyst for
the County of Surrey, said he received an order from
the Home Secretary to make an analysa of the viscera
ei Thomas Coombes, Charlotte Coombes, and three
children. He also received the bucket produced.
In the viscera of the father, mother, and the children
be found arsenic in mail quantities. On ex-
amining the bucket he took from the bottom a
brown substance, which was surcharged with arsenic.
On allowing water to remain In the bucket for some
hours, be found it was infused with a solution o
arsenic. He put a quart of water in the bucket and
allowei it to rest for three hours, lie then took &Willi)
glass of the water and found that it contained a entlis
dent quantity of arsenic to make a fatal dose for an
adult. In sheep dressing composition arsenic was hrgeiy
used. He had no doubt whatever that the deceased
died from arsenical poisoning. The coroner having
summed up, the jury returned a verdict of "Death from
accidental poisoning." The jury expressed their opinion
that some law was necessary to compel menafactorers
of sheep•dressing composition to brand the word
'Poison" on the tubs used to contain the composition.

The foreman of the jury said he had frequently seen
these tube sold at auction sales and no restriction was
placed on their use.
The jury gave their fees for the benefit of the three
realaintng children.