The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-07 00:00:00

POISONING IN LEICESTERSHIRE.

The inhabitants of the usually quiet village of
Waltham have bees thrown into a state of excitetoeut owing
to the death, it is alleged through poison, of Mrs. Emma
Hutchins, of the Hone Shoe Inn. The husband, who is sus-
pected, was taken into custody on Thursday by the
On Friday an inquest was held, at the Horse Shoe Inn, on
the body, before Mr. Clarke, sooner.
Sarah Hornbuckle deposed—l was called upon Thursday
morning at fear o'clock to see Mrs. Hutchins, and found her
sitting on a sofa in the top room. She complained of being
very bad, andsaid, " I have taken something which I thought
was magnesia, and it tasted like copperas. ' I said, " What
ever did you take it for ?" She replied "Ha (meaning her
husband) stood over me, and made me take it. Before I
did so he told me it was magnesia, and after I had taken
it he said it was arsenic." I then meat for Mr. J. IL Morgan,
the surgeon. He arrived about five o'clock. With the
exception of a few minutes I remained with the deceased
until she died. Her death took place about 10 o'clock on
Thursday morning. She told me that she lath the stuff
between twelve and half-put She was quits sensible taU
about nine o'clock. She complained of cramp. I put her
to bed. She had taken warm water, and also mustard and
water, to act as an emetic before I saw her. Mr. Horgan
gave her some medicine, which purged her but did not make
her sick. She complained of being very thirsty. I did not
see Mr. Hutchins whilst she was alive.
Jane Caitlin, a labourer's wife, gave confirmatory testi-
mony. She declared Mr. Hatthins was in liquor at the
time, but that Mrs. Hutchins was sober.
Mary Ann Lovett, a letter-carrier's wife, deposed—l was
fetched at 8 o'clock on Thursday morning to see Mrs.
Hutchins. I went up shin to her, and said, "You are
very bad ; what is the matter ? What hurts you I" She
put her hand to her throat, and said, " It's all here." I
asked if she bad been sick, end she said," Yes, many times."
We then heard Mr. Hutchins shouting very much in his
ow a room. She raid, " Doe% let him oome in ; you go to
him." He was more like • madman than anything. He
wu out of bed, in his shirt, and wanted to fight. He
would have his clothes to draw. We gave him the stock-
ings that were lying by. Ha said that they were not his.
He partly dreamed himself, and then said, " What o'clock
is it Y" I told him a little after 8. He said. "Is it night,
or is it morning'." I said, • little after eight in the morn-
ing; do get into bed. We sainted him there, and he
"settled dower," and we left him. I west to Mrs. Hutchins
again, saw she was worse, and raid, "Shall we telegraph
for your nen ?" She replied," I wish you would." I left about
20 minutes put nine, and on returning in a quarter of en
hour found her insensible. She died • few minutes before 10.
When 'first went iota the house—and before going upstairs—
the deoeued's son John called me into the bar, saying,
"Look here" (pointing to some white powder ma the shelf,
which I scraped together, sod gave to Mr. Morgan, the
surgeon.) Mrs. Hutchins complained of her husband's ill-
treatment, and said, " You need not wonder at any one
destroying themselves." She was in bed on Monday all
day, when she made that remark, and begged that I would
not tell her husband where she was. Mr. Hutchins demanded
to know where Emma, his wife, was, and on being told
that she was ill, and safe io bed, asked " if she would like
to see him," I said, " she would if you are quiet." He
domed very much upon that, but got quiet, and went to
her room. On Monday Mrs. Hutchins showed me bruises
en her body, which she said her husband had
caulled. I rubbed them with laudanum. Mr. Hutchins
was very fresh on Monday, and bad been so
for some time. On Wednesday night, between
seven and eight o'clock, as I wse coining away, the deceased
said " Ob, Mrs. Lovett, you must not have me to-night ; I
dare not be with muter alone." I " You know what
he is if anyone offers to stay with you ; we shall see how be
is by bedtime." Mr. Hutchins had that evening been in
the stable and laid raider the manger about • quarter of an
hour. About ten o'clock he said to his wife, " Let us go to
bed and die, Emma." She said " I do not want to die to-
night" He added, "But I do. I should like to die to-
night." She said, "No, you would not, if it came to the
pant." He was so drum that he could scarcely mod, and
he expressed a wish to die. He has never been sober for the
last fortnight
Police-constable Pole said—The Rev. G. E. Gillett came
to my house about half-past ten oe Thursday morning, and
told me that Mrs. Hutchins was dead, and requested me to
follow him. We found Mr. Hutchins in bed, and wired
him if he knew his wife was dead. He answered " It she
is dead, she is poisoned." Mr. Gillett asked him who
poisoned her. He made no reply.
Mr. J. H. Morgan, surgeon, detailed the circumstances
connected with kis visit, which are principally given above.
On a post-mortem examination being made, the viscera
was found to be strongly congested, and indicative of in-
flammatory actioo. Whether it might arise from tabula
disease or an irritant poison, nothing but an analysis of
those orpas weld determine.
Mr. Bemis, surgeon, of Melton Mowbray, was of opinion
that the &sib was caused by iallanimatiou of the stomach
and bowels, and that there ware such appearances in would
preessit themselves co the administratiou of an itvitaet

poises. The stoinaeb, with rectum, and a portion of the
small intestines, and a larEto
arortion of the liver, were t
moved by Mr. Moises for yes.
The inquest was sidned until Tuesday, the 15th last.,
in ceder that se an of the emiteets of the demi&
might be made.

THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH AT BRIGHTON.
-- •
On Saturday the adjourned invest as to this
mysterious case was resumed at the White Here, Rotting-
dean, before Mr. F. H. Gill, coroner for East &rex. The
object of the adjournment was to ascertain what had be-
come of deceased between the Bth at November, when
Mr. Louis Adolphus, with whom she was connected, stades
that he bid bar good bye at the Leedom-bridge station,
and the 25th, when her body was found in the sea. The
inspector of police bad no evidence to praises on this
poet. Dr. Noakes said he bed made a further examina-
tion of the body, and found no fractures or en-
trant, marks of violence, but there were bruises oesseional
by contact with the rocks, which he believed to have been
occasioned after death. The body wee so fresh that
he did sot think it had bees is the water twisty-four
hount—oertainly sot from the 9th to the 25th.—Elisabeth
IY. of 2, Quota's-road, Camden-town, said deceased
lodiW with bar three yams ego, and recently one .oath,
up to the day in question, the Bth November. A Captain
Bruce, whom she rased off as her husband, called for her
in a cab, and alas left the house with him, sod subsequently
her Inepge (a large packingosse, a trunk, and small boxes)
was amt for. She knew Captain Bruce when she saw him,
and mid she had that morning seen bin enter the White
Horse Hotel. On the morning of the day she left de-
creed said her husband was in the neighbourhood,
end exclaimed, "He will kill me—he will kill me." Wit-
nese replied, " Then don't go with him," sad she said "
must &oat photograph permed was identifiedOA that
of " " She had seen Captain Brom three
years before, when deceased was lodging in Cambridge-
terrooe, and knew it to be the same man. Had beard
decried say that a pesos named Lewis, who was some-
thing in the City, had pasemion of three kw
boxes of hors containing valuable property. Deceased
always celled herself Mrs. Bruce, and spoke of " Orrin
Bruce" as bar husband, sod used to go oboe • week to Forest-
hill to see her child, which she said was with his family.
Julie Weymouth, of 9, Camden Cottages, had known
decreed for some years, and air Mr. Bruce, sad knew de-
ceased was not married to him. Mr. Adolphus had also
I called at her hors to see deceased three or four times.
Witors also said that Mr. Adolphus and Mr. Bruce were
not one and the same person, and on seeing the memo
photograph which the previous "Boor had sworn was that
ut Mr. Bruce, she declared the likeness was that of Mr.
Adolphus, and not of Captain Brum. She saw demur on
the morning of the Bth instant in her usual cheerful spirits.
Maria Pratt, demur's sifter, who lives at York, said that
in a letter she received from deceased, dated the Bth of No-
vember, she stated that " Mr. Adolphus had taken her away
from her lodgings, and she had nowhere top to but to
stay with him." It was dated from the Great Northern
Hotel. Her sister always spoke kindly of Mr. Adoltu4.
She had men both Mr. Bros sad Mr. Adolphus.
Were two distinct persons. Deceased always went by the
name of Km Bruce. Mr. Adolphus was readied, and re-
peated his statement that the last be saw of deceased was
on the Bth November, when she left him at London-bridge
Uranus for Brighton. A letter was produced which de-
ceased had addressed to Mr. Adolphus ea the day before,
requesting him to spend the night of the 7th with the
writer. This he said be declined to comply with, but
met her next morning, spent the day with her at the Great
Northern Hotel, and saw her off to Brighton in the evening.
The jury ultimately returned a verdict " That the deceased
was found drowned, but there was no evidence to show bow
she got into the water." •