The Express.
London, England, 1862-10-27 00:00:00

SUSPECTED CASE OP POISONING BY
STRYCHNINE.

SHIELDS, SATUIDAT.
This evening Mr. Reed, the coroner for South
Northumberland, opened an inquest in the Town-hell,
North Shields, on the 'body of Mrs. Gillespie, of Welling-
ton-atreet, who died this day fortnight, after an hour's N-
ORM The case is causing great excitement in Shields. This
afternoon, by an order from the coroner, the body was ex-
humed in the New Cemetery ; and this even-
ing Mr. Newton, surgeon, Dr. M`Nay, Dr. May,
assisted on the part of the husband by Mr. Murray, of the
School of Medicine, and Mr. Fawcett, are engaged in a
post-mortem examination, and the viscera will be sent to
an analytical chemist. At the inquest which was opened
this evening Mr. Brignal, solicitor, of Durham, appeared
for the husband of the deceased, but no evidence
was taken, the inquest being adjourned until Thurw'ay after-
noon. The facts of the case appear to be as follows:
Mrs. Gillespie, a tall woman of full habit, had been unwell
of a cold, and procured a bottle of medicine of her medical
attendant. She wee out on Saturday morning making pur-
chases, and upon returning to her home about noon took
two tablespoonsful of medicine, and was immediately after
attacked with alarming symptoms of tetanus, and though
every effort was made to save her, she was dead in
little better than an hour. Her medical attendant
gave a certificate that her death was from bronchitis. But
the hush:old, from the symptoms, supposing that there was
something wrong in the medicine, gave a few drops to a cat,
which died shortly after apparently in extreme agony. After
the interment of his wife's body, he took the remaining por-
tion of the medicine up to Dr. Fattison, analytical chemist,
Newcastle, who, after analysing it, gave a certificate that it
contained etrychninein theproportionof It grain to each fluid
ounce of the mixture. Mr, Gillespie having made the use
known to the authorities, the coroner issued his warrant
for the disinterment of the body. The Town-hall was
crowded with respectable inhabitants of the town dining
the short time the coroner's court sat. The name of the
medical attendant did not transpire in evidence before the
°Drone?' court, but it will appear in the next sitting,
, when the case will be fully gone into.

DEATH PROM EATING POISONOUS MUSSELS.

On Saturday, a young woman named Bridget
Cunningham, was poisoned in Liverpool, by eating some
muraels which her brother had collected from the bottom
of the barque Robert, which was undergoing repairs in
the Clarence Graving Dock. It appeared that young Cun-
ningham, who is a whip carpenter, was engaged upon the
above ship, which was brought from the Birkenhead great
float to the Clarence Graving Dock on Monday last,
after lying up for some seventeen or eighteen months. The
vessel, during her stay at Birkenhead, was covered on the
bottom and sides by an immense quantity of mussels and
weed, which remained fastened to her until she was placed
in the dry dock. Here they were removed by the workmen,
and on Friday distributed to various families throughout
the town, with what molts remains to be seen. Cunning-
ham, like many of the workmen, took home a basket full,
and had them cooked. He and his sister ate • number,
after which they both became exceedingly iIL The woman
died, and he was only rescued by medical skill.
For some time Cunningham was paralysed in his limbs,
found difficulty in speaking, and experienced all the sensa-
tions of drunkenness. Two young children who partook of
some of the mussels were immediately afterwards seised
with violent vomiting, and exhibited symptoms of arsenical
poisoning. Another ship carpenter, named William Kilread,
who ate some of the mussels uncooked, bas been temporarily
deprived of the use of his limbs, and is in immi-
nent danger of losing his life. Several other per-
sons who partook of the mussels are similarly situated,
as thousands of the mussels have been taken away
for sale. The attention of the health officers has been
directed to the matter, and orders have been given to have
the mussels collected and destroyed. The hull of the
Robert, to which the mussels clung, was not covered
with coml., but with • green composition similar to that
which is used for the bottoms of iron vessels, and it is sup-
posed that a large proportion of arsenic forme an ingredient
in its manufacture. An inquest will be held on the body of
the woman Cunningham to-day.