The Express.
London, England, 1862-11-25 00:00:00

THE CASE OF MYSTERIOUS POISONING IN

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We have already reported a mysterious death
from poisoning at the little village of Ludwell, in • remote
part of Wiltshire. During the past week the person placed
in custody (Mrs. Trowbridge), on suspicion of having poi.
mooed the deceased, Mrs. Ann Kiddie, has undergone exami-
nation before the magistrates. Evidence was first given by
Dr. Shettle, the medical attendant of the deceased, who
repeated his opinion that so irritant poison was the cause of
death ; and afterwards by Mr. Herapatb, the eminent analy-
tical chemist of Bristol, who detailed at considerable length
the result of his examination of the portions of the
intestines forwarded to him by Dr. Shettle. Mr.
Herapath bad clearly traced the
.presence of bis-
moth, silver, antimony, and arsenic. Thinking that
the medicines used by Dr. Shettle might possibly
have contained poison, Mr. Herapath requested that open
mens of them should be sent to him. He examined 27 out
of the 28 forwarded, and found no trace of arsenic. The
bismuth and antimony be could account for. Four several
specimens of the papers in the deceased's house were also
examined by Mr. Herapatb, but though he found that
some of them contained arsenic, be was of opinion that
they had exercised no injurious effect on the deceased. He
was of opinion that there was stiffizient arsenic in the body
to account for death, but he could not may that it was
sufficient to have caused death. After further evidence
the magistrates directed that, upon the evidence that had
been adduced, they could not further detain the prisoner,
but, as it was adviaable to complete the investigation, they
would hold her to bail to appear in a fortnight. The spec-
tators made a feeble attempt to applaud the decision, and
subsequently a subscription was made for the accused.
The inquest was brought to a conclusion on
Friday afternoon, at Ludwell, before the coroner, Mr.
R. M. Wilson. Dr. Shettle was again examined, and evi-
dence was given by Dr. Harley, of Harley-street, London,
to whom a portion of the viscera bad been forwarded by
order of the coroner. Dr. Harley had discovered tread of
poimon, and expressed his confident belief that death had
born occasioned by an irritant. After Mr. Kiddie had been
examined, Mrs. Trowbridge was called. She detailed her
treatment of her deceased friend, and denied all knowledge
of any poison having been used. The jury, after bearing
Dr. Shettle and Dr. Harley, did not dome that Mr. Hera-
path should be called, but at Mr. Chitty 's requei.t Dr.
Roberts was dined e• a witness, and gave reasons for the
belief he entertained that the deceased had not died from
poison. The jury, however, thought otherwise, and returned
an open verdict that the deceased bad died from the effects
of an irritant poison, but by whom administered there was
no evidence to show.

LIFE AND DIA= IN Sr. GlLES'S.—Yesterday Dr.
Lamb:der held inquiries at the Rose and Crown Tavern,
Kingetreet, St. Giles's, respecting the deaths of two women,
dirnizens of that locality, and in the course of the proceed-
ings some curious facts were elicited with reference to the
criminal classes which infest the neighbourhood of Drury.
lane. The first case was that of Georgians Savage, aged 71,
wbo bad been for several year, well known in Oxford.
street and Holborn as a beggar of the most miserable and
pertinacious type. Dr. Bennett, medical officer of St. Giles 's
Workhouse, said she was well known at that institution,
as it bad been her habit for years to imply. when reduced to
the last state of starvation, for one night's lodging and re-
freshment Nothing, however, could induce her to remain
in the house for a day, because by doing so she would re-
linquish her chance of getting gin to drink, for which she was
willing to undergo any extremity. She had been, perhaps, to
all the workhouses in the metropolis, but had never remained
in one for twenty-four boors. She passed. her time in the
streets, importunately begging, that she might get drunk.
She was recently brought to the workhouse in a state of the
most shocking emaciation. The bones were almost pro-
truding from her skin, and her feet were swollen from cold
and disease. She MIS huddled up in rags, filthy and repul-
sive beyond description. She died from apoplexy, resulting
from excessive drink. The next case was that of a woman
who was found insensible in a doorway of a house in Barley.
oourt, Drury-lane, by an unfortunate named daily.
According to her own statement before she died, she got her
living at night in Oxford-street. She died as she was being
in • chair to be taken to the workhouse. The jury
planed
made some inquiries respecting Barley-court, •
police-constable of experience said that • place of worse
character did not exist in the metropolis. To say that who-
ever ventured into it would be robbed was to say nothing.
People were not only robbed there, but stripped of their
very clothing. Prostitutes and thieves of the most despe-
rate clan resided there, and the former were worse than
the latter. To say that three or four persons were stripped
there every week was to Say less than the reality. Dr.
Bennett said that recently it came to his knowledge that a
man had been robbed in one of the houses and stripped
naked, and then the thieves bad the audacity to roll a
blanket around him, stitch him op is it so that he could
not move • limb, and thrust him in that ridiculous state
into the street, with a large label containing the word
"Thief " pinned over his breast. The deceased woman it
was proved died from the effects of debility arising from
her mode of life and from excessive drinking. The coro-
ner, gemming up, remarked that it was an extraordinary
etreanastroce that in the very heart of the metropolis such
a none of crime and vice should exist up to the preeent
tavesaThe jury, in each case, returned a verdict of
firm micemire drinkbig."