The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-23 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE O PERJURY.

Yesterday an inquiry took place before the city
magistrates at Manchester, arising out of circumstances of a '
very extraordinary and painful character connected with the
death of a holy at Manchester, whole supposed to ham
I gone to that town for the purpose of undergoing se opera-
tion to procure abortion. The lady is supposed to bare
visited Manchester early in 1861, and to hare undergone a
✓eread operation, bat whether of • similar character is not
known. The inquiry was brought before the magistrates
yesterday in the form of • prosecution against Mr. Thomas, a
respectable surgeon of that city, for wilful and corrupt per.
jury. From the evidence sought to be established, it
I= that on Wednesday, the sth of January, Is.
Ann Bell, • widow lady. from Breenthrite,
near Keswick, arrived at the Victoria railway station,
Reecho iter, by train, about midnight. It appeared that
some communication had previously taken place between
Mrs. Bell and the defendant, for he bad given Instructions
that a bedroom should be prepared for her at the Cathedral
Hotel, kept by Mr. Batty. Soon after her arrival at the As-
tir the defendant arrived there also, and they walked top-
thee to the hotel, where she was shown to her bedroom,
into which defendant accompanied her. He only remained
there with her a very short time and then left the hotel. j
The lady is then loomed to have retired to bed, het
although she appeared to have arrived at the hotel in good ,
health, she rang the bell u early as eaves o'clock is the
morning for the chambermaid, and ordered • dap of tee.
This girl mays that when she saw her she appeared to be
labouring under a considerable degree of alarm, and said
that she had passed the night in great pain. That morning
(the 6th instant) the defendant west to the hotel between
nine and ten o'clock, and went into the lady's bedroom
and locked the door after him. Corrigan, the maid, who
was in the adjoining bedroom, mays that she beard
the door locked and went to listen at the door,
when she heard a DOW such u would be produced by the
placing of a pair of errors on the table. About ten or
fifteen minutes after entering the room the defendant
opened the door and desired the chambermaid to call Mr.
Batty, the landlord. Mr. Batty was called and entered the
bedroom, and the defendant then announced to him the fact
that the lady was dead. The defendant told him that the
lady was suffering from some disease of the womb, and that
whilst undergoing an examination she bad been euddenly
seized with • fit of epilepsy, sod bad died almost imme-
diately. It appears that subsequently defendant locked the
door of the bedroom and left the house. He them apron
to bays sought an interview with Mr. Herein* coroner for
the city, and after • conversation with him relative to the
ease, kedetermined to make • post-mortem examination of the
body. He next proceeded to the workhouse, when he sew
the resident surgeon of that institution (Mr. Braddoe), and
was accompanied by that gentleman, at his own request, to
the Cathedral Hotel, for the purpose of making
the post-mortem examination. When they arrived at the
hotel the defendant produced the key of the bedroom from
one of his pockets, and they entered the bedroom together.
At Mr. Braddon's suggestion the body was lifted from the
bed and placed upon some ODOM nut matting on the flear.
Mr. Braddou proceeded to make the examination, and it
Rut the lady was is • state of program. He
ruoreld all the organs of the body perfectly healtay ; be mild
find nothing to account for death. An inquest was held in the
subsequent pert of theday, and thedefendant then stated that
deceased drift= epilepsy. He further stated thatarbepost.
aimless examination • tumour was formed is the stomach,
and that there was elm intense eungestiou of the brain.
Mr. Batty's wife being ill he was au:ions to get
tip body removed, sad at his request the body was
removed the same night in a eolith to the home of the de-
fendant. The deceased lady (Mrs. Boll) was the widow of
• substantial yeomen at Basseethwaite. She bad been •
widow nine years, sad was about 34 years of age at her
death. Her family medical attendant was Dr. Bell, of
Cockermouth. It appears that on the day of her death the
defendant sent • telegraphic mirage to Coeirermonth, ad-
dressed to Dr. Steele, and as them was no Dr. Steele it by
some chance got into the rods of Dr. Bell. He received
the measage late in the evening, but be thought the fade
disclosed by it so remarkable, that he went the mine night
to Mr. Musgrave, the deceased lady's solicitor. In core-
queue of this oommuortioo Mr. Musgrave started foe
Manchester by train early the next morning, the 7th inst.
On his arrival he sought an interview with the defendant,
and the result of that interview was such as to
leave an impression on his mind which induced
him further to communicate with the coroner. The
result was that the coroner held • further inquiry.
This inquiry was not made till after a second post-mortem
examination by Dr. Heath, of the Manchester Royal Infir-
mary. Dr. Heath said that he found all the organs of the
body in a perfectly healthy state, but that the result of his
examination was much interfered with by the fact of the
Previous examination. He was utterly unable to account
for death from the appearsacee of the body, but he had cer-
lain surmises. The charges against the defendant were
three special charges of perjury. I. That be had stated
before the coroner on the Inquest that there was a to moue
in the stomach disclosed by the post-mortem examination ;
such Dot being the fact, as proved by the surgeon who as.
slued to make the first post-mortem. 2. That he had
stated on such inquest that there was intense congestion of
the brain and its membranes, which would be a symptom of
epilepsy; which he could not hare known bad it bees true.
beams ths head of deceased bad aot at that
time been opened. 3. That he had falsely stated,
also upon oath, at the inquest, that be had
never seen the deceased or known her before meeting
her at the railway station on the night of the sth instant;
which was not true, be having seen hertwelve months be-
fore, and also having an entry in his ash-book of a receipt
of 51. from her on the 12th February, 1861, a further re-
ceipt in the same book for 51. from her some months subse-
quently, and a receipt for Si. on the 17th December, 1862.
Mr. Musgrave, also, to searching the deceased's papers. had
found amongst them three letters in the defendant's hand-
writing. The letters had 'either signatures nor dates, but,
as proved by the postmarks. the tirst was posted in
February, 1861, the second in March, 1862, and the last in
January, 186.1.
The came occupied the whole of the day, and the inquiry
was adjourned till Saturday.

Up to the 25th of November Mat the subseriptious
to the Laaeuhire relief food ia the colony of Victoria
ammated to 11,0751.

A public meeting in favour of the emancipation
of slavery in America is antioanced to he held in St.
George's-ball, at Bradford. as Thursday evening next, under
the presidency of Mr. W. E. Fenger, M.P.
LIBRARY COMPANY.— 1110 DAY.)—A special
meeting of the shareholders of this company was held at
noon. at the offices, No. 25, Pall-mall, to confirm the alter
Miens made in the articles of association of the company at
the extraordisary meeting of the company, held on the Bth
instant. The chair was takes by Mr. Cooingham,
A resolution confirming those pared at the preceding
meeting was proposed from the chair and carried main.
mutely.