The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-08 00:00:00

SIX PERSONS POISONED.

BILI.II, TITZBDAT

On Thursday lut great consternation was mated
in Belper by a rumour that a family of the name of Flewitt,
living in the Cluster.buildings, were poisoned. On pro-
ceeding to the house of the unfortunate individuals, the
rumour was found to be too true. It appears that the
moment the father had finished his last course at dinner,
which was rice pudding, he complained of sickness, and
was obliged to remove hastily from the table. Scarcely
had he got out of the house before three of his children
and a young man named Sheldon were also seized with
sickness and vomiting. They became very alarmed, and
the mother ran into a neighbour's house and informed
them that she believed the whole family were poisoned.
She was advised to get medical assistance, and immediately
ran for Messrs. Leese, surgeons, who reside a short dis-
tance from Cluster-buildings, sad on her retain she wa

found to be suffering from the mune oat.. Meagre. Lomas
were on the spot immediately, and lost no limbs applying
antidotes; but a difficulty arose here, as none of the family
could give any account of what kind of poison they bad
taken, except a little girl about 12 years of age, who said
she saw something like fiour.in the sugar her mother used
in making the pudding. F7Olll this it was thought to be
arsenic, although they all denied having it in the house.
Sheldon, working in the same shop with Flavin, has been
in the habit of taking his dinner to his house to eat; the
eldest daughter, then at home, having a dislike to rice
pudding at all times, Sheldon offered her his pudding,
which was of a different kind, in exchange for her share of
the rice one, which elle accepted. This at first
sight caused a little suspicion to be thrown upon the
daughter, from the fact of her having escaped ; but on
being closely questioned, she explained the matter in pre-
cisely the same manner as Sheldon and the rest of the
family, which threw the affair into perfect mystery. The
poor creatures suffered most intensely for many hours, and
a most diatractiog scene it was to witness. Every assist
eau was rendered by Marrs. Lomas, and their attendants,
to the poor unfortunate sufferers, and for several hours it
was difficult to tell which was most afflicted. On Friday
morning, however, it was perceived that the mother was in
a dying state, in which she continued until five o'clock in
the evening, when she expired.
On Saturday, an inquest was held before H. Mosley,
Esq., coroner, when a post mortem examination of the
body was made by Douglas Fox, Seq., of Derby, and
Meas. Lome. For want of further evidence the inquest
wee adjourned until Tuesday morning. The contents of the
'lama, and what could be found of the roger, fix., were
given to Mr. Albert J. Betrays, analytical chemist, of
Derby, for ualisation. The rest of the family are slowly
recovering. _ . _

Superintendent Wragg having received instructions from
the coroner, commenced making inquiries, and from a va-
riety of circumstances that came to his knowledge he waited
upon that gentleman early on Monday morning, when he
ordered the immediate apprehension of Sheldon. It ap-
pears that last week Sheldon asked the muter dyer at
Mews. Ward's, Helper, at which place he worked, if he
could supply him with some prussic acid; and on the morn-
ing the parties were poisoned he went to Flewitt's home in
his working hours—a very unusual thing—through the back
door, to the place where the sugar was kept. It also ap-
pears that be has been wanting to pay his addressee to one
of Flewitt'e daughters, and on her father forbidding him
from so doing, a short time ago, he said he would do away
with himself and them too. There are also other circum-
stances which makes the ease very suspicious against him.
He is very respectably connected, his father being steward
to Jedediab Snuff, Esq.
This (Tongan) morning Mr. Coroner Mosley resumed
the inquiry at the Court-house, Helper. It was proceeding
when our parcel left. It is not expected to finish to-day.

ROYAL COLLEOL OP SUROEONS.—The following
gentlemen were admitted members of the college at the
meeting of the Court of Examiners, on the 6th inst. :
Messrs. James Beat, Oldbury, Worcestershire; John
Netten, Radcliffe, Leeds; Alfred Whittle, Liverpool;
Chula Hooper, Buntingford, Herta ; Philip Giffard Mar-
tel, Guernsey; and Joshua Edward Adkins, East Stone-
house, Devon.