The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-20 00:00:00

NORTH WALES CIRCUIT.—CARNARVON,
MARCH 17.
STRANGE r. WALKEIL—ACTIoN FOE FALSE AEItEsT.
This was a special jury case to recover damage's from the
late likrh Shenff of the county fur false arrest. Plaintiff,
Mr. Strange, of London, was on n visit at Tyibly n Helen,
near Carnarvon, the residence of Mr. Burr,etto' of whom the
officers were inquest, having a writ from the High Sheriff
to take him into custody for debt. On the 6th of Novem-
ber last, the men entered Tyddyn Helen and inquired for
Mr. Barrett°. Ann Jones, a servant, ;called to her master,
and was answered by plaintiff, who, oa appearing, was im-
mediately taken into custody, although ho repeatedly
asserted that he was not the party. The servant also ,
stated that he was not Mr. Durrett°, but the offi-
cers cautioned her against attempting to deceive them.
Plaintiff then desired the bailiffs to send fora friend, who
would identify him, but they refused to du so.
The defence was, that the arrest of the plaintiff was facili-
tated by his own connivance, in order to give Mr. Burretto
on opportunity to quit the premises. Witnesses were called
to prove that the plaintiff had equivocated with the bailiffs
for some time, before stating hi. name.
Verdict for plaintiff. Damages Is.
SOUTH WALES CIRCUIT,—CARKARTnex,

Mental 19.
etarese M. remelt VAVOKAIe
THE LAUGHARNE POISONING CASES.
Elizabeth Gibbs, aged 28, described as a cook and dairy-
maid, was charged with the wilful murder of her mistress,
Mrs. Scverne (the wife of a gentlemen of independent pro-
perty, residing at Langhorne), on the 21st July, by the
mi adnistration of a quantity of arsenic in tea; mad also
with the wilful murder in her fellow-servant, Rebecca
Uphill, on Sept. 23, by administering arsenic in broth.
The prisoner pleaded " Not Guilty."
Mr. Grove and Mr. Bowen conducted the prosecution.
Mr. Lloyd Fitswilliams defended the prisoner.
The evidence was very voluminous, the case in reference
to the death of Rebecca Uphill (which was the first indict-
ment tried) having lasted from 9 a.m., until nearly half-
past 6 p.m.
On the counsel for the prosecution proposing, en
his opening address, to detail some circumstances connected
with the death of Mrs. Severna, prisoner's counsel objected
to the reception of evidence on another indictment not ,
before the court, as tending to prejudice the jury. Mr.
Grove cited two cases in support of the admissibility of the
evidence, which was not offered to influence the mind- of
the jury. but to negative the supposition that the poison had
been administered by accident, such being less probable
when two deaths had occurred, at different periods, than if
one only had taken place. Ills lordship said that, with
that view, be ruled in favour of the admissibility.
From the evidence adduced it appeared that in the
month of September last Mr. Severne's establishment
consisted of himself (his wife having died in July) the pri-
soner, who acted as cook ; nets:tea Uphill, housemaid,
who usually attended Mrs. Scverne during her life-time;
Ann Beyer', another servant, and William Conick, in
addition to one or two boy-servants, who did not sleep in the
house. In the morning of September 21st the deceased,
Rebecca Uphill, was in her usual health, but after partaking
of dinner prepared by the prisoner, she complained of a
burning sensation in the throat, and vomited violently.
The prosecution, however, did not rely upon the circum-
stances of the 2lst, as deceased became better on the follow-
ing day. On the 23rd deceased felt considerably better,
and proposed to prisoner that she (deceased) should have
some broth for dinner. Prisoner made broth out of cold
mutton chops., part of which had been eaten by her master
on the preceding day. While the broth was on the fire
prisoner asked deceased to go to the garden for some pars-
ley, and during her absence Ann Beynon, another servant,
saw the prisoner throw something white into the broth.
She thought nothing of the circumstance, believing it,
to be oatmeal. Deceased took about two tea-cups full of
the broth out of a basin. Ann Berson took about one tea-
cup full. Both immediately felt a burning sensation in the
throat. They asked prisoner what could be the caner, and
she replied, •• It must he the pepper, or the chops have
become sour." The deceased was seized with the most
violent vomiting; was externally cold and shivering, but
felt an intense internal heat. Her master sent for a sur-
geon, who treated her fur English cholera. Deceased ex-
pired at 11 o'clock that night. The girl Bey nun was seized with
similar symptoms in a much less violent degree, and she re-
covered. It likewise appeared that prisoner (who had par-
taken of none of the broth) requested a woman to throw
the remainder into the pig's trough, which was at the time
half full. Although thus diluted one of the pigs was found
dead next morning, while the others were sick. The
woman, after throwing away the broth, observed a white
sediment adhering to the saucepan, and on remarking upon
the circumstance to the prisoner, she took the saucepan out
of her hand and washed it. With respect to Mrs. Severne's
death, which was introduced as a circumstance in the caw,
it appeared that prior to Sunday, July 21, this lady had
been occasionally ailing, her symptoms being, however,
very different from those subsequently manifested. On
that day Mr. Sevenic and the deceased Uphill went to
church, the other servants went to chapel, leaving Mrs.
Severn, prisoner, and a boy named Jervis at home. The
prisoner attended upon her mistress. Ott Mr. Severne's return
h• church he found his wife suffering from violent vomit-
ing, great exhaustion, and internal heat. Externally she was
very cold, especially the extremities. Her face was exces-
sively livid. Medical assistance was procured, but she died
that night, it was then supposed from cholera. These sym-
toms had manifested themselves immediately on taking some
CaMMOMlie tea, prepared by the prisoner. No suspicions
were excited until September, after the death of Rebecca
Uphill. An inquest was held on her body, and the contents of
the stomach and viscera were forwarded to Mr.llerapath, an a-
!Weal chemist, of Bristol, who extracted large quantities
of arsenic from them. Mrs. Severne's body, and that of the
pig were then exhumed, in each of which Mr. Ilerepath
found more than sufficient poison to account for death.
There was no positive evidence tracing arsenic to the pos-
session of the prisoner, but it was shown that two or more
years before Mr. Severne had procured a pound of arsenic
for the destruction of rats; a part only was used, and the
remainder kept in a store-room. Although a minute search
was made, no portion of this could be found after
Rebecca Uphill's death. The wife of a drug-
gist also deposed to her belief of having sold a penny-
worth of arsenic, nearly a year before, to a woman called
Peggy, who was in the habit of going errands for the pri-
soner. This woman, however, did not remember the cir-
cumstance, and the druggist's wife was by no means positive.
Several witnesses deposed to conversations with the pri-
soner, in which the latter had predicted Mrs. Severne's
death, or that of some other person, as she had seen " corpse
candles" about the house, and heard the howling of doge,
de.. After her mistress's death, it appeared that prisoner
had received a notice to quit. In speaking of the deceased,
Uphill, and the other servant, Septum, she had said,
"These devils who came after me have made me lose my
place, but they shall go before me, in the same way as mis-
tress did." To another witness she had said, "I never
thought I should leave Biaton, as mistress often said I
should be master's second wife." (It was said that the late
Mrs. &male had been a lady's made to some members of
the family.) On showing Uphill's body to another wit-
ness, prisoner said, " Who should think that this devil could
have made me lose my place ?" and then, " I hope, how-
ever, she is in heated.'
A female servant in the gaol, who had once been con-
victed of larceny, deposed to conversations with prisoner, in
which the latter had virtually confessed the crime. Little
reliance was, however, placed on her testimony.
For the defence it was contended that the arsenic procured
by Mr. Severne, and placed in the store-room where the chest
of oatmeal was also kept, might have fallen into the chest
when the oatmeal was low. That this oatmeal might then
have been used to make gruel for Mn. Severne ; that then the
chest might have been refilled; but, when used down to
the impregnated oatmeal in two months, the remaining
portion of arsenic was again taken up, being mixed with
the oatmeal used to thicken Rebecca Uphill's gruel.
It, however, appeared that the remaining oatmeal in the
asst had been used by the family after Uphill's death,
without any injurious consequences.
His lordship, in summing up, remarked that what most
went against the prisoner was, the great improbability that
the two deaths had occurred through accident. What was
greatly in her favour was, the entire absence of adequate
motives for so dreadful a crime, and no arsenic being di-
rectly traced to her possession.
The jury retired soon alter 6, and in ten minutes brought
in a verdict of ,Not Guilty.
The indictment in the case of Mrs. Severne's death was

proceeded with, commencing t hrlf put si:, before the
same jury, with a similar result.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.-YESTERDAT.
Parma Me. Ssiumrr Mums, HPHIFHir Anal.
ROBBERY AND CHLOROFORM.

glary Ann Mayne, a masculine-looking woman, was in-
dicted for having stolen a purse and nine sovereigns and
other moneys, the property of John Evenson, from his
person.
The particulars of this case appeared in yesterday's
Expreu, under the head of Worship-street polce-court.
The prisoner, in her defence, said the prosecutor had
given her the money to treat the women he was in company
with at her lodgings.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty.
The learned judge said there was every probability that
this robbery was effected by, means of chloroform, and the
practice of committing such serious offences in that manner
was one which must be met by a very strong resistance.
He should defer passing sentence until next session to allow
time for inquiries to be made, and if it turned out that
chloroform would not produce insensibility in the short
space of time the prosecutor had mentioned, the prisoner
might escape transportation, but it on the other hand, it
appeared that chloroform would so instantaneously produce