The Express.
London, England, 1862-07-07 00:00:00

A FAMILY POISONED IN MU.

Last week a whole family in York narrowly
escaped death fns poison, but we refrained from publish-
ing the particulars ia our Ism. In eider that say premature
statement, might not interfere with the lavestliration
which had been commenced into the circumstances of this
mysterious affair. On Tuesday week Mr. Cooke, astronomi-
cal instrument maker, dec., IlishoPhill, with Lis wife, his
three sons—Frederick, Thomas, and Alfred—his daughter,
and Mrs. Barbs, a visitor, sat down to dinner as usual,
and shortly after they were all taken seriously ill, being
attacked with severe sickness and vomiting. During
dinner some parsley sauce bad been used, and it was
conjectured that •• fool's parsley," a deadly poison,
might Lave got into the sauce by mistake for die proper
kind. This supposition, however, proved groundless, and
the caws of the illness of the family remained shrouded is
mystery. Mr. Reed and Mr. Procter, surgeons, were called
in, and from the symptom. which their patients manifested,
it was clear they bad been poisoned. By the prompt ad-
ministration
of the usual remedies, the effects of the poison
were counteracted, and:on the following day the family were
nearly restored to health. After diaper on Thursday the
mown of Tuesday was repeated, the family being again
attacked as before, as well ea the cook. The greatest alarm
was felt, and the medical men were again sent for. It being
suspected thattbe salt kept in the house wasmixed with some
deleterious substance, Mr. Procter subjected it to analysis,
and he found that shoat thirty per mut was arsenic.
Similar poison was discovered in some flour, but how the
admixture took place is • complete mystery. The circum-
mottoes were reported to the police, and a searching inquiry
has been and I still being made by them, in order, if pos-
sible, to sautrtain by what means the arsenic was mixed
with the salt and flour, and where the pois in had been '
obtained. So far se the inquiry has proceeded, we believe
' there is no reason for believing that the arsenic had been
accidentally mixed with the floor and salt, but as Mr.
Cooke is not aware of asy. ill-feeling existing against him
on the part of any owe in his establishment, no anspiaion I
attached to any one.—York Herold.

RAILWAY AND PUBLIC COMPANIES IN
PARLIAMENT.

On Friday, the bill for the amalgamation of the
Hewitt British Railway with the Ediebiugh, Perth end
Dundee and West of Fife Railways was weld, and the cam
of the Edinburgh and Glasgow was opened by r. Ageism,
evidence for the promoters occupying the committee to iti
rising. The clauses of the Wellington and Cheshire Junc-
tion having been netted in that committee, the hearing of
the Wellington, Drayton , and Newcastle wu opened. Mr.
Hollis, of the Arm of Mioton and Co., the well•lneowa
pottery and porcelain manufacturers, with other witnesses,
being examined by Mr. Phinu, Q.C., and Mr. Johnson. The
promoters of the Fast Gloucestershire baring elected to take
that portion of the project granted by the committee at ate
previous sitting, the clauses on behalf of the various landed
and local interests were considered and adjusted, and the
committee then went into the consideration of the case of
the Shrewsbury and Hereford, Mr. Brows, Mayor of New-
port, and others, being examined in ite favour. The bills fog
the following undertakings were pared la Lord Ragsdale%
'committee:—Bristol Port Railway and Pier, London,
Chatham, and Dover (the junction at BetteressiagasEy
Railway and Dock, Kettering sod Thrapstons,
Llanidloes and Newtown, Mid-Wales and Manchester
Milford, Swansea Harbour Trost, West Midland sad Severn
Valley, South Yorkshire (Sheffield and Thorne), Metropo-
litan Meat and Poultry Market (western approach). A OM'
=Wee, with the Duke of Montrose ha the chair, commenced
the consideration of the Middle Level Drainage and Naviga-
tion, Mr. Wyse, the clerk to the trust, being examined at
considerable length; and Mr. Grimes, the traffic maw
of the Great Western Railway, was the principal witness
examined on the merits of that company's proposed
Oswestry and Ellesmere line, in Lord Stanley's committee
in the Commons.