The Express.
London, England, 1847-06-10 00:00:00

THE POISONING AT KENSAL NEW TOWN

ADJOURNED CORONER'S INQUEST.
Yesterday Mr. T. Wakley, M.P., resumed, at the
' Portobello Arms, Kerns' Now Town, the inquest on the
bodies of Thomas Hickman, aged 34, and his five children :
James Bonnamy, aged 10; John, aged 3 ; Henry, aged 1
year and 6 months; Hemet Elizabeth, aged 7; and Mary
Ann, aged 5, an account of whose deaths by poison has
already appeared in this journal.
Ann Sullivan said : On Sunday, the 30th May, Mr. Hick-
man came to the railings of my house for, as I thought, the
purpose of giving me some pudding for my children, which
Mn. Hickman had promised them. I went with him to his
house and ism that his wife and children were excessively
sick. I instantly ran and fetched Mr. Alsercromby, a sur-
geon , who administered antidotes to the children and their
father. I remained with them until they all died, with the
exception of Mrs. Hickman, her sister, and the boy Thorns'.
I heard Mrs. Hickman's sister say that she had taken the
contents of a small bag and placed them in a larger one contain-
ing flour, with which a rhubarb pudding had been made, and
which had been eaten by the family. Hickman said some.
thing about the smaller bag having contained arsenic.
The Coroner : Did he reproach his wife or any other party
with having given it to him intentionally ?—Witnees : Oh
dear, us; he even refused the antidotes until his wife and
children were first attended to. He seemed extremely
anxious about their recovery.—The Coroner : What is your
opinion of the case?—Witness: My firm belief is, that it
was an accident. Nothing arose from first to last to lead me
to suppose poison was given to the parties by design.
Mr. John B. Abereromby, surgeon, deposed : On Sunday
afternoon I was sent for ; en my arrival I found Mr. Hick-
man, his wife, his sister, and five children all vomiting, and
inspected they were labouring under the effects of arsenic,
and I made up antidotes, which I administered. We did
not use the stomach-pump, on account of the lumps of
rhubarb and crust in the stomachs. I have since made a
poet martens examination of the bodies of Harriet Elizabeth
and Mary Ann Hickman, in the presence of Dr. Chown,
and other medical gentlemen, the result of which, and of an
analysis of the matter vomited, leaves no doubt that death
was caused by arsenic in all the came.
Thomas Hickman, a youth of twelve years, said my aunt
I
end mother made the pudding between them. did not
know that flour or anything like it was lying about I did
not know the cupboard where the arsenic was contained. I
was never cautioned about going to the cupboard. I never
heard any one threaten to poison father or mother. I was
taken ill about half-peat two. I felt a pain at the chest, a
burning in the throat, and great thirst. The Coroner How
much of the pudding had you taken before you were taken
ill ?—Witness One plateful.
Mrs. Harriet Hickman was next examined; she said: On
the Sunday morning my sister came to me about half-past
viz o'clock and said she wasted some paper to light the fire,
and inquired where she could find some. I told her I did not
brow. She then emptied the contents of the small bag into
the large one filled with flour —The Coroner : Had you seen
the smell bag before?—Witness : Yes. On the previous Sun-
day my husband showed me the bag and asked me what was
in it, when I replied I thought it was arrow-root. He then
placed it in a back-room cupboard, where it remained till
my sister took it down.—The Coroner : Were you aware that
poison was in the house ?—Witness : I knew that a small
bottle containing arsenic had been kept, but I gave that away
to my father some time back to destroy some rata—The
Coroner : What did your husband want with arsenic ?—Wit-
nem : Before he was in the police he used to try experiments
on glass with it lie was in the habit of placing
it he crucibles over the fire. —The Coroner : Was
aster on friendly terms with your husband ?
: Oh dear yes—more than any other of the family.
TlseOssoner How long has she been with you ? Witness :
Wass dm Thursday preceding. She came to stop until she
cash! yet a situation. My husband was et work in the New
Nora-road, Islington, and only came home of Saturday
nights, and went away ea Monday mornings.
Caroline Bonemy was next called. She said: I am •
servant, at present out of a situation. I have been stopping
with my sister only a few days. On the Sunday morning I
got up and lighted the tlre. I took the bag containing the
rrto my sister, and silted her what it was ; she replied,
amempposa is flour." I then emptied the bag into a
knee ace. Both were flour bags, and had bakers' names
on them. I noticed, at the time, that the powd endedhe
small bag was whiter than the Oth.er, end int to

mention it, but forgot to de so by my brother meddler to
ime, and asking me the tiene. I lighted the fire with one bag,
but I deo% ►now what became of the other. I had eaten
one plateful of pie, and wee about to take sine.
ther, when my sister called out, "Oh, take the baby."
We were then all seised with sickness. Wkea one of the
doctors spoke to me, I remembered having pat the content'
demo bag into another. I was not aware that poison was in
dr heels.

Thu being the whole of the evidence, the Coroner summed
up. Then war not even a shadow of a doubt on his mind that
all the parties had been poisoned by accident. It war to be
regretted that poison should have been placed unguarded and
unlshelled in a cupboard within the reach of any one.
The jury immediately returned a verdict in each case,
" That death was caused by arsenic, eaten in rhubarb pud-
ding, mixed with Hour by the mother in ignorance of its
nature, it having been left carelessly within her reach on a
Mien by her husband, but not with evil intent."

1i17,10'8 COLLEGE HOSPITAL.—The anniversary
dinner was celebrated yesterday at the Stationers'-hall. The
Right Hon. Sir H. Peel presiding, About 300 persons sat
down to clinger. The usual touts having been first
disposed of, the right honourable baronet, in proposing
the toast of the evening, " Prosperity to King's Col-
lege Hospital," said, that as he felt the interests
of the institution were in some measure committed that
night to his hands, he felt a deep anxiety in the matter,
from which he could only be relieved by his conli•
dance in the liberality of the gentlemen present.
He felt it his bounden duty to recommend to
their liberality an institution which had two great objects
in view—tee mitigation of that suffering which was con-
nected with disease and accidents, and the promotion of
medical and tali gical knowledge, founded on actual experi-
ment, without which all attempts to alleviate bodily suffer-
ing must be ineffectual and imperfect. He begged to remind
them, that notwithstanding the population of the metropolis
had increased 70 per cent. front 1800 to 1831, and the number
of houses had increased during the same period 63 per cent.—
that notwithstanding there was a proportionate increase of
wealth and refinement, that new theatres and club-houses
rivalling palaces, that new squares and new streets had been
built, and that there had been an increase of everything
which administered tothe amusement and rational recreation
ofthe people,there was no corresponding increase in the hospital
accommodation for the poor. One hundred years ago there
were 7 hospitals in existence, and if it were permitted a penon
conversant with the state of society at that period to revisit
the metropolis at the present day he would be amased to find
only three new hospitals erected since that time—namely,
Charing-cross Hospital, University Hospital, and King's
College Hospital, all of which had bees erected within the last
18 years. King's College Hospital contained 120 beds; and
he believed not less than 1,278 patients had been
received within walls within the last year, while
no fewer than i 8,84; persons had received medical
assistance outside the walls during the same time. The
right hon. baronet concluded by ailing on the gentlemen
present to come forward with liberal contributions in support
of so deserving an institution. The toast was drunk with
enthusiasm. The list of contributions was then read, from
which it appeared that the donations amounted to 1,6701., the
right hon. chairman contributing 1001., and that the annual
subscriptions were increased by 741. The Duke of St.
Alban's proposed the health of the chairman, which was
drunk with the greatest enthusiasm, and briefly responded
to by the right hon. gentleman. The other toasts of the
eveaing, " Alderman Copeland and the Treasurer," "The
Council of King's Colege," " The Principal and Professors,"
" The Masters, Wardens, Ben, of the Stationers Company,"
&c., were then duly drunk and honoured, after which
the company separated.

HOSPITAL volt CONSUMPTIOSL—The anniversary
festival, in commemoration of the opening of the new
building at Brompton, was held yesterday evening at
the London Tavern. His Royal Highness the Duke
of Cambridge presided. After the customary toasts had
been disposed of, Edward Speer, Esq., a member of
the committee of management, proceeded to make a report. '
From this it appeared that there were 60 beds already occu-
pied by patients, and that the committee only awaited the
liberality of the public to enable them to fill the entire num-
ber of 100, which the institution is now adapted to
' accommodate. It was added, in terms of regret,
that there were seventy persona then waiting for admission.
The committee trusted that the benevolence of the public
would not relax until the hospital had that firm and settled
basis which ought to distinguish a charity so truly national
in its of —The chairman said that, on the previous Mon-
, day, he had visited the hospital when no one was prepared
for such an event, and the condition in which he found it
reflected the highest credit on the officers and medical gen-
tlemen connected with it. The ventilation appeared to be
as perfect as the situation of the hospital was admirable. It
was the only hospital of the kind existing in this country : a
most important fact, remembering how many individuals stif-
fered from consumption. The building of a chapel was under
contemplation, the present one being of a temporary character.
The institution was most important in relation to medical
science ; since, if any means of curing this disease could be
discovered, it would afford special facilities for that purpose.
The noble duke then referred to a letter from a person
whose eon had died in the institution, expressive of grati-
tude for the kindness and attention which his son had
received previous to his decease; and concluded by proposing
"Prosperity to the Hospital." The toast was drunk with
enthusiasm.—Mr. P. Rose, Hon. See., added to the state-
ment of the chairman, that, from the commencement, the
institution bad been the means of providing fur 7,000 per-
sons. The health of the chairman, and the other routine
toasts, having been drunk, subscriptions were announced,
including 201. from the chairman ; 1001. from Mr. P. Rose,
Hon. Sec. • 1081. from Miss E. Cox ; and 60!. from the Earl
of Harewtiod. The total exceeded 2,0001. On the chair-
man's retiring from the room, his place was filled by the
Earl of Harewood. The music was under the direction of
Mr. Jolley, assisted by Miss Williams and Min M. Williams,
Mr. Genge, and Mr. Novello.

FLORICULTURAL FETE IN THE REGENT'S-PARK.
—Yesterday the second exhibition for the season of the
Royal Botanic Society took place at their gardens in the Re-
gent's- park. The one great desideratum for a flower-show
was not in this iLstance wanting. The weather was all that
could be desired; and soon after the gates were opened, the
gardens began to fill with visitors. Amongst the earliest
arrivals were Prince Albert, the Duke and Duchess of Cam-
bridge, and a party of the royal and noble foreigners now the
guests of her fdajesty. The past year has greatly improved
the general aspect of the grounds, the trees having attained
sufficient height to shut cut of view the surrounding buildings,
and thus to make more complete the rural aspect of the
place. The display of flowers was varied and brilliant; the
orchideous plants and the pelargoniums being the strongest
features of the show. For the former, prises were awarded
severally to Mr. Rucker, of Wandsworth ; Mr. Bland, of
Reading ; Mean. Rollisson,i of Tooting; and Mr. Warner,
of Iloililesdom The roses were in great abundance,
and, as ever, very beautiful. The heaths formed an-
other prominent attraction ; they were numerous, varied
in tint, and all in fine bloom. A collection of Eng-
lish indigenous plants, more interesting to the botan-
ist than to the mere admirer of flowers, cut a poor
figure beside their exotic neighbours. Much amuse-
ment was created by the names given by the growers to some
new calceolaries, amongst which one claimed the name of
"Jenny Lind," and another that of "The Buffalo Girl."
The attractions of the day, however, were not confined to the
conservatory, or to the flower tents. Three military bands
increased the cheerfulness of the scene. The younger
visitors were amused by the boy-band of the Highland
School, who, in tartan and philibeg, blew tiny bagpipes,
which gave forth quite as much of their peculiar music as
was desirable on so agreeable en occasion.

INSTITUTION Or CIVIL ENGINEERS, JUNE B.
Sir Joho Rennie, president, in the chair. The paper read
was " On the expansive action of steam," by Mr. J. M.
Heppel, Grad. lost. C.E. The object of the paper was to
deduce a more exact formula than those now in use for the
dynamical effect developed by steam in expanding from one
pressure to another. The usual method of oomputing this
effect neglects the influence of the variation of temperature,
which always accompanies change of density, and which has
been shown to modify considerably the oorreeponding pres-
sure. M. de Pambour, however, his, by combining Gay
Lumac's formula for the relation between temperature and
density order uniform pressure with theta Boyle, for the re-
lation between density and pressure under uniform tempera-
ture, deduced a formula containing the density, pressure, and
temperature, from which, any two being given, the third may
be deduced. What was further done in Mr. Heppes paper
was to combine this formula with one by Mr. Scott Russell,
expressing the relation between the pressure and temperature,
and by this means to eliminate the latter, and obtain a for-
mula containing only the pressure and density. From this
formula another was easily obtained, showing the total
dynamical action developed during expansion from one
pressure to another, and the results were given in a tabular
form, exhibiting-1. The pressure in lbs. per square inch.-
2. The relation, volume, or ratio of the volume of steam, to
that of the water which produced it.— 3. The dynamical ef-
fect before expansion, or the number of pounds raised one
inch by the evaporation of each cubic inch of water.-4.
The dynamical effect during expansion, or the number of
pounds raised one inch by the steam produced from one cubit
inch of water in expanding from • presents of 100 lbs. per
square inch to the particularcorresponding pressure. Th e
dynamical effect in expanding from any one pressure to any
other, must be clearly expressed by the difference of the
corresponding numbers in this column. Part of the re-
mainder of this paper was devoted to showing that whilst
the performance of engines could net possibly be expected
to exceed the results ascertained as above, it should not fall
far short of them in the case of engines of good construction.
In conclusion, a simple method was suggested of ascertaining
the magnitude of all the forces in action during the working
of the Cornish engine, independently of the indicator. In
the course of the paper the fallacy of the theory of
what had been termed the " percussive action" of steam
was ably exposed, and although from the paper being
full of mathematical formulist, it was not well adapted
for being read at a public meeting, it evidently possessed
groat merit as an investigation of an important subject.
It was followed by a short paper, also " On the
expansive action of steam," by Mr. Tate, mathematical
master of the Training College, Battersea. Its object
was to demonstrate and apply a formula some tame
since discovered by the author, expressing the law of
the expansion of steam, and at the same time to establish
certain general equations relative to the work of steam appli-
cable to all formula professing to give the law of volume and
pressure. It also examined and corrected Pole's formula,
which, although a decided improvement upon Pambour's,
was stated to be not sufficiently accurate for predawn above
70Ibs. or below 161 be. M. Pierget exhibited in the library,
after the meeting, specimens of his improvements in produc-
ing ornamental metal surfaces, formed by the deposition of
metals during the electrotype process, which is conducted in a
peculiar manner, with mixtures adapted to the effect desired