The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-10 00:00:00

TWO CIIILDREN POISONED.

Another addition has just been made to the long
list of itutances already afforded of the fatal results of the
present lax system of administering pecuniary relief by
illeattS of burial clubs. The victims in the present instance
are two children, named Sarah Auu Bare:roll and Ellen
Mills, the former aged 11 months' and the latter 2 years
anti 3 months. The deceased Sarah Ann Barcroft was the
child of Jonathan and Ruth Barcroft, residing at the
Hague, near Montrain. This child died suddenly on
the afth ult., after a few hours' illness, about I I o'clock in
the forenoon. Shortly afterwards Mr.. Mills, the mother of
the other child, who resides at a short distance front Bar•
croft's house, was sent nor hy Mrs. Barcroft, to assist her in
laying out the dead child. Mrs. Mills took a ith her to Mrs.
ftarcruft's, Ellen Mills, and another of her child's n named
George, about 13 months old, and also two children named
M.Gleclan, who lodged with their fotth or at Mrs. Mills'.
house. Mrs. Bancroft then requested Mrs. to go to a
place called Tounnylowe, about two miles off, to fetch Mrs.
Barcruft's mother, lettering to take care of the children till
she retuned. Mrs. Mills aeconlingly went to Mrs. Dar-
croft's mother, and returned with her at about '2 o'clock iu
the afternoon. Soon after she returned, soma porridge,
which had been prepared in her absence, was
given to the children, who, in about five mi.
mites were seized with vomiting. Ellen Mills became
rapidly worse, and expired about half-past 10 o'clock that
night. The other children recovered. Information of
these circumstances having reached Mr. Little, special high
constable, at Hyde, he visited illarcrofez house on the fol-
lowing morning, the 30th ult., to make inquiries as to the
cause of the sudden death of the children. Mrs. ftmerott
then told him that on the Moouolay eight, when her husband
was from Im,nne, she weut to bed with her child about
o'clock. Her husband came home during the night, she
could not say at what time, there being no clock in the
house. Sometime afterwards the child locator rest-
less and began to cry. Mrs. Boweroft woke her husband
and he went down stain and brought up some Moue por-
ridge, which the mother had nude before she went to bed,
anti put on the hub by the fireside. She gave the child
some of the porridge, and in about five minutes it begun to
vomit, became very ill, awl died about II o'clock the next
morning. Jonathan Bancroft, the father of the deceased,
t Mr. Little that on the Monday he was at a beershop in
Mottram in company with a man named Fairhurst, till
about ten o'clock at night, when he went home to, bul. In
the morning he went to his work, and diet nut hear of 116
child's death till some hour. afterwanls. He gave the re-
mains of the porridge to si man named Cooper, next door,
fur his hens. Cooper said he had given the porridge to dais
hens, and it had done then, no harm.
Ott Saturday last an inquest was hold on the bodies of the
two ehildren, before Mr. Hudson, coroner, but nothing of
importanni transpired, and the proceedings were adjourned.
On Tuesday lust the inquest was resumed, when Messrs.
Alcoek and Sidcbuttam, surgeons, of Mottram, stated that
they had made a post-mortem examination, and had found
arsenic in the stomach. The inquest was accordingly ad-
journed again, and Barcruft and his wife were apprehended
that evening on suspicion of the murder. Mr. Little, an
making further inquiries, learnt that on the day of his':
child's death Bareroft went to the registrar of deaths
at Glossop, and stated that he lived at Littlemore, about
four miles from the Hague ; that his child had died of the
Moping tough, and obtained from him a certificate for the
interment oh' the deceased. It also appear% that, on the
23rd ult., Bareroft, who was employed 34 a washer at
Messrs. Ed. Potters' print works, hinting-vale, obtained
from Thos. Marsden, who has the care en the drugs and
colours at the work+, 2 oz. of white arsenic, and about the
same quantity of sugar of lead, stating that he wanted
them for a person at the Hague, to put round some plants.
All the five children were members of the hinting-vale
Burial Club. Barerott received 21. 10s. from the treasurer
of the society, OP showing him the certificate which he had
previously obtained from the registrar. The parents of the
deceased Ellen Mills also receives! 41. from the club.
In consequence of the suspicion which rests upon Bar-
croft and his wife. Mr. Little has received authority from
the coroner to exhume the bode of a child of which Mrs.
Bareroft was delivered on Good 'Friday last, and which died
about six hours afterwards.

The adjourned inquest on the bodies of the two children
will he held on Tuesday next, at the Griffin Inn, Broad-
bottom, near Mottram.

HARWICH ELECTION COMMlTTEE.—tcstcrday, this
committee resumed their scrutiny of votes. The committee
decided that they would not insist upon Sir Walter Hid-
den, the revising barrister, giving reasons either for his
allowance or disallowance of votes, but that they would re •
ceive any evidence other than that of the revising barrister
thereon. After considerable discussion, the committee de-
termined on allowing the totes of Mr. J. C. Cobbold, 31. P.,
and of his father, Mr. John Cobbuld, which were objected
to on the ground of nun-continuous evidence. Tho vote of
Mr. E. L4WfAllee, solicitor, of Ipswich and Harwich, im-
pugned on the ground of non-continuous residence, was
also allowed. Ihe vote of Mr. John Attwood in respect of
an estate near Harwich, and objected to on the ground of
non-residence, was next taken. Mr. J. Baker gave evi-
dence on the point of non-residence, and complained that
,the notices of votes objected to at Harwich, were stuck so
high up inside the church door, that it was next to impos-
sible to read them. (Lauf hter.) The witness, in his cross-
examination, created considerable merriment by admitting
that, as regarded himself, he could hardly read at all. The
committee, at 4 o'clock, adjourned to this day. Of 8 votes
out of 23 already gone into, one only, an undefended one,
has been established, or struck off.

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