The Express.
London, England, 1846-09-07 00:00:00

his wo e house of Mr. Dalton, mar-
,xl them, and he was put to
fre waseonveyed home in an ex-
uer said she had been drinking
_allowed, beaten, and kicked by the
mob, when she threw herself under the protection of the
police, as she felt her life to be in danger. She thought the
prosecutor was one of the party when she struck him with
the knife. She was very sorry for what had happened. She
was fully committed.
THAMES.—PeIIenNOUS BEItR/F.B.—CONIMITTAL FOR
WILFUL MURDER.—JOhtI Ililliarrl was brought before Mr.
Ballantine for final examination, charged with the wilful
murder of T. Parker, late proprietor of the Veteran beer.
shop, in the Whitechapel-road, and S. Jones, a child, aged
three years, whose deaths were caused by eating of a pie in
which berries of the at ropa belladonna, or deadly nightshade,
were introduced. It will be recollected that the coroner's
jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against the prisoner,
who sold the berries on Saturday, the 15th of August, on
Blackfriars-bridge and other places. Several persons, in-
cluding three post-boys who purchased the berries, were
seriously affected. Mrs. Parker, the landlady of the Veteran
beer-shop, who purchased a pint of them on the same day,
introduced them into a pie on the Sunday following, of
which she and her husband partook. The child Jones, who
called at the house while Mr. and Mrs. Parker were at
dinner, also ate some of the pie. Mr. Parker and the child
died on the following day. Important evidence was given,
for the purpose of showing that the prisoner must have
been fully acquainted with the properties of the berries it
the belladonna.—On tke prisoner being placed at the her,
a number of persons were in attendance who had purchased
the poisonous berries cf bim on the 16th of August, and *el
greatest inter, at appeared to exist. Mrs. Parker, who was
attired in d^ep moarning, and who nearly lost her lib,
again attended. She has not yet reoovertd her health.
The first witness called was Mr. J. Hiscox, who said he
was a druggist and medical botanist, and carried on busi-
ness in the Bethnal-grecn-road. He had known the prisoner
for five or six years or more as a herb gatherer, and consi-
dered him one of the most astute herb collectors in England.
The prisoner was most accurate in collecting medical herbs.
—Mr. Ballantine—ls he likely to be ignorant of the proper-
ties of the of ropa belladonna, or deadly nightshade ?—Mr.
Hiscox—l should really think, from his very long experi-
ence, that he could not he ignorant of the poisonous nature
of the berries of the deadly nightshade. I consider him
the best gatherer of herbs and plants we have.—Mr. Ballast-
tine put some further questions to Mr. niacin, who said,
if he wanted an opinion upon herbs, he should ask the
prisoner's in preference to that of botanists, because his
opinion would be practical and theirs would be theoretical.
He knew the plant well. He had seen the deadly night-
shade growing in shady places, and when a boy he used to
avoid the berries. They were generally understood to be
poisonous.—Mr. Ballantine: Can you say the prisoner was
acquainted with the properties of plants ? Mr. Hiscox
would not go so far as to say the prisoner was acquainted
with the medical properties of plants, or their efficacy in
curing particular diseases ; but he was of opinion the
prisoner did know the berries of the deadly nightshade were
poisonous. The witness then proceeded to state that dif-
ferent plants had their particular localities. He believed
the prisoner was a clever man in the selection of plants and
herbs, and should think he must know belladonna from any
other plant.—Mr. Ballantine: If he knew the plant, could
he be ignorant of the qualities of it ?—Mr. Moon : I should
think not.—Mr. Ballantine: Did you ever order him to
gather the plant of the deadly nightshade ? Mr. Him*:
said he had not. He had been in the habit of using
the extract of the belladonna, which he obtained of the
drugghts who prepared the Iced cine.—Mr. Ballantine ex-
plained to the prisoner how the evidence affected him, and
asked him if he would put any questions ?—The primates
said he was quite ignorant of the berry altogether. He
understood roots and plants, and knew what was good and
what was bad, but he really knew nothing about berries.
He never picked berries for any herb shop in his life. He
ate as many as twelve of the berries on the day he sold a
pint of them to Mr. Parker. They were as sweet as sugar
and as nice as honey.—Mr. Ballantine: Was that after the
young men in Whitechir told you they were poisonous
berries ?—The prisoner: No young man told me anything of
the kind, your worship.—Mr. Ballantine: We have it in
evidence that you were cautioned, and that you afterwards
continued to hawk the berries. Can anything be more hor-
rible 2—Joseph Lester, assistant to Mr. Hiscox, confirmed
that gentleman's evidence as to the prisoner's knowledge of
herbs and plants, and described him as the best herb gatherer
in England. He should not think it at all probable that the
prisoner would be ignorant of the qualities of the belladonna.
He saw the prisoner on the 15th of August, when he called
at his master's shop with two baskets ; one con-
tained berries, the other herbs. He asked the
prisoner what berries he had in his basket; and he
replied nettle berries. The witness said, "Do you call these
nettle berries ?" and the prisoner replied, " They are hockh
berries."—Mr. Ballantine: Did he say whortle berries t
Lester: No, sir, he said hockle berries; but his first ewes-
Mon was nettle berries.—Mr. Hiscox was re called, and laid ,1
Ise had seen the whortle berry, commonly called the bilberry,
posing in Surrey. The berry of the deadly nightshade was
a very different thing, and much lamr.—Lester staled dud
the prisoner did not say the berries were for his outer on
the 15th of August. They were separated from the stalk.
Mr. Ballantine (to the prisoner) : Well, I shall commit you
for trial for wilful murder.—Mr. Symonds, the chief clerk,
said there was other evidence, and John Donegan, a police
inspector, was called, who ssid the prisoner was brought to I
the Denmark-street station house on the 20th of Augurt, in
the custody of a police-constable, named Bird, of the B list-
lion,
lion, who apprehended him in Strutton-ground, West-
Waster. He told the prisoner he was identified as the man
who sold the poisonous berries in Whitechapel on the pre-
vious Saturday, and he said he had never been in that neigh-
bourhood at all. The prisoner had a basket in his possession,
containing blackberries,when he was apprehended. They were
common blackberries.—Mary Ann Cox, a young woman,
who appeared in a very ill state of health, said that she pur-
chased a halfpennyworth of berries of the prisoner, on the
15th of August, in Whitechapel. He said they were hackle
berries, and recommended them strongly for making tarts
and pies. She was attacked with severe illness after eating
the berries, and was taken to the London Hospital, where
she remained for several days.—The evidence of several
other persons who had purchased brrries of the prisoner on
the same day, and who were affected in a similar manner,
was read over.—A woman, many years younger than the
prisoner, here got into the witness box, and said he was •
good husband to her, and bad never been in the hands of
the polite before.—John Donegan said the woman was the
prisoner's wife.—Mr. Ballantine : What of that ? she ha. a
right to be heard. The worthy magistrate then addressed
the woman, and said the prisoner was charged with selling
poisonous berries, well knowing them to be so, and he could
not help him. It was his duty •c. commit himi for trial for
the wilful murder of T. Parker and S. Jones.—The witnesses
were then bound over in the usual form.

ENFIELD PETTY SESSIONS, SEPT. 5.

Belize Messrs. E. Jones, Williamsgtrirman), E. Ni.,
and C.
VIOLENT ASSAULT AT THE ROYAL MANUFACTORY OP
SHALL ARNE, ENFIELD LOCK.— George Gowen, a Vim
finisher, employed at her Majesty's Armoury, for the manu-
facture of email arms, Enfield Lock, was brought up in our
tody, charged with having feloniously amaulted Mr. 0.
Lovell, inspector of small arms. The prisoner, who had been
unable to attend for some days past, in consequence of severe
injuries on his head,which he received during his attack upon
the complainant, was allowed to be seated. Mr. Clarkson,