The Express.
London, England, 1849-05-07 00:00:00

POISONING IN SUSSEX.

The adjourned inquest was resumed on Saturday.
It has already been briefly aanenmed that the mysterious
illness of Benjamin Goering gave rise to the belief that the
deceased husband of the accused Mrs. Goering, and two sous,
whose symptoms of illness were all alike, had met with their
deaths unfairly. Richard Outing, aged 66, the father, died
on the 13th of September, 1848; George, one of the sons,
aged 21, on the 27th of December, in the same year ; and
another son, James, agtd 25, on the 6th of last March. The
coroner directed the exhumation of the bodiee, which had
been interred in Gaveling Churchyard, and the contents of
the stomachs were forwarded to Mr. Tiller, the preeror of
chemistry, at Guy's Hospital. The analysis is act complete
in all the cases as yet, arsenic, however, in quantitits has
been found in two instances, and there is little doubt as to
similar painful discoveries being made in the others.
Henry Pitman, a druggist, residing at Creek, in Hastings,
was now called. Oa Monday, the 2nd of April, the prisoner
came to my shop with a six-ounce bottl-' and asked for some
medicine tuber son. It was sweet nitre and capivi. She
had had s miler before. She did not pay for it. On the
24th June, 1848, I moved to my present abode. I recollect
her coming to my former shop frequently. In the course of last
autumn 1 remember her buying some arsenic it my house.
Sae had a pennyworth at a time, and I used to give her one
drachm, or sixty grains. 1 recollect that on one occasion
she had two-peanyworth of arsenic, in separate parcels. She
desired to be served with it in two parcels. She said one was
for herself and the other for another party. Another occa-
sion after she bad two pennyworth.
Benjamin Ge ring, the son of the sensed, said : I am 19
years of age, and am • eon of the prisoner. I reside at Guest-
ling, and for the. last 12 months I resided with my mother. My
father, Richard Gearing, died on the 13th of dept., 1848.
That was at his own house. He was ill from Friday
Alt till the following Wednesday. My father was sick
wLoa he was taken ill. I did not see him from the Sunday
until the Wednesday upon which he died. I did not think
be was so ill. Ido not know whether he was in great pain.
Mr. Pocock, the surgeon, of Winchelses, attended bin. Mr.
Pocock only saw him once. I saw my father after he was
deed; there was not much alteration in hie furs. I might
have MIS him ones or twice after he was dead ; his face was
scat black. The lid ot the coffin was screwed down on the
Friday. George Goering, my brother, died 27th De
amber, 1848. He was twenty-one yenta of age. He was ill
Isar days. He was very sick when first seized.
Chairman : Did anything particular occur to him attache was
'ohm' t —Witness (reluctantly): He kept craving for water.
He Aiwa appear to be in very great pain. He drank water.
My brother, James Goering, died on the 6th of last March.
Ho was ill three weeks and five days. He was sick.
Clerk: Who laid the bodies out ?—Witnese: My mother
laid my brother but not my father ; Judith, a nurse, did
that. On Good Friday last I was taken sick ; it was rather
late is the day. I had previously been in good health. 1
dined at home on that day. The family consisted of my
mother, Willis., Edwin, and my brother William's three
little children. We had what we usually had for breakfast
—bread and cheese, and bread and butter, and tea or coffee.
Oa the Sande, morning I got up and fol-
lowed the bullocks. I returned to breakfast •
little after eight. I felt sick after breakfast. My
mother was there. We had tea. I was not there when it
was made. I generally had sugar and milk in my tea. My
mother had bresk'ut that morning. The cups were kept in
the cupboard place. I was very sick alter breaker*,
I noticed what I threw up was of a greenish colour.
I had no medical advise on Sunday. The neighbours sent
Mr. Pocock in on the Monday. 11y mother told me I had
better have advise. On Saturday, the 21st of I
April, I was stain taken ill, sick, with heat and
pain in nay stomach. My mother had her breakfast wi.h me.
She baked that morning. We had breakfast together, as
usual. mother helped me to what I drank. We had
oar tansaps se usual. I was taken sick after dinner. I had
I of bread to tutor,
i twith some butter and cheese.
drink from • cup. What I threw
lip was of a greenish colony. I had the emu burning_seira-
Men. That sickness continued till the Tuesday. Mr. Foos&
end Mr. Tieshurst cants on the Wednesday.
Clerk : I believe you belong to a benefit club ?—Witness
Yes, I do.
Clerk Your father belonged to the dab ?—Witness :
He did.
Cierk : And your brothers, Gimp and Jams ?—Wit-
non: Yes.
Clerk—Now, don't you knew that upon the respective
deaths of yourfather and brothers your mother had a cer-
tain sans of money ? Witness—l don't exactly know, but
there are more than 100 members in the club.
Clerk—Then she would have Si. on each death ? Wit-
ness—YeeLair, if each member pays kis shilling.
Clerk—The society allows to sick members 10s. a week for
the first three months, and 6.. for the nine months ? Wit-
sess—Yes, sir.
Clerk—When you were ill who got your money ? Wit-
des--I had it, and I gave it to my mother.
Mr. F. Tioshurst, surgeon of Hastings, went into •
lengthened statement as to the appearance of the lad Benja-
min Oaring, and the treatment pursued towards him. A
pardea of what he had discharged immediately after his last
'Meek of dances had been forwarded to Professor Taylor,
of Guy's Hospital for =striation, the result of which was
that the presence of a sufficient quantity of amnia to cause
death was discovered.
This winters was under examination when our report left
(six o'clock), but It was arranged that the prisoner should be
remanded.

ran POISONING AT BATH.
The inquest was again resumed on Thursday evening,
when Hannah Savech deposed—l live at 10, Galloway.
baildings, and have been in the habit of selling
.oranges
the Bath market-plaes; within the last seven ore ight weeks
I have seen the prisoners Wm. Harris and Charlotte Mer-
chant often talking together, and have seen her leave her
basket and go away, with him two or three times; a month
ago last Batarday I saw her standing on the top of Bridge-
street as I passed; ea my return in a quarter of as hear or
twenty minutes I saw her and Hurl going along North-
gatnstreet together; three weeks ago last Baturaay, sa I
was coming from my house I saw Harris in the AbSey-
green ; spoke to him and said, " Mr. Harris, you know that
woman that you talk to In Om market-place," be said
" Y, s ; " told him she had had • heavy trouble .Nis mom-
lag ; Ye said, "Is her sister dead ? " I said, "I:l4lltinsband
n dead ; " he said, " Mer husband I never knew she had a
husband." _ _

---/ri7o;er Barth—And I never did.
Wimew—l told him she had had a husband for years put,
and ha bagged me to let him know the truth whether she had
a huebta or not, for she had been keeping him in darkness.
Be mid ha and she had brought all things together to the

Mkt of getting settled, not knowing that she had a husbandt
sad that he had called an auction and meld evetything he had
with the intention of going to America, but he had received
a letter from his tea containing a 401, cheque to prevent his
going. He seised ate if I thought I should see Chariot.' Mar -
chant, and Midas if I should see her to tell her to come to him
tomorrow &hest the cheque which belted to draw on Thorn.
day. He added" Whittle crooked I'd roake straight with her."
the next time I saw Charlotte Marehant we. en the day after
her marriage to Mr. Harris; had heard et their marriage
end could net believe it, end went ever to me ; kn..ebed at
the door and asked for her, and Mr. Herds celled her end
she are to the door smiling ; said to her, " You soon forgot
your husbAnd—ain't you ashamed of yourself?" and sbe
pushed the door to and went in, making me no answer at all.
Joseph Knowles was at Harris's house en the 22nd of
April, sad said te Mrs. Harris, " I hope this isn't true what
i have heard : the people my you have poisoned year has-
bend ;" she said, " I am innocent of anything of the kind ;"
she said, about three weeks ago she and the child were
drinking some tea, and she gave her husband some out of
the lame pot, sad afterwards he was taken sick with a
retching; sb• said she and the child drank of the mine
tea, end it did not hart them ; but her husband had
been before, haying get hurt fighting. Daring the
conversation, Mr. HAM' came in, end. as WHIMS was leav-
ing, he took him by the arm, and led him down the garden.
Witness said, " How ante you to get into this trouble ?"
end he said, " I'm duped—what has she bean talking to yon
about ?" W.toess said " talked to her, end she says
she's innee+at." He said," I hope she Is; end if she isn't,'
hope they'll bang her."
Prisoner Harria—l did say so, end I do hope it.
Kedah Harris said, a day or two after Idle. Harris mar-
ried, I sent for Mrs. Stagier and asked her if she knew
when she went to church with the women that site had
buried her husband only two or three days before. She
said neither she nor Mr. More knew that she was a mar-
ried woman till a few days before her husband was buried,
sad that he had been completely taken in ; but, as he bad
chosen to look over it, she had no right to Interfere in it,
for he had been a great friend to her and her husband.
William Birds, who resided in the house with deceased,
described at some length his illness. Oa the Friday after he
was buried, minims went into his room when a number of
pools were there drinking tea; Mn. Merchant appeared in
better spirits than he had ever yen her before ; she would
in general scarcely pus the time of day, but than she wee
laughing end joking with any one ; on the next day the
said that her doctor bed tell her that her husband's inside

was nurly gone through hie drinking and Ding about iu his
eoutitter days; she also said, " He cannot have much leR in
him, for he threw up buckets full."
It tried now past ten o'clock the inquiry was again ad-
j darned till Thursday next at ten o'clock, and we under-
stand that, in the meanime, one or more bodies will be
exhumed. The prisoner, Charlotte Harris, still continues
exceedicgly ill, and it is thought, should not some amend-
ment speedily take place, that her illness may end fatally.