The Express.
London, England, 1860-03-21 00:00:00

A SNIPS CREW POISONED.

About a fortnight ago, the Prussian brig Henrich
Gustav, of Wolgeat, C. H. Behrndt, master, arrived at
Ramsey, ble of Man, from Buenos Ayres, with a cargo of
boom and animal charcoal. The voyage- had been protracted
by a continuance of exceedingly bad weather. Ramsey
harbour has for some time past been utterly neglected if not
totally abandoned by the commissioners. The Heurich
Gustav, in hauling up to Mr. Gibeon's wharf, got acrossone
of the funks, and se she had no support in her cantle, ',awl
beaks being fore and aft with the river running under her
maim, she streimed, fell off, and became a total wreck.
During the high spring tides the water Bowed over her deck,
and it beam° necessary to remove all her stores on shore,
where the captain and crew, consisting of eight individual.,
wire also berthed. On Friday night it became known that
the captain's son, a fine proadan young man, had just did
of loskjaw, attended by cramp and violent pain is the
stamsch, sad that the other portion of the crew were in s
very dangerous state, notwithstanding the utmost exertions
of the medical men in attendance ; and before morning three
et them had died.

—Oa Vatonniaymonaing • coroner's inquest was held on the
bodies of Carl Grahl, aged 24 ; Carl Kennies„ aged 28, and
Carl Behrndt (the captain. • eon), aged 17. The jury was
summoned by Mr. T. looney, coroner of Garff, and swore
sad presided over by W. W. Christian, Fey., coroner.
of the Isle of Man. F. Tellett, Esq., high of
general
; Wm. Callister, Faq., chairman of the justice.,
and a number of medical gentlemen, attended.
The Captain deposed that about two years ago he pur.
chased the brig, in connexion with the other owners, at
Hamburg, sad that the can of poison nowproduced was then
on board as part of the stores. The nature of the °entente
was unknown to him. He arrived at Ramsey about
twelve or fourteen days ago, sold his cargo, and had
afterwards got his vessel wrecked. The can produced
I was taken ashore along with an earthenware jar
which contained arrowroot and other erticies. The arrow.
root in the jar had got exhausted, and the cook and
men, believing that the article in the can was arrowroot,
supplied oat of it what they were short for ouoldng supper.
It was mixed with molasses and spiced with a little Cohn,
men. Alter the men were taken ill he tasted a little off
the point of his finger, and he yet felt'the effects of it in his
breast. He was engaged elsewhere at the time, and thus he
did not eat any of it. He believed all his men ate more or
less of it, but his eon took more than the others.
Augustus Bulow, Pilate of the brig, said that on going to
get his supper he was told by one of the men to taste it first,
as he had felt a burning sensation in his throat after taking
a few spoonfuls. He only took about one epoosefuL The
captains men took half a eoup.platefnl. He mated the
men upstairs after they were taken ill. Medical men were
soon in attendance. He was himself very i7l with pain in
the stomach, kn. He was mate from February last, when
the former mate was put ashore at Remoras. That,
mate had told the captein's son that there axe
some arrowroot in a tin on board. The tin was
not kept with the provisions • it was in the port-
hole, but after the vessel was wrecked it was put with the
provisions, as they believed it to be arrowroot. It had been
lying on board for the last two years, with the lid loose on
it, and without any labeL
W. Bteikmann—Had been cook only when ashore after the
wreck of the vesseL He had prepared the supper on the
preview evening, and had also partaken of it himself. (This
witness was too weak to stand, and was handed a chair. He
appeared to be suffering severely, and the medical gentle.
man stated that he was yet in danger.) He was the first
who was taken ill, but had not taken so much as the others.
The captain's sou lout brought the tin containing the hive.
dient to him, as he hail not enough to make the supper; he
added four tablespoonfuls of the stuff in the tin box or an
to what arrowroot he had in the jar ; when boiled he mixed
it up with molasses, aD4I added a little cinnamon. The tin
box or can was here examined, and contained about 1411 e.
of arsenic, having evidently at first contained about 28 lbs.
The deponent had only tasted as it was cooking to ascertain
if it was properly done.
Mr. R. E. Crime, surgeen, had seen the men when ill
and the remedies applied, which were for arsenical poison-
ing. He believed that their deaths arose front taking
arsenic into their stomachs. The death of the captain's son
was the most rapid he had heard of, as only 20 minutes
transpired between sitting down to his supper and his
death
. . . . .

The jury at on gave in their verdict in accordance with
the evidence, that Carl Grahl, Carl Kennies, and Carl
Behrndt died from taking winos into their stomachs, which
bad been tiled is mistake for arrowroot, and no person had
wilfully been aeoessary to their death.