The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-17 00:00:00

STRANGE SUICIDE IN THE RIVER LEA.

INQUEST.—(THIS DAY.)
This morning Mr. John Humphreys, Middlesex
coroner, held an inquiry at the Adam and Eve Tavern,
Lower Homerton, relative to the suicide of William Hugh
Weller, aged 49 years.
The deceased was stated to be respectably connected,
and to have formerly been in business as a butcher. He,
however, committed a crime for which he was transported,
and upon hisbeing allowed &ticket of leave, he again offended,
and was committed &second time. Meanwhile his father
died, leaving him 1,0001., which of course became the pro-
perty of the Crown. But as he had several children who
were in St. Pancras Workhouse, the government, some
time after h s liberation, consented to allow him to have
the dividends on the I„000/., on condition of his
supporting his children. This arrangement was come to
last January, after he had been two years an inmate of St.
Pancras Workhouse. He took his discharge accordingly,
but in a few weeks returned without a coat to his back or
a penny of his money, which he had dissipated apparently
in drink.
George Henry Cole, superintendent cook at the St.
Pancras Workhouse, said that when the deceased returned
to the workhouse in February, he said, " I have made a
fool of myself, and will be glad to give you my assistance
in the kitchen." He had been under witness for two years.
He said that he knew he was " touched" at times, and did
not know what he was doing, especially when he got any-
thing to drink. On last Wednesday week he again dis-
charged himself in consequence of a letter from a solicitor
about some money that was coming due to him.
Police-constable William Dew, 365 N, said that last
Wednesday, while patrolling the Hackney-marshes on
horseback, he heard a loud cry of " Help ! help " from the
direction of the bridge over the river Lea. He galloped
to the bridge, and tanked into the water, but could
see nothing. No person was in sight on the Marshes.
He rode round and saw a bat on the pier of the bridge.
He then went for the drags, and the body of the
deceased was got out at some distance from the place
where he had put his hat. He must have jumped
into the river, and then, when he found himself in the
water, shouted for help. In his pocket witness found a
sheet of paper, on both sides of which deceased had
written, " N illiam Hu*h Weller, St. Pancras Workhouse."
There was also in his pocket a letter from a solicitor,
showing that there bad been some temporary difficulty
about getting some dividends.
The jury returned a verdict of " Suicide while in a state
of unsound mind."

SELLINO ADULTERATED Mita. Before Mr.
Temple, in the Salford County Court, yesterday, George
Timms, farmer, Audenshaw Lodge, Denton, was sued by
Richard Lea, milk dealer, Vine-street, Hulme, for da-
mages consequent upon the defendant selling him milk
adulterated with water. For two years the defendant
had sold milk to the plaintiff. In October the plaintiffs
customers complained that the milk they received was not
good. The plaintiff spoke about the matter to the defen-
dant, who, for • few days, let him have milk of a good
quality, but afterwards gave the plaintiff's custo-
mers reason to complain again. The plaintiff there-
upon determined to apply a test. He instructed Mr. A.
C. Rowdier, senior assistant to Professor Calvert, of the
Manchester Royal Institution, and two samples of milk
the defendant had sent were taken from his cart and ana-
lysed. In one Mr. Rowdier found of foreign matter 33 per
cent., and in the second sample 35 per cent. With this
result before him, the plaintiff gave the defendant notice
not to supply him with any more milk. The
plaintiff lost several old customers, who ceased
to deal with him because of the impure milk
which came from the defendant's farm.—Evidence was
called for the plaintiff to show that the defendant had
bargained to supply genuine milk.—A lad, formerly in
the defendant's employ, said the defendant used to
adulterate the milk he prepared for market, first with
" beastlin4p," and then with water from the pump. Mr.
Rowdier, in stating the result of his analysis, said he
had often examined milk. When found to be adulterated,
it contained on the average, 15 to 20 per cent. of water,
but in most of his analyses he found the milk pure. The
plaintiff said he contracted with the defendant to supply
him with good pure milk, at the rate of 2s. and 2e. 3d.
per dozen quarts, each dozen to contain 14 quarts. He
formerly sold it at 3d. a quart, but since the rinderpest
had appeared he had charged 30. He used to get 17
gallons a day from the defendant's farm. The defendant
said before the milk was removed from the farm he put
in it a certain amount of water, in order that the milk
might have the benefit of it. In order to make the milk
look rich, he also mixed with it some " bustling " (the
first milk drawn from the cow after calving), which was
sold alone as a delicacy at 4d. a quart. If he had sold
genuine milk he would have charged the plaintiff 3d.
instead of 2d. • quart. The jury found for the plaintiff,
damages 61. ns. which includes • guinea paid for the
analysis.
SHOCKING CRUELTY TO • CHlLD.—Yesterday, at
the Rotherham Court-house, • ruiddle-aged man named
John Lee, a painter, was charged with wounding • child,
five years of age, the daughter of Sarah Chester, a woman
with whom he cohabited. The facts of the case, which
are as follows, reveal singular and horrible cruelty on the
part of the prisoner, who, it is not unlikely, will
have to be tried for manslaughter. On Saturday
afternoon, the prisoner, after receiving his wages,
repaired to the Old Gate Inn, near Rotherham, where he
and a number of his associates had • carousal. Cheater
went to him there for the purpose of obtaining
money wherewith to discharge certain debts. She was
given a trivial and inadequate sum by the pri-
soner, with which she subsequently returned to the
house, accompanied by a child belonging to • man with
whom she had previously cohabited. money was
handed back to her with the remark that it woe insuffi-
cient. Hereupon a quarrel ensued, which continued after
they left the house and were proceeding home. Prisoner
was drunk. Ho became enraged and struck the woman, who
returned the blow, and then fled for safety, leaving herchikl
behind. He took her in his arms, and then slung her over
his shoulder, her head being downwards. He next threw
her into • hedge. Shortly afterwards he seized the child
by the feet and swung its head against a poet. This was
witnessed, and information was given to the police. Not
content with his former brutality, ere he reached home the
accused knocked the child's head against a wall. On being
arrested, he asked the constable if he were drunk.
Receiving a reply in the affirmative, he said, " That's
right. It'll make it all the better for me, becausealiteas
will bring it in manslaughter." Sarah Chester was
and stated that she did not think accused would have so
cruelly ill-used the child if he had not been drunk at the
time. Mr. Darwin, house surgeon to the Rotherham die-
peartry, examined the child, and found many contusions
up and down the body—on both knees, both hips, and
I both elbows. He also discovered • large cut, about five
i inches long, at the back of the head. The child was not
likely to recover. Prisoner said the injuries were wield
through the child falling, sad him falling spoil it.—
I Remanded for a week.