The Express.
London, England, 1866-03-06 00:00:00

THE

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pinfruL DEATH OF A WIFE.-EXTRAORDI- CITY INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.-(THIS DAL)
NARY EVIDAZIOE. i --4.---

INQUEST.—crms DAY.)
This morning Mr. Richards, Deputy Coroner for
yet Middlesex, held an inquiry at the Royal Orieliteters
vtro, Old Ford-road, Victoria-park, touching the death
ute, Sophia Swasnell, aged 72 years.
Mt Peter Swanoell, 14. Bedford-ternoe, Victoria-park,
that he was a cab proprietor. The deceased wee Ms
de, sad he had been married to her nine years. She was
9 teen of age sad be wee 53. She died on Tuesday week.
The 00r0Der here cautioned the witness, and told him
hat as be stood somewhat in the position of an wound
'anon be Deed make no statement, but could ask any of
he other witnesses whatever questions be might think

This day, at 2 o'clock, the inauguration of the
City of Loedoc Working Classes' Industrial Ixtsikition took
place at the Guildhall. The doors were opened at ball-past
12 o'clock, and from that boar the interior of the Guildhall
penned a very animated appearance, whilst a considerable
crowd of passage had collected outside to witness the clefs
procession. As the hoar appointed the Lord Mayor, attended
by the usual civic accompaniment, was nominal the entrance
of the Guildhall by the stewards, who conducted him to
that portion of the hall in which the formal ogremony of
the opening was to be performed. The band of the Ist
London Rifle Brigade were in attendesse. and played •
selection of music prior to the opening. The Lord Mayor
having taken hie seat, and a prayer having been offered up,
I the charms' made a brief address, sad the secretary read
l• report giving an account of the origin and object of the
I exhibition. His lordship was then conducted by the
I stewards to view the exhibition, after which he addressed
theist and expressed his satisfaction at what he had seen.
The exhibition itself presents a very handsome appear-
ance. The Guildhall, as oar readers are aware,
has been recently ornamented, and the variety of
articles which it now contains adds greatly to the
elegance and richness of its arohitectaral beauty.
There an over 1,000 articles in the exhibition, and Inge as
is the spin of the Guildhall many offers of ingenious arti-
sans bad to be rejected for want of accommodation. At
present we can only indicate the general features of the
exhibition. The articles displayed consist of architectural
models sad designs, books and book-binding, carvings ia
wood and other materials, drawings in crayon, pencil, and
water-colour, engravings is wood and metal, artificial Bowers,
glass work for decorative parson, oat glass, heraldry,
illumination, domestic economy appliance', investing
for protecting life by sea and rail, iron, hardware, sad
leather work ; jewellery, ladies work, and millinery,
medical instruments, figures in planr, marble, and brosse ;
working model" in mechanism, sewing machines,
magical isstrnments, models of naval atrehiteciture, paint-
ings in oil, photography, edentate instrument", stuffed
birds, de., watches and clocks, and a great
variety of miscellaneous articles. The ingenuity
awl Wei, displayed are highly creditable to the artisans as
a body, sad there can be little doubt that their labour.
will be duly appreciated by the public. Industrial
exhibition of this kind are now of pretty !request
recarreaca. Besides the general effect in stimulating the
energies and cultivating the taste of our artisans, we trait
that the present display may succeed in its special and
highly laudable purpose of founding a free public library in
the City, which will perpetuate its beasilts and its memory.

um•
Elm Dudley, 14, Bedford.ternme, was then sworn.
She cud that she was the wife of a blacksmith, sad bad
lodged in Mrs. Swannell's house for two years past, sod
law her every morons and *suing. During the period
tressed emplaned of want of food every time witness saw
er. She told witness that she bad formerly held &situa-
tion in the Tower of London, and that she had been a Mrs.
sawn. She said that before she married Swansea
the hat him 4001. to hap him in his business,
yo that when she married him she gave him
pm. heides. Witness sever maw her with food she
could mt.
Canner —Do you think that the want of proper food
her death ?
Witness said that, in her opinion, if the deceased had
proper food she would Ls alive now. She used to
capplaia that Swannell had got her mosey, and yet was
usdcally Marries her. She bad a sister, wham she
,shed to mad for, but Mr. Swainish forbade it, eayisg that
Ins mated now of her lot there. When he used to
threaten her with his dog, she would only say, " Oh,
*swell ; esee you would not do so." She asked him to
t her in the workhouse, or anywhere where she might have
little food or attendance.
Cross-examined by Mr. Swannell—Witness was oat all
y, bat when she Mimed deemed seed to tell bar she
I • had no food or attsadanee during the day. Sim seed
y to have the little toast that wither woaN rift her in
morning. What was mid about chaffs's( her alp fin
's-meat was not said as a joke. No one with • spark
d humanity would have said such a thing as a joke at soth
t time.
Swannell—Did I not give her an egg on the Settle-
ity before she died ?
Witness—Yee ; she asked for an egg and you boiled it au
bud as a bullet and pre her sothiog with it, not eves ealt.l
Apes Eliza Edgington, a girl 10 years of age, residing at
kseXord.terrace, said that she was called in to Mn.
gessoell's on the Monday evening to fetch a doctor, and
* heard Mr. Seaman say that the pariah might have his
site to make mumps of her. He said that in Mrs. Swan-
pen promos.
The Coroner—Mr. Scannell, have you my questions to
elk this witness'
Swenoell—l have not. The woman was quite in-
visible for hours. I said it as a joke.
Mrs. Dudley said that it was not said in a joke. Medea
wird used often to say that she felt from emptiness and
huger as if rats end mice were gnawing in her stomach.
Mr. B. J. Abbott, solicitor, who now appeared to mil-
led the case for Mr. Scannell orma-oxamined Mrs. Dad-
*, who stated that the deceased had sot been able to get
Mit sad help herself for several weeks before her death.
Witness was out all day. Witness believed, sad deceased
Mali told her, that she received no attendance, &0..
nrirtg the day time. Mr. SwanneU threw the egg and the
to and the deceased in the summer. The meat she got
eb could not sat—it was not 's& that she could eat it. She
was not weak•minded.
Ir. Raphael Meldola, M.R.0.5., said that be was called
bb the deceased on Saturday, the 17th February. She
is suffering from bronchitis and dropsy, and was in a
Min state. He prescribed for her, and ordered bar
scriattment She ma very emaciated sad this. Medial
a the 20th February. He made a post-mortem mama*
iies by order of the coroner. There was disuses of use
hog. All the other viscera wen healthy. The muse of
death was the disease of the lung. That disease was owed
by Mural causes, and might have prevented deceased from
Mug solids.
The Coroner—Was the death accelerated by any same
sot natural?
Witness—l cannot say that from what I have seen in the
kelp, bat if lam allowed to give my opinion from what I
Ice beard of the evidenos—
Mr. Abbott objected to the lanes, giving his opinion.
The Coroner said that after the medical evidence there
sae no necessity for going on with the case. It was dear
cough that there had been gross brutality towards the
hammed.
Mr. Abbott said that be was inetmoted that his client bad
sever received a farthing with his wife. He could produce a
pest number of witnesses to prove that she was not starved,
let bad everything that was neomary.
LJoror—But what aboat Mr. Swannell's expressed wish
bliss. his wife chopped op for sausages ?
Mr. Swaanell—l said that to annoy Mrs. Dudley.
The jury thee returned a verdict of "Death from disease
of the lungs from natural causes."
The jury expressed a wish to censure the husband for bin
conduct to the deceased.
The Coroner said that Mr Sewall Gould not be masured
Wets the witnesses whom Mr. Abbott said that he had
ready to give evidence were examined.
The proceedings then terminated.

THE EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF FORGING
TIE COUNTESS OF BELLEW'S WILL.

SL-(THIS DAY.)

Mrs. Anne Caere, of Winterton-house, Portland-
tenses, St. John's-wood, and Joseph Verlender, appeared
in discharge of their bail, eharpd—the former with forging
a will end the latter with perjur►. The alleged forgery was
that of (orgies the Countess Bellew's will, sad the perjury
that of false evidence regarding the signature of the
countess to that wilL

Mr. Pittard, hamster, instructed by Mr. Pain, prosecuted;
Mr. Lewis, of Ely-place, appeared for Mrs. Case, and Mr.
W. D. Smyth for Veranda..
The will was 'madams& and hooded to the magistrate.
Dr. Hayford, the registrar of the Probate Court--The pri-
. .

. _
sonar at the bur made that affidavit before me in the Court
of Probate, and swore to the contests being true. It is the
usual affidavit upon propounding a will.
Hr. Arnold—At present there is the evidenoe of three
people respecting the haadwriting,llbe Bellew, hi ins Schmidt,
sad the expert. How about the signatureof Simmons t If
you prove that it is the signature of the prisoner, and tho
primmer wrote that with the oonsent and in the presence
of the person Simmons, it would not be forgery.
Mr. Piffard—She swore it was the handwriting of Sim-
mous co the trial.

Mr. Francis Edgar Woodward, short-band writer—l and
another gentleman took down the evidence in the case of
Bellew and Bellew. I took a portion of Mrs. Oeiwe'm evi-
dence, the beginning; Mr. Nanneley took the rest. (Bri-
dgman relating to the forged document mei by order of the
magistrate.)