The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-12 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 12, 1859.

141L026' MOMS AXD DASTITUTB 841L026'
Atilltlit.

The annual meeting of these institutions was held
yesterday, in the Museum of the Sailors' Home, Well-
Musa, London Docks Lord H. Cholmondsley in the
chair. The report of tic. Sailors' Home, which was reed_ by
the secretary, Captain Piero', stated that 7,857 gallon had
participated is the benefits of the institution during the last
year, reeking a total of 104,373 since it was opened to 1886.
During the last 18 years 7441961. belonging to sailors had
Ness received for safe custody, end in the past year, out of
68,282/. deposited in the cashier's hands, 30,0261. had ban
by money orders to be received by the miter on
his snivel as home, or sent, in obedience to his wishes, to
his relatives end friends in vsrions parts of this country.
The menet* amount deposited by tailors is the London
Proet Isstitution sad the °eve:menet Savings Bank
was In 18 psis 24,2221., belonging to about 1,860 depositors.
Diiikuity having sometimes been experienced after large
arrivals of ships in accommodating all the applicants for ad
mission, It wee proposed to enlarge the institution. A
suitable piece of ground had been obtained for that purpose
at a met of 1,3251., and the directors hoped for the liberality
of the public in carrying out the project. 31 new sleeping
mbise bad bee erected during the past year, and this addi-
tion sed other improvements bad ceased the expenditure to
mod the receipts by the sum of 8961. The report of the
Destitute Ulmer' Asylum ratted that the number of sailors
relieved dunsg the year, which included foreign as well as
British seamen, wee 919 making the total since the minium
wee opened fa 1827, 38,582. On the modes of Lientensat-
Causal Oughts, merle:led by Admiral Trotter, the two re-
pute were adapted menial 'way. Mr. Montagu Gore, in
mwehts a redution, urged upon a number of sellers Awing
fa the home, who were premot, the duty of serving their
country if they were not already employed in the iseromithe
marine, adding that they might now enter the navy far se
abut s period as five years.

TIE !IMPACTED POISONING AT RICHNOND.

Yesterday Dr. Thomas Smethurst, lately holding
temporary residence at No. 10, Almti•villaa, Richmond, wee
teirmh= rs•exeminetio
aeatiatratce n beff
ie zectEiZzbut% Eq.
Beealeas, charged wile the wilful murder of a lady named
Labelle Beast, by the administration of Poison in smell
deem The ease ham already been several times before the
reed iestitha Esyraes._ . . .

Long before the appointed boor for the opening of the pro-
readings each door -of the court woo =mounded by hundreds
of persona umlaut if possible to obtain admission • it is, there-
fore, almost needless to my that every available spot was
crowded to inoonvenlimee many of the chief inks/giants of
UN town being soomnitiodate 1 with mats at the back of
the beach.

01;.—Sjjeaut Baßeatles, Instructed by Mr. Teesdale, of
the firm of Syintia Teesdale, and Sandßand, appeared for the
fi.ende of ths deceased, and Mr. H. S. (Mere, icstructel by
Mr. Ilumphreys, attended for the accused.
The prisoaer, who is • gentlemanly-looking man, wearing
• moustache, having been brought into court, was allowed to
he Bested during the examination.
The Chairman informed !dr. Ballantine that winos the last
examination circumstances had tranepired which gave a very
different aspect to the whole affair, and that it would It ma-
sequence be secomary to again go over the evidence that had
been taken at the previous examicatioe.
Mr. Serjaant said be was aware of the fact, and
the coarse he proposed to puram was to Ignore the depo-
'Alone that tail been already taken, and to begin the case
afresh. It would be his painful duty to charge the primmer
mai the crime of wilful murder. Tee lady into whose death
My were requiring was • parses who moved in very good
society, and her friends were highly reepootabie. Toe father
had left only two daughtersunmarried, of whom the &it:reed
wee one. The detested (miserly lived at a boarding-hones,
No. 4, Niffedefraor, Bayswater, and eubstquently lest there
sad went to live at another boarding-h use In Kildare-
terrace, in the rams seighboarbood. She had a life interest
in 5,0001. and an absolute right to &boat 1,7001. or 1,8001.
wader the will of her father. The pel,oner was living at the
boarding-bonee in Rids-terram' vita a lady very much older
than himself, whom he called his wife. The dereased, when
alielatt teat house, went to maids (as be had stated before)

:liclid.;e-tstraca:aid skortly afierirards the pri-oner came
to bee there. and they left that place together. It was at
first Imagined that this lady hai forgotten her duty to her-
ee'f end society, and ha I g ota to live with the Filmier ; Dot
the Get was, that she wu monied to him the day arm he
tame toher in Kildare-terrace, sad he Ohs learned counsel)
would produce the certificate of that mintage. She was is
the habit of communicating with bee sister, but atter ills left
Bayswater that outer did not know were to dad her. They
omit to Richmond and took lodginp la Old Pilaw-terrace,
qt. OMNI. and lived there aa.Dr. sad MN. Boietherst. In

this Iteibrb else wee taken ill, sad suffered from diarrhoea
sad mailing. From there they removed to Alma-ter-
ms, at the latter end of April, sad the death
of the tidy took place ea the 3rd of May.
Daring Me time that she was vetoing Dr. Smethurst
was prescribing for her, and appeared to treat her with
the 'metal affection. lie also scot for Dr. Julius ani his
Termer, Mr. Bird, and they attended her from the rime
until the period of her debt). They found her euffering_from
diarrhoea, bat could not trace the °Adis of ft. Thaw
gentlemen need the ordinary means to get rid of the dim-
rhccia and the vomiting, and they would state that their
diem were ballet, end they were totally at a lees to account
for the extraordinary symptoms that showed themselves,.
They suggeete I, and the prisoner at once oomplied, that they
I shoulii rood for Dr. Todd, and that gestlernan cane on the
Thured.y Where the deemed died. He wee t tally at • lose
to account for the symptoms ; the secretions were hoeev,r
taken away and tested, and they were found to °obtain in-
contestable and decided traces of aremaio. TG conduct of the
prisoner to the deceased was very kind and effedionate, sad
he had the entire control ant management of the sick room'
and nobody could have given her anyth‘ng but himself.
There was no doubt the ease presentee a mesa of evidence
proving that either sneak or antimony was found in the
lady's stomach, and these was no means of its getting then
except Memel) the heads of the prisoner_ . the 3rd of
May the st mach, the kidneys, and the heart, had been takes
for analyeatian' and the emelt hod bean such as to leave no
doubt that the deceased had had police edminlitered to bar
In such mmutides as mimed death, though slow, perfectly
cettee. It would now be Important to show the motive the
prisoner would have for committing the mime of which he
was charged. This lady had the power of willing
some 1,700 J. or 1,3001. as Me pleased, and he wont I show
that the prisoner called ea • gentlemea in Richmond named
Sealer end said that a lay wished to make her will, and he
willed him to draw it up for her. He peedaoed • docamen.,
which he add was prepared by a berriater In town. Mr.
&Mae said he had nu objection, and would mete that day
(Seterlay, April 30) to ae ti executed, bat Smethurst said
the lady was to) ill to do it that day, and requested him to
come on the f Bowing morning. He at fret objected to go
on Sunday; but on being aiAand that it sat a case of ne-
cessity, be sweated. He went accordingly on Sunday morn-
ing at 9 (Idea, sad was tam up to the lady. He had pre-
viously expewed a wish to have a medical man present, but
the prisoner said that was not itsonset7 se she was perfectly
°impotent to make a will. He gave as a reason for not
wishing to have • medical man present that he was not mar-
ried te Melody, thoegh he was Befog with her as his info,
bet that beshonM mwry her mown as her health would per-
mit. TM will was executed in the peeseace of the landlady's
daughter. When helmet up .co the remelts lady peoduced
diet seder her pillow the draft of haw will, which wee the
same document Dr. Scoe-hunt had Mown to Was, and wee in
his (the peewee's) handwriting, and which he stated was
drawn up by a Merideer in tows. (The deenment was hem
put in and reed. It was the draft°, • will &awe up in her
maiden name, beqoambing her personal property to the
prisoner whom she described 's her 't dear mond.")
Mr. fliejeant Billentbte proceeded to may this demount
was fouad la a chart, when the prisoner wee taken Into elle-
tldy, before the lady was dead. TIM showed the motive.
While the prisoner was living with ibis lady, wham he had
married, he was communioatiag with hie form-r wife. A
hear was found on the prieoner, whet \ewes taken iM cos-
tady, directed to her and ready to pie. The letter was as
fellows
Mirky, May 2, 18.59.
t' My Dear Mitey,—l have not been Ale to leave for Men
as I expected, in consequeece of my medical aid being re-
quired Lan a ems of Meese ; I .hall, !betrayer, wyen lemon
as poesible. Should aniteing =forams penult my leaving
ter tows before the 11th, I will send yea a cheque for
Smith's mosey and extras. I will seal U. I sin quite
well, end hope you are the same, and that I shall find yew so
when I see you, which I true will not be long drat. Pre-
sent my kind regards to the Smiths and all old friends of the
home. I heard from lames the other day, and he mid he
had called on you, but th it you bed gone out for a walk.
With best lore, believe me, yours affectionately,
"THOMAS SMETHURST."

Mr. Serjesnt Hanauer, in coectuciou, sold be had laid
the MO before them, he treated, disperiosately and fairly,
as it was his moot anxious desire t, do, the only object beteg
to elicit the truth.
The examination of witoseses was then promoted with,
the fleet celled been
Mies Lades &takes, et 10, Lenark-villas, Medellin, who
deposed that she saw her dieter alter death. Her name was
le.belle, sad she wee 43 yecre of age sad unmarried. Wit-
ness end the decessid did not live together. She recollected
her going to live at a boarding. house, No. 4, Ride-terrace,
Bayswater. She went there in September let, or some time
in the autumn. She also recollected her living in another
reeding-hour, in Kildare-tense. Both phis. were in
B.yewater, sad In the neighbourhood of friends. Witness
was not is the habit of seeing her, and could not soy
whether she was 'abject to retortion, of the bowels. Wit-
east was introduced to prisoner by her sister at Rifle-terrace
as Dr. Southend. She was In good health et that time.
After tier sister left Rifle-terrace ate mot her and prim nem
in Kensington-garden. She left the peons', and spoke to
her. After that me tier wettest Pew her at Kildare-ter-
race. She teen left Kildamterrace, and witness head
pettifog of her until she received a letter es the 9 h of
Iseuery, which she answered. Oa the 18th of April she
received mother letter, as follows
Seemly private mad confideatlal.
" Dear Mies Baskee,—Your dear slitter Isabella wishes me
to regime the favour of 'our calling upon her as early as
convenient, se she it really very ill, and desires to see you.
Bbe sloe begs me to soy that Soo will greatly oblige by
coming Mete, and ask for Dr. sad hate. Smethurst, that you
have called dm 6110 your si-ter, and that you breathe not a
word of the contests of this note to say one. She further
whirs me to say that she cannot ask you ti remain. Sae
simply solicits miss you for the present. Rail Iron Waterloo
Mattes about half-hour; and Richmond 'braes frees
the White HeresOeßar,Picceedill about es oftee.-1 remain,
dear Mbe Bank's, yours Willfully. T. Sat ET 11 e leT.
" 10, Alms-Mlles, Riettootel-bail, April 18, 1819."
Witness went the same day to visit her, end arrived betwees
two and three o'clock. Saw the landlady, and ultimately
the prisoner. He took witness to her sister, who was In bed.
She was numb chewed horn the time she had Ise teen her.
Witness remained some hours, but not in her ewer's room.
She wee never alone with her. She did not express such •
wish. She was alone with the primmer. Her meter gave no
soment of bee sickness in her person, bat the per did.
Ho said it was sicker' Murree Wits's, made a
proposal to Dr. Ilesethnest that Mr. Mayer, a friend from
Si. George's Hospital, should visit her. He said he had
bitter not, as her leer did not like it. While be was in the
room on Inquiry was made remedial; property. Dr. Sme-
thurst saki the mousy she roosive4 was We so much es she
ought to have had. 'Nitres let about five o'clock. Her
ester expressed a wish that she weed come agate NM end
see her, which wow,' promised t ) do. Wirers noticed
some taploos in the eupbreed In a teacup. Her sister said
she did not hake it, but did not may why. She said it had a
diaarreable tads, and she would bee wittier to prepare
some for her. She did net do so, however. because Dr.
time here laid the milk had not come. and that it would is-
Wrens with the landlady. Witmer thee proposed to give bar
woe i•ieglre. hut he made so okisavaeos. Her sieer told
bee that Dr. essithust was Tory Nal, der be writhed bar