The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-15 00:00:00

THE SUPPOSED POISONING CASE IN
DERBYSHIRE.

An adjourned inquest on the bodies of the two
children, named Joseph and Martha Tomlinson, was held
at Alfreton, near Chesterfield, yesterday. The inquiry
first arose from the girl having died from symptoms of
arsenical poisoning, but the coroner deeming the case one
for proper investigation, ordered the body of the other
chill to be exhumed, and the stomachs and viscera
of each to be sent to Professor Taylor for analysis. Mean-
while the services of a detective were enlisted, and se the
result of his inquiries, the servant girl, Elizabeth Wheel-
don, was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the
death of the children. It will be reeenihered that the
father, at the previous inquiries, stated that be kept arsenic
in the house, but out of the reach of the children. The
servant girl had access to it, and was in the habit of laying
it down for the purpose of killing rite, Sc., and also put-
ting it upon rows of peas and beans in the garden. Yes-
terday the inquiry was first directed to the death of Joseph
Tomluison, who had died on the 9th April, aged one
month. The father, who is a respectable farmer, was the
first witness, and described the death of hi. eon, under the
symptoms of a convulsive lit with great sickness. In
answer to Professor Taylor, the witness stated that the
symptoms described had not been manifested before. He
stated that the suspicions of himself and his wife hail
been aroused by the circumstances of the death of the
child, as it had been taken ill irony shortly after the
servant girl had fed it. The witness said that the
poison they had in the house was laid down twice in
the barn before the baby was born, and once afterwards
he laid come down, No one could get to it, as the chil-
dren were away except the baby, which was upstairs with
his mother. On one occasion five fowls got to sonic that
was laid down in the pan and died, and a dug died after-
wards. Subsequently he bought some other rat poison of
a man named Davis, of Derby, which was kept in the
same place. The whole of that was laid down and de-
voured by the rats. The witness also spoke to the eocvant
girl having been much out of temper the two days peace-
ding the death of the child, because ale had
(been found fault with by her mistress for stay-
' ing out too late. He had himself spoken to
the girl about her immoral conduct. and her
speaking on improper subjects to his young chil-
dren. flat was subsequent to the death of the
first child. In consequence of that he decided to part with
her, and informed her father, who expressed a wish that
witness would send her to Derby prison. The coroner then
read the evidence given at the last sitting as to the death
of the second child, Martha Tomlinson. It was shortly
stated that the deceased was taken ill, and died in less than
two days, with all the symptoms of arsenical poisoning—
great sickness, convulsions, Lc. The witness added to his
previous ilepesitions in this case that the vomit which the
child Martha threw up was thrown into the farm-yard, and
two hens died next day. Mrs. Ann Tomlinson, the mother
of the deceased children, also deposed to the circumstances
of their death. Dr. Taylor, 17.1t.5. gave evidence
that the deceased child's (Joseph's) stomach was de-
livered to him, and on analysis he found four grains of
arsenic in the stomach, which showed that the child
had died from arsenic administered in comparatively
large quantities. There was no natural cause to amount
for death, the child being generally healthy. The arsenic
was found in lungs, thymus gland, and generally through-
out the body. The quantity of arsenic found in the
stomach alone was sufficient to cause the death of two
adults. In the case of :he second child, the vitae= re.
ported that he had found dark patches on the stomach,
and found them to contain arsenic. On further testing
the stomach particles of &merle and fluid mercury were
found. The arsenic was also found largely in the intes-
tines, and also mercury. The testing of the ratcateher's
powder showed the presence of " veratria." The conclu-
, aims arrived at was that there was no natural cause for
' death, but that the deceased Martha died from arsenic.
The mercury was stated to be due to the calomel powder
given deceased by Mr. Turner's direction. In the course
of his evidence Dr. Taylor remarked that he had never met
two clearer cases of poisoning by arsenic. The inquiry
was then adjourned.