The Express.
London, England, 1857-07-20 00:00:00

POISONING OP 4 STOCK BROKER BY PRUSSIC

ACID.

On Saturday evening Mr. W. Carter, coroner for East
Surrey, instituted an inquiry at the Albany Arms Tavern,
Alban -road. Camberwell, relative to the death of Mr. James
'leaks, aged 62, a stockbroker, residing in the
Craws; Albany road.
Mr. George Edward Yates, the deceased's eon, deposed that
en Thumday morning last he went to hie father', house on a
matter of business, and at once proceeded to his room, bat
was unable to make him hear. Witness then informed his
mother that he could not make his father hear, and she ac-
cordingly went into the bed room, the door of which wee
open, end soon afterwards raised an alarm. and on witness
entering his apartment, he found his father lying in bed
dead. He then went for Mr. Gower, a surgeon, who attended.
About twelve the same day, waness again went into his
father. roam, and there perceived on the dressing-room
table a small bottle, not labelled ; but there wee a cork,
which however did not quite fit. He took up the bottle, and
found it smelt very strongly of almonds. When witness first
entered the room in the morning there wee no such smell
pervading the room, and Mr. Gower, the surgeon, did not
notice the bottle.
_ _

Letitiaitetee, the wife of the deceased, who was
dreadfully agitated, proved that she had never seen the bottle
produced, and that when she went into the room after her
son George arrived she did not smell anything peculiar.
Mr. Thomas Griffith, surgeon,of High-street, Peckham,
said he wee informed that dlr. Testes had died suddenly,
and as he had known that gentleman profeseionally for some
years, the family wished him to call at the house,
which he accordingly did on the name day. When
he went into the bed-room he found the deceased in
bed deed. While in the room he noticed a phial on the
dressing-Mble, which he took up, and at once detected a
powerful smell of prude acid. He went to the body of Mr.
Testae, and pressing on the cheat placed his nose to the
mouth, but could not melt anything. He took persession of
the phial, which contained about half-an-ounce. He had
made a poet worm examination, and when he opened the
body the smell of prussic acid was very powerful. He had not
the slightest doubt that the deceased died from the effects of
that poison. The witneweadded that he went down stair, and,
addressing one of Mr. Tutee's daughters, asked her if she
could give the slightest clue to tke cause of her father's
death, and she said, "Have you seen the bottle?" The
whole of the family declared that they had never seen the
bottle containing the poison before it was found on the drup-
mg table.
e Coroner said the last statement made by Mr. Griffith
was of a most important character, and he (the coroner)
would not be doing by duty if he allowed such a ease to
without the fullest investigation, asthe circumstance of he
the
bottle not being found in the morning, and no one detecting
the smell of the poison, including a medical gentleman, was
most strange. He should therefore adjourn the case for •
few days, to examine the young lady who made the statement
to Mr. Griffith relative to the bottle containing the poison.

ROBBLILY BT MEANS OF

turday afternoon a man, who gave the name of Abel Smal-
ley, but Nana to state hie address, was placed before the
mayor sad megialestee at the Guildhall, Rochester, charged
with having eyed chloroform to a sailor named VlM-
liam Yam& nod tabbed him of Ste sovereigns. The prose-
cutor, wilecembretli teem paid off from her Majesty's screw
coned* !Lies accosted by the prisoner, who was
k • W' straw et the San-pier, Chatham, and wider
prelim fleeing hie things he had brought
aims, penuesileil lea to wow • cab. This the tailor M,
sod was ismileady followed by the prisoner, the prose-
cutor big peraelry sober. Meetly idler entering cab
the iniereemenhen that the primmer suddenly threw his
area send hi seek, immedieley after which he became in-
semible imi midi recollect nothing else. After driving
Or a sheet itesnes the cetera stopped to inquire where he
shell set his fan down, when he found the solder quite
rues la to all appeases, dead, the prisoner having
or mu mend hie we awl the other hand on his facia
Poem the led the elm that he knew nothing about
the sae, _sal Aid met dew where he vas going, but the
driver imbed ea Ma geeing out, and had the mailer re-
moved be. a basesr where he continued insensible for
several he Oa esserering it was found that the prisoner
hid blow lee aremegise oat of a tia ems, which the miler
bad la the lemma of his emu The
_peer, who denied
all kneeled. se the ,wen oreeed to be remanded
for further esseirtice.

•••••
THE SUNDAY BANDS IN THE PARllL—Yesterday
(ftiday) dames the People's Baud" again reformed
is lessaislidt. la the inseam of about 10,000 parsons,
awl at Viderislesli there were upwards of 16,000 preempt.
Us strident ender premdled daring the performance', which
woe abbey mod Rada A subscription was made at the
doss et SW peasibp.