The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-10 00:00:00

DESPATCH FROM GEN. CODRINGTON

The Gazette, of Friday evening, contains a
despatch, of which the following is a copy,
addressed to Lord Panmuro by General Sir W. J.
Codrington, Commander-in-Chief of the British
forces serving in the Crimea :

M,,, Lord,—
I have to acknowledge tSeba hestoprecol,
eip t Feb.of your
telegraphic 20.
message from the Judge-Advocate-General in
England,
reference to the man of this army under
sentence of death for murder.
There are no palliating circumstances to interfere with
the just punishment due to such a crime, committed on
a helpless wounded man in hospital. Painful though
land,
in
the be, with a sense of the responsibility
attaching to human life, but with the conviction that
the
ymap
decision is just and necersary, I have ordered the
execution of this man on Saturday morning nest, the
23rd instant, in conformity with the sentence of the court.
—I have, &c.
(Signed)
The Lord Panmure, &c., &c., &c

W. J. CODRINGTON,
General Commanding.
_

B.S.—This prisoner, Private G. DFaeyb, No. 3,577, 77th
Regiment, was executed this morning, at seven a.m., on
the Piquet House in the presence of detachments of
rnary 23, 1856.
1,000 men from each division of the army. His body was
buried on the spot.

(Signed) W. J. Con RING TON,
General Commanding.

M mntA. APPOINTMENTS.—The Gazette of Friday last
contains the following notification :-2d Regiment of the
Duke of Lancaster's Own Militia—Benjamin James Sothern,
Gent., to be Ensign ; Henry Nichols, Gent., to be Ensign ;
March 3.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE—Destroyed by fire, in 1761 ;
rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren in 1764 ; rebuilt on a large
scale, and re-opened on March 12, 1794 ; burnt down again
Feb. 24, 1809. The present theatre rebuilt by Wyatt, and
re-opened Oct. 16, 1812.
ITALIAN OPERA, TIAYMARELT (The King's Theatre),—
Opened 1704 ; burnt down 1789 ; rebuilt 1791.
PANTHEON, OXFORD-STREET—Converted into an opera-
house in 17E14 ; burnt down 1792.
ENGLISH OPERA-HOUSE—Destroyed by fire Feb. 16, 1830 ;
rebuilt by Beazley, and re-opened July, 18:34, as the Lyceum
Theatre.
ASTLEY'S AMPHITHEATRE—Destroyed by fire Sept. 17,
1794 ; again, Sept. 2, 1803 ; and, for the third time, June,
10, 1841.
SURREY THEATRE (floyal Cireue)—eDestroyed by fire,
Aug. 12, 1805.
According to the correspondent of the Trieste Zeitung,
one of the most powerful robber-bands in Greece has been
completely broken up. The bang, being hard pressed by
the troops, separated; the one division went from Parnasqus
to Salone, and the other to the neighbourhood of Athens,
where there were but few troops. This last detachment,
consisting of 32 men, was attacked at midnight, in a gl,n
near the city. Nine of them were killed and seven mortally
wounded. The other 20 men threw away their arms and
cloaks, and sought safety in flight. The robbers who went
to Salone managed to obtain possession of three small
vessels, and escaped to the Peloponnesus,

A LADY POISONED AT LEEDS BY I
STRYCHNINE.
1
♦

LEEDS, FRIDAY

An inquest was held this day before Mr. Blackbnrn, at
Fleischman's Hotel, Leeds, on the body of Harriet Dove,
aged twenty-eight, the wife of Mr. William Dove, a 7gen-
tlernan of independent means, residing in Cardigan-place,
Burley, near Leeds, whose death had been caused by
poisoning by strychnine.
Mr. Barrett, solicitor, attended to watch the proceed-
ings, and Mr. Nunneley and Mr. Morley, surgeons, were
also present during the whole of the day. From the evi-
dence adduced it appeared that early in December last
Mr. Morley was called in to attend the deceased, and
found her suffering from functional disorder of the
stomach and of the nervous system, but there was no
organic or serious disease. He prescribed for her and
continued his visits occasionally, and in a short time she
was so far recovered that she could move about freely and
take open air exercise up to the 23d of February, when
she became somewhat worse. On that day Mrs. Dove
partook :of some jelly, which had been taken to the
house, and she complained that it was very bitter,
and on seeing her husband, she said, " William,
d'd you put anything in that jelly ?" and he
answered, " Yes, I have put some of the medicine in it."
She remarked that it was very unkind of him, and he
subsequently stated to a neighbour named Mrs. Witham
that he had not put more than a teaspoonful in it. On
Sunday, the 24th, she went to church, and was very well.
On the following morning she breakfasted with her hus-
band, and shortly afterwards she was seized with a very
severe spasmodic attack, her body quivering as though
under the influence of a galvanic shock, and accompanied
with a difficulty of breathing. She complained of pain
in her legs, and grasped the hands of her attendants very
tightly. She refused to drink anything cold, and when
she was touched, and when cold water was applied to her
lips, the twitching " returned. In the meantime Mr.
Dove went for Mr. Morley, and returned with that gen-
tleman's assistant.

At a later period of the day Mr. Morley called, and he
then found Mrs. Dove much better, but he observed slight
spasmodic twitchings. The symptoms were unusual, but
he attributed them to nervous affection, and prescribed
accordingly. These attacks recurred during the week,

each sucCe-edin, attack being accompanied by more violent
symptoms, and generally occurring after taking her medi-
cine,iwhich was usually given to her by Mr. Dove.
After Monday Mr. Morley attended Mrs. Dove daily,
and becoming perplexed with the symptoms, which he
thought ought to have given way to the medicines he had
ordered, if they arose from hysteria, and Mr. Dove ex-
pressing some fear as to the recovery of Mrs. Dove, he
suggested a consultation with some other medical man.
Mrs. Dove having on that day suffered a violent attack,
Mr. Dove said he would consider, and on the Thursday
morning he wrote to Mr. Morley, expressing confidence in
him, and declining the consultation. In the meantime, in
consequence of the perplexing character of the symptoms,
the thought of strychnine suggested itself to Mr. Morley,
but was dismissed as impossible.

On the evening of Friday, the 29th, while Mr. Dove was
present with the deceased, she was again seized with a
still more violent attack, her breathing was very bad, the
whole body became more rigid, and was frequently
observed to " twitch " involuntarily. Mrs. Witham was
again called in, but in the course of a few hours Mrs.
Dove improved, and continued better during the re-
mainder of the night, and also during the greater part of
Saturday, March 1. Mrs. Witham and a Mrs. Wood
callediduring Saturday, and they were present in Mrs.
Dove's bedroom, in company with Mr. Dove, about eight
o'clock. When Mrs. Dove asked her husband to give her
her medicine, he went to a washstand, poured something
into a wine-glass, and gave it his wife, and then washed
the glass out. After drinking it she said, "Oh dear ! it's
very disagreeable and hot." In the course of a minute or
two, addressing Mrs. Witham, she said, " It's very bitter,
have you anything in your pocket, Mrs. Witham, that you
can give me ? " Mrs. Witham gave her a lozenge.
A few minutes afterwards Mrs. Dove was again seized
with violent spasms during which she shrieked out, her
eyes became fixed, she clenched the hands of her atten-
dants, and her whole body became perfectly rigid and
arched, resting upon the extremities, in which state she
remained,:until her death, an hour or two afterwards.
A messenger was despatched for Mr. Morley, and as
Mrs. Dove did not recover, Mr. Dove: followed and re-
quested Mr. Morley to take Mr. Hobson with him. Mr.
Morley called on Dr. Hobson, and while that gentleman
was getting ready it is somewhat remarkable that Mr.
Dove very urgently requested of Mr. Morley that in the
event of his wife dying, her body should not be dissected,
as she had a strong objection to it. This request he re-
peated in different forms, and Mr. Morley told him he
hoped there would be no necessity for such a thing.
As soon as Dr. Hobson was ready, they proceeded to
Cardigan—place, but on their arrival they were informed
that Mrs. Dove was dead. Her death having ensued dur-
ing the recurrence of the paroxysms, there was an anxious
expression about the countenance, and the face was some-
what livid, especially about the lips.
On Mr. Morley's return to his residence he learnt that
some time before Mr. Dove had obtained strychnine from
his surgery through one of his pupils, and this circum-
stance, combined with the symptoms, led the coroner to
open an inquiry on Monday last, when Mr. Morley and
Mr. Nunneley were ordered to make a port mortem

examination.
These gentlemen'are well known as eminent analytical
surgeons, and they commenced their labours immediately,
forty-two hours after :death, and continued them on the
fourth, fifth, and sixth days, when they were able to come
to a decisive conclusion as to the cause of death.
Mr. Morley, at the end of' his evidence, read a long
report of the analysis and examination of the body made
by himself and Mr. Nunneley. A great portion of the
report consisted of a diagnosis of various parts of the
body, and the more important viscera ; and concluded
that portion which related to the analysis of the stomach,
as follows :
Examination of the stomach, and analysis of its con.
tents, commenced in the laboratory, Monday, March 3,
forty-two hours after death, and continued on the 4th,
sth, and oth
" Contents of stomach healthy. It contained some air,
and about three ounces of a thick pulpy, brown fluid.
This appeared to consist of food, so far advanced in
digestion, that the eve could not distinguish any partieu-
lar kind of food. Under the microscope it seemed to
contain the elements of ordinary diet; namely, animal
fibre, vegetable substances, and fatty matter. Some
whitish specks, adhering to the coats of the stomach,
proved to be small portions of fat. There was no appear-
ance of irritation from any mineral, or other irritant
poison; nor any odour of prussic acid, opium, or other
poison, recognisable by the smell. Finding no appear-
ance of any other poison, and knowing,' that strychnine
had been in the house of the deceased, we directed our
investigation chiefly towards the determination of the
presence, or absence, of that substance. We divided the
whole into three portions,
" 1. The contents of the stomach—the brown 'pulpy
mass before described.
" 2. The mucous and all other matters which could be
removed from the stomach by scraping its surface.
"3. The stomach itself. Each of these, after being
repeatedly put through a process of analysis, for the
separation of its strychnia, was treated by the various
tests used to prove the presence of strychnine. From
each of these we obtained evidence of its presence.• In
addition to the chemical tests, we found in the spirituous
extracts very decidedly, the remarkable bitter taste
characteristic of strychnine. In the contents of the intes-
tines, we found only slight and doubtful trace of its
presence. Having obtained the body of the cat, which
was poisoned by strychnine, at Mr. Dove' s, we thought
it right to put the contents of its stomach through a
parallel series of experiments, for the purpose of com-
parison, and also to afford additional proof that it is
possible to discover strychnia in a dead body some time
after death. The result was decided. We obtained
exactly the same evidence of strychnia from the cat, as
we had obtaiued from the human stomach.
" GEORGE MORLEY.
" Leeds, March 7, 1856." " THOS. NUNNELEY.
In answer to questions from the coroner, both Mr.
Morley and Mr. Nunneley stated that they were decidedly
of opinion that strychnia was the cause of death.
Mr. Dove was then taken into custody, and the inquest
was further adjourned to Monday, this day, at 10 o'clock.
It was also stated, during the inquiry,'by a Mrs. Fisher,
that, after Mrs. Dove's death, Mr. Dove took the medicine
bottle, which contained one or two doses, down stairs,
and a day or two afterwards emptied the.contents of a
bottle into the kitchen sink.

INFAMOUS CHARGE.—At the Lewes Assizes, on Saturday,
F. P. Round, Esq., a gentleman of fortune, residing in
Brighton, and Thomas Pettigrew, a private soldier in the
Royal Artillery, were indicted for a misdemeanour of a
gross nature. The evidence in support of the charge was
given by two men named Townsend and Wymarsh, who
completely failed to substantiate the crime. The witnesses,
who were young men, contradicted themselves so effectually
upon cross-examination, that the judge stopped the case,
and expressed his opinion that the evidence could not. be
relied upon, and that the charge had altogether failed.
The jury unanimously concurred in the view_ taken. by his
lordship, and at once returned a verdict of Not Guilty, at
the same time stating that the accused partio4 left the
court without the slightest stain upon their Obaracter.
The moment the verdict was pronounced there was a
simultaneous burst of cheering, which lasted for a con-
siderable time, and was suppressed with much difficulty.
The accused were at once discharged, and it was said that
proceedings would be taken against the witnesses for con-
spiracy and perjury.
BLEACHING WORKS BILL.—A bill prepared by Mr.
Isaac Butt, Lord J. Manners, Lord Goderich, and Mr
Crook enacts that after the Ist of February next no child
shall be employed in any bleaching work in preparing,
cleaning, EQouring, bleaching, dyeing, calendering,
finish-
ing, mangling, dressing, erabossir,g, or tambouring any
woven fabric, or twist, or yarn, or in packing, carrying,
or conveying, or in aiding in any other labour or process
connected with bleaching, dyeing, or finishing. Children
under 11 years of age, however, may be so employed in
their parents' houses. Women and young persons must
not he employed in any bleaching operation before six a.m.
or after six p.m., and there must be an interval of ore
half-hour for breakfast and one hour for dinner. There
must be no work carried on after two o'clock p.m. on
.
aturdays. A peaalty of £lO is denounced against the
violators of the act. Full power is given to the factory
inspectors to enforce the act, After-work will be lawful
in cases of necessity, upon proof of that necessity being
given. With this exception, the hours of labour are
limited to 10-3 hours per day, or 60 hours per week.