The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-01 00:00:00

ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO POISON 7 IVO PERSONS.

On ll'edneeday night, Mr. ,femur Car, of No. 6, Homer-street,
wee brought before Mr. RAW LINBON and Mr. 13110:1111TON, at
Alarylebone-street-office, by Buckeidge, the officer. charged with
haring attempted to poison Sarah Cux, his wife, and Mary Anne
tenk-r, a young lady visiting et their house.
Before any evidence was taken, Mr. Itewetnsow said to Mr.
'or, have you any friend to assist or advise you ?-11e replied that
he had no friend in London.
Mr. Rem tiNSON—The charge agaloet you is of a very serious
nature; it places yrur life in jeopardy, an 1 I should wish you to
hare every opportunity to answer or repo-1 it.
The defendant again said he had no friend who could assist him;
he was innocent, awl therefore Yearly to meet the charge.
Mr. Hewer ettiox 'muted him he would let nothing eseapebie
otsservation which might appear in his favour, and he sincerely
hoped he might be found innocent of the charge.
Mrs. ('ox deposed that she was married to the defendant last
January; she had known him 25 years; his brother married her
SiEtT 30 years ago ; she could not exactly say she was a widow be-
fore Mr. Cox married, for she had been married to a man who had
another wife; she has a life inteteet in one house, until the expira-
tion of the lease, and she has three othcr houses, which. at her de-
cease, will become the property of her husband she also poseseses
money and fornhute ; her husband. berme lie married her, was a
plumber and glazier at Kidderminster (they now are out of busi-
nem) ; he represented himself to be worth 1,000(., but in that he
deceived her; his property only mounted to Vele; the lirst weak
else? du y were married, lie proposed to have the leases transferred
into his own name, and has owned since that he married her fur her
pr.spetty t he has behaved so ill to her that her health is impaired,
rend, us eir the advice of Dr. Respell, of (holden-square, she began.
about a week ago, to tike bark in port wine; her husband knew
she took it, once a day, generally about eleven o'clock ; it stood on
saki( in the kitchen. lin Moedsy night, her husband asked bee
to taste it, and she took it on Tuesday as usual. Yesterday morn-
ing, when at breakfast, she told him she really could not live with
him, as her health was so injured by fretting, in consequence of
his threats and bad language. the told him he had deceived her
in the first instance, by not bringing the money lie promised, but
if he would leave her he should have as much as he brought. lie
said, if he left her, he would have more than that. He said.
afterwards, he would not leave at ail it long as there was a penny
in the house.
Mr. It AW ransom asked her what the ine.ant by threats and bad
language.
Mrs. Cox—He said, If he had a wife litre one of my lodgers, he
would kill her. I said, do you know what you are epeakmg ot ?
you speak as cool and delilwrate a• if it 117.4 nothing to take a per.
tyro's life away ? He replied, what 1:e said he meant. I mid. you
bail ben!: leave me; he said, 110, he would poi-on me. If I did
not live wish him, I should not live with any one else. Last
tunley he said he would part. but he would take pretty good care
•.elute I.e did part that he would do eomething first. On Thurs-
day lest I hail a woman to wash t I locked in a cupboard for an
Mtn, hurtful'. to send for s nine gin ; in a termer of the cupboard,
where I eeldorn look, I found a riper parcel. I said to Mary
Anne (the young lady before mentiened), here is a paper—do you
::now anything of it ? She saki, no ; we tamed its contents; she
:said. it was oxalic acid; her father hail one, desired her to taste it,
that she might know It from salt., and this was the sane. We
week a piece betora we returned it to the cupboard, end sent it to a
chemist in Crawford-street, for we suspected something wrong.
After breakfast yesterday morning I went up stair, into the parlour,
end remasned three quarters of an hour ; my husband came up
eitterwsele, and I went down ; so did not speak to each other.
Mary Anne asked me If I had looked lrto the cupboard ? I said,
sot inn each a bad climber, I am afraid to get upon a chair.
Mai, Aisne than examined the cupeoard, and the paper parcel was
gene; Mary Anne lighted a candle. but we could not find it any
where. I then said, we must be careful what we tahe. I examined
the port wine and bark ;it was different. I took a little, and it
made my throat smart.
Mr. Itawetwitow—" la it not odd you rhoald swallow some
when you suspected something to be in It?
; fee. Cox--" I took but little in my mouth." She further stated
that Mary Anne lived bar-maid wish her when she formerly kept
a public-house, and her hueland dill net like her living with her
now. . . .

••Mr. RAWL !WWII meted if her husband cocld not have adminis-
treed the poison in another way? and she replied, that her medicine
sat the only thing of which he did not himself partake. Mary
Anne drank nothicq but wAter. A jug, containing less than a quart,
was always kept I.t the from area upon the stones to be cool ; we
eintailned the water, and that aNO had some of the acid in it ; we
took some of the wine and some or the water, in separate bottles, to
a chemist in Crawford-street, to be analyeld, and sent to Mr. der-
ego, in oxford-street; I have seen him this evening; he says he
hos no doubt esch cut:anted oxalic acid, and he wall attend here if
sent for.

11r. RAWLINSON to Mr. Con—" Have you any questions to
put to your wife?"
lie. 1:as—"1410 rot know what to say ; I am as innocent as the
child in the womb."
Ur. ILawititson—" It is easy to say you are innocent, but
'say not ask some questions m throw light upon the subject ? if you
can only answer the charge by a mere tlen,al, I cannot part with
you i I must retain you. and have the evidence the chemist."
%h. Celt said the differences between him and his wife were in
I oserittence of her keeping the girl (Mary Anne); and when he
rerennstrated, his wife toll him shc.was eating and drinking no-
thing of his.
llln Cos—lt is my property which supports her, and I keep her
bemuse I have ocerlon for her services. •

Mary Anne Outer lived formerly with Mrs. COX, an bar-maid ;
oh.- left her three days before. she was married, in January last, '
and went to a situation in Cernobyanarket, hut returned seven
weeks afterwards, at Alen. Cox's regoee!: Ale, and tbs. Cox
lined comfortably, having a few words at times, until Mr. Cox
used the expression respecting the lodger • that appeared to make
Mrs. Cox very unhappy; since that they have quarrelled fee.
quantly ; Mrs. Cox threatened to leave him t he also said he
would Irate her, but he would take d—d good care to tin some.
thug first ; and from what passed respecting the lodger, she
susfeected he meant by the expression that he would liaison her.
she then gave evidence as to finding the piper of orahe acid,
andethe subsegnent difference of taste in the bark wine and in
site water, the latter of which was turned white similar to milk.
She knew oxalic acid wan used for cleaning boot-tops. Mr. Cox
wean tip-boots with painted tops, which only require washing;
see theugat Mr. Cox witted to get rid of her, that she might
not be a witness against him, and she beliavell he intended to
liaison her.
Ms. RAWLINSOX to Mr. Cox—Are you prepared with any bail?
Me- Cox—l have no friend or acquaintance in London; Ido not
go out to associate with anybody.
Alr. flaw LI Naos —This is a very eel-loos charge ; if you cannot
find hell I most c.,mmlt you ; yon shall go to the watebtiouse in.
stead of ZOittO to !triton, if you reefer It.
Mr. Cox—l am obliged to you, Stir ;I am innnecnr.
Rawt,tarsor —lt la far you to show how the parcel contain.
Mg the oxalic acid came Into the cupboard.
Mr. Cox—l never brou.;ht a parcel ism the hon=e in my lice, nor
dot I Ay l rricild kill tier, if I awl a wire like the lodger ; I only
said i aeulo give her a d—d fiord it!Jing.
Ales. Cox again declared tat the former expression was used.
The owl's acid wan screwed tin in essrse sugar paper, without
:‘a milk of poison, &c.; there most have been more than an
gen,leman who accompanied Mr. Cox to the Office, said that
came very williot;ly, although he might have absconded. The
gentleman said to Mr. Cox, " if you yo to the witteh-house,
.41 have • heti:" to which he replied, " I am a Nis:rate, sou
,hall be eoutent with prisoner's fore."
SECOND EXAMINATION.

Vest va.e. at twn n'etoeb„'tfr. /hairy Cos was brought u➢ from
tnc watch-hoist% and rgsin 1.1 x.rl.t the bat.
!ter. RAw T. I Nsox tv.V.ed he ri if he had any friend to SPliSt him in
eeferic.?_lle mid no; for he was a !.trat.ger, having beets but
.oght-sionths in London.
Pries scpiresh an autism% to Mr. fisrim. the chemi.t. of Or.
fati.strect. stated that he had examine,l in the usual way the
wine and the water brought to Min by Mrs. Cox sod miss oniker,
and he firmly believed the: there was oxalic acid in both. He was
Hot prepared In say in what quantity, IA It nutild take another day
;infect the ansliution.
Miss Croker a..ked tlr. Sq.dres whether It did not require warm
w tier to dissolve oxalic acid. . .

the Magistrates study the merits of it. lilt conduct had been
highly blamable, and he must pay a fine of Ina.
FRAUDULENT l'Al. PER.
Julia Farren, a renpectablyilreseed widow, was brought up for
defrauding the parish of St. Giles of various sums of money, under
the false representation of having tour or five children, when in fact
she had but two.
The Churchwarden said the prisoner had been relieved by the
parish tiiitee the 15th of March with five ',billings per week. iihe
represented herself to have lour children residing with her, and a
fifth in the Catholic echoed at Somers-town. IVerinenday fortnight
she applied to have a sum advanced to her, to enable her to pay her
tent, saying she should be turned nut of her shop in King-sheet,
Drury-lane, unless the mosey was advan, ed. She was desired to
bring her four children, as it is customary with parish officers to set
occasionally the number in family they are relieving. She brought
four children on Wednesday week. which she said were her own;
but two of their beadles had made inquiry in the interim, and veer-
tuined that only two were hers, and that the other two were Or Aid-
then of a lodger. He did not wish to press the case with tolverity
against tie prisoner; if an intermediate punishment could lie in-
flicted, he Lail rather. His motive was dictated on public grounds,
**expose inch a fraud, and to deter others from the imposition.
Mr. "Ron sold be had but two courses to pursue, eithee to dis-
charge her at once, if he abandoned the charge, or remand her for
another hearing.
The gentleman said he did not *dab hee discharged withotat some
punishment.
Mr. Ror remanded her to Thursday.
ItonnEnv AT 11UVBERTS HOTEL.
Joreph Clarke, formerly a waiter at Bunsbert's Hotel in Oxford.
street, was brought up on suspicion of stealing two plated tea-pots.
George, the porter, said the prisoner came between seven
and eight o'clock, on Wednesday morning; said be was 'going tee
bathe, and called to pay Charles, a waiter, two shillings that be
owed ; that he induced witness to go out with him to have
something to drink, without fastening the door. WitrlVe at first
refused, but afterwards complied. 11'hen they returned from the
wine-vaults, prisoner went into the waiter's bed-room, and wither"
went about awes ping the hall. Atter this the prisoner came to him
again to go out and drink ; and on his saying he would not have
any more so early, the prisoner threw his broom into the street, to
get him out of the house:Thee did go a second time to the public-
house, anti the prisoner went down stairs to the kitchen. He had
then an apron en. and said he was at Statle"i Coffee.hoone.
A waiter deemed to the tea-pots being safe at eleven o'clock on
Tuesday night, and that they were gone at eight o'clock on Wed-
nesday morning. Many other thing., were missing—four pair of '
phrteenut-crackets, a table-donors, and a tea-spoon. The prisoner
had been there many times lately, which gave rise to his suspicion.
Ballard, the officer, inquired of Mrs. Moore, of Searle's Coffin.
house, for the ;Mennen and there learnt that he had been die.
charged for irregularities ; and as be did not know hid person, frit
fear he should lie denied at his lotinines, Lit word that two clla:.
Humbert's waiters had gone away, and Mr. 11. wanted him rti.
reedy. This hit told ; for on his going to the prisoner's lodgings.
at Lambeth, his landlady denied his living there, and the prisoner's
wife denied that site was his wife. However, witness searched the
place, but did not find the tea-pros. On his return to Mr. Hum-
bert's tl.e prisoner bad arrived before him, and was detained.
The prisoner merely said he went to pay Charles two shillings,
and knew nothing of the tea-pots.
He was remanded.
VARIEGATED SPARROWS.
John Wright, it tall fellow, dressed like i shoemaker, was
brought from the watch-house, for imposing minted sparrows and
Witten; on the curious in fancy singing-biri.s, as fresh-imported
caarpoun, from the Ward of Java. The mit otter had half* dorm
of them in bags, all painted, one of which to :k the liberty of flying
out of the window while the tight.conetaide was spreading out its
wing to the Magistrate. The prisoner, who, lives in Short's Build-
:nits, is well known, and has been in cur tody before for the same
offence.
Mr. Cooke, a tobacconist in Illuneum-r/ reet. Bloomsbury, stated
that he bought a couple of binds of the pit Winer last Friday evenin,
which he described by a foreign word as Java nightingales; lie
said they sang beautifully, and as he was distressed he would rell
them cheap ; he asked 2s. each; witner s gave him Is. 6,1. Witness
does not know that he should have boa& a bird of him. but for
the nersoanian of his wire, who was attracted by the beauty of their
plumage. Some were painted red on the lie,d ; and the wings,
breasts, and tails of others, were red and bright orange. After the
prisoner went away, witness reflected on the bargain he had made,
and suspected he had been cheated. He wetted • bit of cotton and
washed the birds, end then discovered that the water changed the
reel and bright orange inn, a t'u.ky brnwa, and that his J era rale-
pou was no other than an Islington sparrow. On Wednesday night
the prisoner came again, but witness, instead of making another
purchase t sent him to the watch-house.
The pnrconer said there were difftrent times In the year when he
could not procure goldfinches and canaries; he admitted painting
the birds ; if lie did not, he should not get Ina. in a week ; people
would not btu them unless they were variegated. The first two he
sold the gentlemen were hens ; he went on lVedneulay to give him
a couple Man:kn. If the Magistrate would let him off Cis time,
he would not offend any more.
Mr. ROE fold him it was a trannoortable offence, obtaining
money under also pea: ; and he 'Wald send him to a jury.
The prisontyr was committed. •
FRAUD ON LORD GaINOALL, ik.c.
The witne hes who appeared against !tall r, Inc the fraud on the
Earl of (;lc wall and Vrecannt Chiftien, attended yesterday.
Mr. Ma bran, the butler to Lord Glengall, produced the parcel
he had sent to his Lordship at Cowes, in the isle of Wight: it war
a sheet of I town paper in an envelope. Viscount Clifden's racket
was cut opt a in the presence of the footman ; that was also brown

paper.
For wsnt of the evidence of the clerks at the Saracen's Head and
White liorNe Cellar, the prisoner was remanded till Thursday.
CARELESS DRIVING.
The driver of one of Clyne's vans was held to hail, for rnnning
over a little boy, mimed Brooks, In Spurr-street, by which one thigh
was broken, and the other fractured. The child is in a fair way of
recovory in the Ilus.oital.

SIIA3I BAIL
• William Taylor, who presented a check for 371. at Itammers-
ley's banking.house. which hail been stolen with a small box out of
the carriag: of Lord Churchill, at Oxford Rand, was yesterday
discharged, for want of a prosecutor. with an admonition from Mr.
Roe to be ettutious of his future conduct, he having live reeogni.
Lances in his pocket-book as bail for different parties.
Clements ',Aid the prisoner's wife told Into he had connected
himself with a set of bad character., and that he bailed than fur a
shilling in the pound to the amount required.
ASSAULTING WATCHMEN.
Thomas Payne, a journeymen shoeniater, at 78. Remick-street,
Oxford-street, was chased with mutt:l ig! the watch rah in the dis_
charge of his duty. He said he had not struck the watchman, but
lied merely laid his hand on Inn collar.
Mr. Ilor.—That is quite enough, and more than enough. The
Act says, " whoever shall inter cot, or encourage and promote the
same, shall be liable to a titre of 5/."
In answer to a question from the Magistrate, the prisoner stated
that his average wages, when lie worked hard, were only 17s. of
a week, and that be had a family to maintain. The fine was mid-
pied to 10s.
MaamoogE.—Thanks Norgan was brought forward on a
chart!e of theft.
Edward Hawkins stated Mat he went to his master's stables yes-
terday morning. The door was shut. 11'llen he melted it lie ob-
served through an opening a person peep at him front the hay-loft ;
be then opened the door, and found at the back of it a pair of the el
int his master-a, anti an umbrella, which be: left on Wednesday night
is thee:melt-Ix:use. Ile then went to the ladder leading to the hay-
loft, and, as he was ascending, he beard some one jump out of the
stable. He immediately came down, and saw the back of the per-
son, who disappeared. He returned again, and went up in the hay-
loft, where he fund three places, but he did not know to whom
they belonged. lie then went towards two trusses of hay lying in
the hay-loft, and rdrutd tide the. largest, under which lie found
the irtsoner conceratl. Hes-keel the prisoner what was his bard-
Hess these. Pawner answered that he was going to sleep. Witness
then asked him who it was that jumped out; he said he did not
know.
A carpenter came forward and claimed the planes.
CH ARG E OF A SAA
Matthew Tierney, an Irishman, was charged with beating a wo-
man, who stated that she came to complain of her husband, hut. in-
deed, she was not sure whether the could call him so, as he had
another wife; however' he struck her twice last night with a chair,
and threatened to kill her daughter.
A neighbour stated that he saw the Frisoner strike the complain-
aid with only one fist, and no more.
Pat denied the whole charge, and addressed the Magistrate in a
long speech, delivered with such rapidity, in the tune peculiar
to Ids countrymen, that we could mJyy gather' from a few words
which we understood, that lie had complaints in his turn against his
wile.
Haar ITR, in consequence of the contradiction in the evi-
dence, discharged the prisoner, to the no atuall disappointment of
his wife.
Frijol; Barrow, a boll-looking athletic young fellow, was :te-
amed by Jahn Young of theft.
complainant stated that the prisoner, without any provoca-
tion, struck him a violent blow on the back of the ear last night.
The complainant, determined'not to brook the injury, invited the
prisoner to a held, where they might have • regular turn out. They
accordingly went, and, alter the battle was over, the prisoner laid
bald the ' and silk handkerchief, and