The National Register.
London, England, 1821-08-19 00:00:00

SlfSoig 2ntelligtnce.

MURDER BY POISON.
Cifer.msronn, AUG. 10.—James Emery, a well looking
young man, about 2i years of age, was indicted for the
wilful murder of Sarah King, on the 29th of May last, at
White Nettles,, in this county, by administering to her a
poison called arsenic, of which she died.
This ease excited uncommon interest, from the atrocity
of its circumstances—the murder of an unhappy girl who
had been seduced and became pregnant by the prisoner.
Mr. Knox stated the case for the prosecution. In the
month of May last the prisoner came to the house one
evening, and held a conversation with the deceased, which
her sister, Mary King, overheard. The deceased said to
the prisoner, " Emery, I am with child by you." He then
said, " Is there any man you like better than me, because
if there is, you may swear the child to him." She replied,
" I have never been with any other man but you, and to
you alone 1 will swear the child." After this it would be
.hewn that the prisoner was busily making inquiries about
the neighbourhood as to the mode of producing miscar-
riage, and one of the witnesses who would lie called very
properly refused to give I any information upon the
subject. It would then he sliewn that the prisoner came
to Chelmsford aud went to a horse-doctor, and told him
that his house was very lt infested with rats and mice,
and lie wanted something to destroy them. The prisuner,
it would be observed, was not a housekeeper. The man
told him lie could get what he wanted at a chemist's shop,
and that the articles proper fur the purpose were nos
oomica and arsenic, and at his request the limn went to a
citeini-t's shop in the town, and purchased half an ounce
of each. The chemist very properly put a label on the
parcel, with the words "Arsenic—poison," which lie did
in pursuance of the requisition of a late Act of Pill'll4.
meat. It would appear that when the unhappy girl went
to bed in the evening she took the greatest part of the box
of pills there being eleven, and site had swallowed all lint
five. in a very short time after she was iii bed, she awoke
in grievous pain iii her stomach. The pain at length be-
coming insupportable, she email nut lie in bed. She got
up and sent her sister to a public-house to get some spirits.
Half a quartern of gin was brought her, but finding no
such from it, she said to her sister, " 'fake those phials
and pill-box, and hide them, for wby should Emery be
hanged ?—Emery will be hanged—they will hang Emery,"
or words to that effect. Her sister, frightened at her
alarming state, went out again to get something to relieve
her, but when she returned in about ten minutes she found
the unhappy girl a cot Ilse!
The above statement was fully proved by several
witnesses.
This was the ease for the prosecution.
The prisoner being called upon for his defence, said—
" I have nothing to say. I ant quite innocent. I did not
do it." He had no witnesses.
Mr. Justice Burrough then recapitulated all the evidence
in detail, and left the Jury to decide, whether the deceased
had lost her life by means of the poison administered by
the prisoner; fur if she had, the prisoner was guilty of
Wilful Murder.
The Jury immediately found the prisoner Guilty.
The learned Judge then pronounced the sentence of
the law in the usual form, and ordered the prisoner to be
executed on Monday.
The prisoner appeared resigned to his fate, but was
little affected by the dreadful situation in which lie was
placed.
MURDER BY STRANGULATION.
William Akers was indicted fur the wilful murder of
Patience Ellis, a single woman, on the 19th of June, at
Wickham Bishops, in this county.
After the usual preliminary forms had been gone through
the Learned Counsel for the prosecnCon stated the case to
the Jury, to the following effect, which was afterwards
proved in evidence ;
The deceased war a woman of 35, living with her mo-
ther; she was a perfect cripple, and very little capable of
any bodily exertion. The prisoner had long lodged in
the saute house, in which also there was one other lodger.
On the 19th of June, the day of the commission of the al.
leged offence, the deceased and the prisoner, about two
o'clock, were left alone; shortly alter which lie charged
a grand-daughter of the deceased's mother, who also lived
in the house, not to disturb the deceased, and left the
house. After some interval the grand-daughter went into
the deceased's room and found her dead. She gave an
alarm, upon which the prisoner and the rest came in and
examined the body, which exhibited various marks of
violence, which were then thought to be the effects of
mortification. The prisoner soon after went into the vil-
lage, and communicated the death of the deceased, and,
although not requested so to do, bespoke a coffin fur her,
giving the size of it, and desiring that no one should men-
sure or examine the bony. At his request the corpse was
two days afterwards inclosed, and the coffin screwed
down. Shortly after reports of a disagreeable nature
becoming prevalent, the body was opened by a surgeon,'
who was of opinion that she had died by violence, 41111
that she was eight months gone with child. A coroner's
inquest was summoned; the prisoner saying he aliould
like to be on the Jury. He afterwards declared that the
deceased had hung herself; that lie hail found her sus-
pended, and had with his own hands cut her down.
The learned Judge then recapitulated the evidence to
the Jury, with very great precision and partiality, making
some general observations upon it as be went along. His
Lordship concluded by entreating the Jury to take the
whole ease into their especial consideration, and if they
had any donuts, to let those doubts operate in favour of
the prisoner.
The Jury instantly found the prisoner Guilty, and sen-
tence of Dea tit was immediately passed upon
he prisoner was perfectly composed during the whole
Ii ial, which lasted from nine o'clock till half past three.
YOR K ASS I Z
AUGUST 6.—Mr. Justice Buy ly went to die Guildhall at
nine o'c jock this non ruing, and charged Clerk> Gamut Jury.
lai the course of half an hour the Grand Jury returned true
against the two prisoners in the calendar, amid the court
immediately proceeded to their trial.
FORGER Y.—Mr. Pollock opened the case, and Mr. Sin-
clair, the Recorder of Yin k btatcd the circumstances to the
Jury.--Itichard Young, a private in the 19th lancers, had,
on the sth of May but, called at the banking oilice of Messrs.
Wilson, Tweedy, and Co. nod stated that Major Skelton,
his command in; otti er, was unable to leave his room in
consequence of a fall he had had ft oni his 1101'W, anti wished
ass order to be dran a upon Messrs. li.eeanionl, Cos, and Co.
in London, fur :RM. soil to be scot to him fur signature.—
Tbla was dune, aud the primmer nwiucd iu about half uu I