The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-21 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WESTERN ClRClllT.—Wizmizwrza,-DEO. 2L
(Before Mr. Baron Parke.)
WILFUL MURDER.

Abraham Baker, 26, was indicted for the wilful mur.
der of Naomi Kingswell, at Southampton, on 14th Oct
last. Mr. Cooke and Mr. Lower conducted the prose.
cution.

It appeared that the prisoner lived in the service of
the Rev. Win. Paynder, at Moira-place, Southampton,
and the deceased girl was his fellow-servant. On
the Sunday morning, on his supposed return from
church, about a quarter past 12, the deceased opened the
door for him. As he passed the kitchen do r, another
fellow-servant, Charlotte Lacey, asked hlm if he knew
it was Sacrament Sunday, and he said " No." He then
went into the pantry, to lay the luncheon tray ; in the
meantime the deceased bad come downstairs in the kit-
chen, and as she and Lacey were talking together at
the end of the screen by the fire, the prisoner came and
stood at the other end, and rested his left elbow on it.
His right hand was behind him, under his coat. He did
not speak at all. In about a minute Lacey saw him
move his right arm from behind his back, and immedi-
ately saw and heard the report of a pistol. The deceased
fell instantly to the ground, and blood flowed from under
her left ear. He was about a yard from the deceased
when he fired. Not a word had passed between him
and the deceased at that time. Lacey said to him,
"Baker, Baker, what have you done ?" He made
no reply, and she ran up to the front doer and
called to a policeman named Tatchell, who came in and
took the prisoner into custody ; and as he was going out
of the front door Lacey took hold of his hand and said
again, "Baker, Baker, what have you done ?" He re-
ptied, "She deserved it, you know." Oa the previous
Saturday morning he had asked her why it was that
the deceased would not speak to him. She could not
tell him. She did not know that there was any attach-
ment between him and the deceased. It appeared that
the prisoner purchased a pistol at a gunmaker's shop on
the Saturday. He also bought some balls, powder, and
caps. He was asked if he was going to fight a duel,
and he said he thought the pistol would do to kill a
large dog. When the police went into the kitchen after
the removal of the prisoner they found, after some
search, a ball in the hairs of a long hair broom. The
ball was much flattened, and an examination by the sur-
geon proved that the ball had passed quite through the
head of the deceased, and had torn away a large portion
of the skull with it, causing instant death. Lacey, when
cross-examined by Mr. Cooke, said the prisoner always
professed to be a religious person. He had religious
books before him at every interval, and was always
talking of religious subjects. She had heard since that
be belonged to the Wesleyan chapel. The deceased was
also of a religious turn of mind. The prisoner took the
sacrament at the church. It bad been rumoured since
the fatal act that they were attached to each other.
Inspector Enright, who produced the pistol, stated
tkat when he received it from Tatchell it appeared to
have been• very recently discharged, and in consequence
of certain information which he obtained he went to the
post-office and procured a letter, which he showed to
the prisoner, and he said it was a letter he had written
to his father at Newport, Isle of Wight. It was read as
follows :

"Oct. 14, 1855.
" Dear Father and Mother,—This may bee for the
last time shall have to write to you, and I will leave all
my things for you and mother. One box is at Mr.
Wood's eating-house. You must come up to see me to-
morrow morning, and fetch all my things home for your-
selves. There is three large boxes, two hand-box, a
large bundle of clothes. My watch and clock, leather
hat-box, and all my money, you can have."
By a statement made by the prisoner a few days after
he was in gaol, it was asserted that there was an attach-
ment between the parties ; that he had been away from
the deceased for some time, with a portion of the family
who were residing at Anglesea, near Portsmouth ; that
while there deceased wrote letters which upset his mind;
that when he came back to Southampton she would not
speak or be sociable with him, and that it was more than
he could bear. Ile told her he should give warning to
leave his place, and she appeared to be glad to hear of
it ; and the whole of the morning and the previous even-
ing he scarcely knew what he was doing, she had upset
his mind so much and so frequently.
Mr. Cooke addressed the jury for the prisoner, and
urged that the attachment of the prisoner to the de.
ceased was so deep that it bordered close upon insanity.
The prisoner was maddened by feelings which deprived
hini of reason for the time.
The learned Judge summed up and said no doubt the
pride of the prisoner was hurt by the rejection of his
addresses the yonufinugenwcootenaf
passion ; but this was not
°
and he inflicted the fatal
wound
insanity. She had refused to speak or to shake bands
with him, and that had probably led him to avenge him-1
underby
him-
self.
• The onsulted for a few minutes, and h • jury c eying
found the prisoner guilty,
The learned Judge sentenced him to death, without
holding out any hope of mercy in this world.
CHARGE 01° MIIRDE!t.

John Neale was indicted for the wilful murder of An.
drew Williams, at Portsmouth, on the 2d of September.
Mr. Poulden and Mr. Cooke were counsel fer the pro-
secution ; and, at the request of the judge, Mr. Young
took the depositions to defend the prisoner.
It appeared that both these parties were privates in the
Artillery stationed at Portsmouth. They occupied the
sa.me room in the barracks with 17 or 18 other men.
Pratween 7 and 8 o'clock on the evening of Sunday, the
2tl of September, some of the men were in the room.

A. neighbour, named Armeton, living at 18, George-
etreet, stated that he had seen the children piek up her-
rings' heads and potato-peelings in the street and divide
them 'among each other. When the neighbours have
emptied the contents of their tablecloths on the pave-
ment they have eagerly eaten the crumbs. When the
father died they were fine, plump, rosy-coloured chil-
dren. They have since gradually wasted away.
A Juror observed that, probably, from not having had
ufficient food the children sunk under the disease with
which they were attacked.
Another Juror said that the children had often called
on him in his shop, and asked for some bread.
Some conversation havinOaken place among the jary
in order to ascertain why the inquest was calied,
Mr. Vaughan (summoning officer) said that about a
week ago his attention was called to the deceased. He
made inquiries, when he found that the family had re-
ceived the relief that had been referred to, and that they
had been attended by Mr. West, who attributed their
deaths respectively to the causes he had alluded to. lt
'cas only in consequence of the death of the third child,
arid of the rumours in the neighbourhood that they had
all died of starvation, he felt it his duty to write to the
coroner. He had seen the books of relief at the work-
house, and he found that the charge on account of the
family latterly had been from 7s. to 9.1. per week.
The Coroner observed that the allowance had not only
been prompt but liberal on the part of the parish.
Mr. A rmeton remarked that when the family was in
such distress they ought to have gone into the work-
house.

The Coroner—lf the parish admitted every family
that was in distress in the parish the housekeepers would
soon complain of the rates.
Mr. West said he knew that at the present time in
the parish there were thousands of children who had not
sufficient food for their support. He knew several
families in that state.

A Juror observed that it was not possible for a wo-
man with six children, with an allowance of two loaves
and a half and la. 3d. a week, with her own earnings, to
support her family.
The Coroner having remarked that it did not appear
that any blame was attached to any one,
The Jury returned a verdict of " Natural death by
the visitation of God."

ANOTHER CASE OF SUSPECTED
POISONING.

An inquest was held at the Threo Tuns Inn, Cathe-
rine-street, Devonport, before A. B. Bone, Lg., coroner,
touching the death of Louisa Mitchell, alias Louisa
iiathitt, living as the wife of Mr. John Hallett, drug-
Otp St. James's-street, but commonly known as Dr.
Hallett. It appeared that the deceased had lived with
Dr. Hallett upwards of seven years as his wife, aed,
from the evidence of several witnesses, they had lived in
a state of discomfort and quarrelled frequently. The
deceased had been ill several months. About two
months since Mr. James Barnett, surgeon, had been
called in to attend her professionady. He now deposed
that, on the 2d November, he was requested to visit
Mrs. Hallett by a female, who represented Mrs. Hallett
as being dangerously ill. He saw the deceased in bed.
She appeared insensible, her countenance very much
flushed, her breathing very loud, and foam was issuing
from her mouth, the pupils of her eyes were contracted,'
and the pulse slow and labouring. He immediately
bled her, but she continued insensible. He then con-
sidered deceased to be suffering from great congestion
of the head. He intimated to Dr. Hallett that the re-
covery of his wife was doubtful. The doctor replied
that she was suffering from apoplexy, and refused to
have a second medical opinion. Witness again subse-
quently urged the propriety of further advice, but Dr.
Hallett again refused, stating that he had sufficient con-
fidence in him (witness). Witness visited deceased
several times during the day. On one of those occasions
Dr. Hallett said, " I like to look on dead people—poor
devils. I always call them poor devils, for they are. Wit
ness attended deceased three days, and she appeared to
day, when be called at the house
shtird
airs. Dr. Hallett paid, in witness's
deceasedg et
was n
down the t
presence, "I had a good mind to give her a good hiding,
this morning, for she took too long dressing.' Deceased
made no reply, and appeared afraid to speak. Dr. Hal-
lett spoke in a very decided tone, as if ho meant it. On
witness's first visit, it was his impression that the de-
ceased had taken narcotic medicine. Witness did not
visit deceased after the third day, but on Friday last he
was requested by Mr. Hallett's son to call. The son
represented that Mrs. Hallett was dead when he left the
house to call witness. Witness called, and Dr. Hallett
then stated that the deceased was alive when the eon
left. Witness examined the body externally, but there
were no marks of violence. He proceeded to make a
pest MOIICIX examination by request of the coroner, in
company with Mr. Laity and Mr. Little. There were
marks of ulcers on both legs, and the remains of an ulcer
on the left knee, pupils of the eyes rather dilated, arms
very flexible. In making an examination of the contents
of the chest he disccvisred a quantity of bloody serum in
the cavity of the pleura ; the heart was of the natural
size, healthy but rather flabby, liver very much enlarged
and diseased, and the external surface of the intestines
was very florid. On turning the body round, a quantity
of fluid escaped from the mouth and nose, which was
preserved with the contents of the stomach ; the brain
itself was healthy. On the stomach being opened the
natural surface presented a dark spot about the size of a
half-crown, and a quantity of fluid .of an oily nature.
In witness's opinion the deceased died from congestion
of the lungs, not arising from natural causes. The jury
here pressed the witness to give an opinion whether poi-
son had been administered ; and he replied that it was
his opinion something of a deleterious nature had been
administered, but he was unable to say what it was. On
this the inquest was adjourned to Monday, 31st instant,
to give time to have the contents of the stomach ana-
lysed. Dr. Hallett was in attendance during the early
part of the proceedings, but behaved in such a way that
the coroner was obliged to order him out of court.

WANT OF STEAM-TUGS AND PILOTS AT CALCUTTA.—
tTvihoe fsoblliopws,inrgeceexitvreadctsbfyrotmheleitatsetrsofrvoemrlatnhde captains of
Mail,posted in the Liverpool Underwriters' Room on
nlTererde-
nesday :—" Kedgeree, 6th Nov., 1855.—1 beg to in-
form you that I arrived off this port on the 24th Oct.,
but have been detained some days at the Heads for a
pilot, and since, at Sanger, for water to cross the sands.
It is almost impossible to engage steam, except at rates
I feel satisfied you would not approve of-2001. and 2401.
has and is being paid from Kedgeree to town. There
aro now upwards of 50 ships, of heavy tonnage, waiting
for steam." The second letter says :—" Sandheadp,
9tii Nov., 1855.—The steam hire is very heavy. I paid
1101. up and 1601. down, but it is scarcely to be got at
any price, The steamer which brought me down got
1601. for towing a ship from Kedgeree to town, and was
offered 801. by another, five minutes after he had made
the bargain. Opposition is very much wanted. I think
Liverpool should have a steam-tug company of its own
here."

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