The National Register.
London, England, 1812-03-15 00:00:00

166

ISLE OF 1:1.Y.
At the Assizes for this Isle, held on Wednesday, the 9th of March,
Vichael Whiting was capitally convicted of having, on the 12th. of
March, 1811, at Downhatn, in the said Isle, feloniously administered a
deadly poison, or other obnoxious and destr..etive substance to George
leangman and to Joseph Langman, his brother, with intent therewith to
murder thein.—Th!s was one of the most extraordinary cases ever
heare in a Court of Justice, end evinced a remaquattle instance of human
de cavity, very strongly resembling the case of Captain Dettallen, who
wets convicted sonic years since of the murder of Sir Theodosius Bough-
ten. It appeared in evidence that the prosecutors are young r..en (the
eldest under :24 residing together at Dowithant, near Fly, in the house
of their late father, who was a small farmer, and whew. business they
Stew carry on between them. The prisoner is a shepkeeeer, and miles
near the prosecutors, whose sister he married :shout three years since.
The prosecutors, in the month of March lest, feel a female residing with
them of the name of Catherine Carter, in the caparity of housekeeper
spot servant. On Tuesday morning, the reth of Mat ch, the ?moiler
having learnt that Carter was going to Chatteris for h few days to
Visit her frienda, went to the prose, utters' hour t with a letter he wish-
td her to convey to Chetteris, and then told the prosecutor that as
their housekeeeer was going out, he woule send them srmie flour and
pork to make a pudding for their dintitrt. Shortly afterwareh, he re-
turned with a beson feted with flour and pork, and addressing himself
to the housekeeper, said, "Catherine, he sure von make the b'sys a
podding before you so." He then desired a little girt, who was the only
inhabitant of the hOuse, besides the prosecutors and their housekeeper,
to go borne and dine with him. The puddings were made and left in a
kneading tr ugh, and the prosecutors cooked thee] ; u i eating only two
or three mouthfuls they were both taken very ill; and vomited execs-
tiVely for upwards of one hour. The elder bt ocher recovered in a few
bouts, but the younger one remained very ill for 4Vvrral days. •
.Mr. Al,l. Y came down from Londan specially for the prisoner,Whose
defence was, that he had then lately attempted to poison the rats in his
house with nut ironlica, and that the Nilson in the pudding must have
teen conveyed into the fiour-bin accidentally by the rats. "1 he prisoner
said that he dealt in flour, and that the fi etr, he gave the bagman
was taken out of the bin from which he suppted his customers; lie ad-
mitted that he sold poison, but denied ever having any corrosive subli-
mete in hte possession. It appeared, however, from the testimony of
Mr. Woollaston, of Cambridge, Professor of Chemistry, who analysed
the pudding, that It contsined a very great cluartity of corrosive subli-
mate, and no other Folsom-;is ingredient;- ata it also appeared that the
prisoner bad purchased four ounces of sublimate, as part of the stock of I
the person he succeeded in the shop. it also came out in evidence, that
the- prisoner, immediately upon its beirg discovered that the prosecutors
had eaten poison, threw the contents of the flour bin into the privy, and
washed the bin thoroughly. These were the leading circumstances of
the case. 'l'he pro-ectuters had an estate worth 15001. one moiety of
which the prisoner's wife would have hetet ited in the event of their
death.
The prisoner's purpose seems to have been defeated by using too
Much poison ; the few mouthfuls that were eat_] wool!! not remain
upon the stomach a moment, and the medical men state, that one-tenth
part of the quantity wed would liztve • fh'ctua'ly destroyel both the pro-
et cutors. The novelty of the above c-,,se, :1,11 'he (In, uni4tance clf the
prisbner's b,ing a rezpectal.l,- sh.pke, i•reacher. ex-
cited so much cariosity throughout toe te!.- and county of Cambridge,
that the Court was crowded in every part at a very early hour.

T..1.` .•

HAMPSHIRE..

Harriet Mapes, was indicted for an assault nn William Dellow.
Thic trial a!ose out of the circumstznce of %%lro. rvlagties stealing the
child in London, in November last; and, alter many arguments ura•:d
coon el on both sides, it was agreed the offence was committed in
j.ondon, and not in Hampshire; consequently she was acguitted.—
hr.• was tried on a Aeennd indictmtnr, fu i haviug two hu,:bands ; there
beln nu evidence to substantiate the charge, she was again acquitted.

CAM r)RlpGn.

TRIAL OF D. DAWSON, FOR l't)lbON:N£l HORSES AT NEW-

This trial, which has occupied so ir.uch of the attention of the sport-
ling, world, took place on Fiiday, at theCarrahridge Assi4es, before Mr.
Justice HEATif. The Court was so much crowded, that the business
Was greatly impeded. The pris.)ner was iticlicred for wilfully and mali-
ciously poisoning a colt, by Baal:, the prar..erty of Sir F. S:zudi she by
infusing a quantity of white arsenic into a water trough on the New-
inarket course, in April, 'pi 1, •
Mr. Serjcant SELLON, on the part of the prosecutor, detailtd the case
pa the Jury.
Cecil Bishop, who had been conamittyd as an accomplice with Daw-
son, was admitted an approver in the case, and thar.a.iibstance of h's
evidence was as follows;—He had been acquainted with the prisoner
since he year 11E97, witness being at th..t time shopman to a claymist
zind &insist in Wardour. nis acquaintance with Dawson origi-
nated in consequence of the latter having represented to him that lie had
A feud whose horse h. 141 been played tricks with, and in order to rera-
#atta, •triscincr askedscvitness his advice: as to whit was giVt•
k‘l.gt 41 44p NA:Venl4in without kiN4 kla ; Ara in othgr Words, what