The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-23 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

GUILDHALL.—The summons issued on Monday
last, at the suit of Mrs. Holly, against Mr. ldward
Meeser, a clerk in the employ 'of Messrs. Jansen' the
solicitors, of Tokenhou.se-yard, charging' him with hav-
ing unlawfully administered to the complainant some
deleterious substance, came on for hearing before Mr.
Alderman Wilson.
Mr. Messer attended with Mr. Bagley, his counsel.
Mary Holly said—l am a widow, living at 49, Old
Bailey. I was laundress to the chambers, at 4, Token-
house-yard, in 1849. In the November of that year the
defendant gam me, at my request, 1 lb. of arrowroot. I
wished to pay him for it, but he would not allow me. I
locked it up in a drawer, and on the 24th of the same
month I gave some to my sister, and took some myself
on the 27th. I was taken ill about half an hour after-
wards, with a feeling of sickness and a swimming in the
head, accompanied by violent perspirations. Mr. Powell
was called ir, but by whom I don't know, for I was too
ill to notice. I remained ill for two months, during
which time Mr. Holding and other medical gentlemen
attended me. My sister was very ill after taking the
arrowroot, and was taken on the 20th of Nov., to the
lunatic infirmary at Peckham-house. I saw the defendant
on the 26th and 27th, and he inquired after my sister. I
told him I thought there was something in the arrowroot,
and he asked me to take it back to him and he would get
it analysed. He also said, "Do you think I want to
poison you ?" I said I did not think any one had so
much animosity against me, and he then proposed that I
should let him have some of the arrowroot, and that we
should both have some for our supper on the same night;
and by that means be convinced that nothing was the
matter with the arrowroot. He asked me if the water I
mixed it with was bad. I said I was not aware it was,
and then went home, and subsequently returned with
some of the arrowroot to the defendant. I believe I
complained at this court about a week after taking the
arrowroot, but I was so ill and unconscious that I remem-
bered nothing of it until told by others. I asked the
.defendant ,where he bought the arrowroot, and he refused
to fell me. lle afterwards.said he had it from Messrs.
Corbyn's, of Holborn, and sullSettuently that he did not
have it from that establishment. I inquired' last summer
at Mr. Corbyn's, and saw the defendant's father, who
assured me the arrowroot did not come from their firm.
Cross-examined—l was discharged from the service of
Mr. Jansen shortly after I was taken ill, and when I resum-
ed my duties as laundress to the offices in Tokenhouse-
yard it was in the service of another party, who held
the chambers on the ground floor. Three of my sisters
and two children besides, were also partakers of the ar-
row-root, and rendered very ill. About a week after
, as defendant had requested, and
during the night, and quite insensible, and
mtb thateyc
a mm I
ek dtinn ds tookich a is
been deranged at intervals ever since. I
never complained to aay of the other clerks in the offices,
nor do I remember ever having said that they were deal-
ing in incantations to ruin me, and throwing chemical
substances about to poison me. I had a black eye re-
sulting from taking the arrow root, but I never said it
was caused by a black smell in the offices. I applied
three or four times to this court, and the same number
of times at the Manion-house, but could not get the
case inquired into. On one occasion I was told at
this court that my case was remembered, and that I was
mad. In 1850, I weote to the Lord Mayor, and saw
him at the Mansion-lbuse on the subject, but still with
the same result. I have always experienced the greatest
kindness from the defendant, and I cannot suppose any
reason for his giving he any deleterious compound. He
was also exceedingly kind, also to my husband, who
died in June, 1849.
Jane Pearce, a sister of the complainant, was
examined, but her evidence was immaterial to the

charge.
Harriet Hurst, thE sister who had been confined in
Peckham-house immediately after partaking of the arrow-
root, was then brought into court to be examined. She
appeared excessively weak and afflicted with nervous
tremblings, which it eased as she proceeded with her
evidence, till she at length sank back in the chair, unable
to articnlate anothe• word, and she was carried out of
court and her further examination adjourned. The evi-
dence she was able to give merely went to confirm the
part of complainant's statement that she took the arrow
root given her by Mrs. Holly, and was shortly after
taken ill. She wat rendered insensible, and was totally
- unconscious as to
Arine Hurst, another sister,
into the infirmary
„id—My sisters Eliza
vlto attended her and how she got
_Peckham.house.
and Harriet mixed the arrowroot they took on the 24th,
and I mixed it on the 27th, on which night we all par-
took of it—my two sisters and two children. My sis-
ters Harriet and Zliza were rendered quite insensible
within an hour after. On the 24th they became insen-
sible within five minutes, after taking the arrowroot.
My legs and arms were quite black and swelled, and I
experienced violent pains in my chest. The children
were affected with similar pains in the stomach, and
continued ill for a week after.
Eliza Hurst, also a sister of the complainant, said—l
took some of the arrowroot in question, and was taken
ill about an hour after with violent heats in my stomach,
and a feeling of sickness. I took it again on the 27th,
and within two tours after I became insensible. My
sister Anne mixed it, and we all had some, but Harriet
had the most. I remained unconscious for several days.
In the absence of the medical gentlemen who attended
the complainant and her sisters in:, their illnesses, the
evidence of the following surgeons was taken :
Mr. H. Hine Salter said—l was house physician at
King's College Hospital in 1851, when the complainant
came to me for advice. She appeared in a state of
tremulous agitation, very feeble, pale, and cadaverous
looking. She complained of frequent vomitings, almost
constant, whenever she took food ; faintness and sore-
ness of throat, tenderness of the region of the stomach
and continual pain. Lumps app eared in her groins and
the armpits, but Vere not confined to those parts, and
discoloured spot over her person similar to marks produced
from blows. I examined her person, and found her in
the state she descrlbed. I should have been at a loss to
ascribe a cause for the appearances alone ; but from the
symptoms also that she felt I should say she had taken
some irritant substance

Alderman Wilson—What would you call an irritant

substance ?—Witness—Arsenic, and any of the vege-
table poisons, would produce such symptoms.
Alderman Wilson--But would the effect of having

taken any of those irritants last for any length of time
—Witness—Yes ; it might last for several years ; but
the time varies in different cases. I do not think such
symptoms would be produced without the aid of poison.
I have seen the complainant lately, and the same symp-
toms were still perceptible, although she was much
better. I have seen Harriet Hurst ; she is at present