The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-17 00:00:00

SUPPOSED MURDER BY ACONITE.

Last night Mr. John Humphreyp, Middlesex
coroner, resumed at the Grey Eagle Tavern, Grey
Eagle-street, Spitalfields, the investigation into the
circumstances attending the death of Mrs. Elizabeth
Fiarns, the widow of a tradesman.

The court eras densely crowded, as, owing to the
rumours abroad, it was expected that some extra-
ordinary disclosures would take place, consequent
upon the exertions of the detective police. The
case excited the greatest interest throughout.
Inspector Osborn watched the case for the com-
missioner of police.
The deceased was the widow of a master tailor,
who died six months ago. After his decease she
cohabited with the foreman, a person named Beecher,
who had formerly been in basiness, but had become
bankrupt. He was a married man, living apart
from his wife. By the statement of Mrs. Marna's
little daughter the deceased and Beecher did not
live very happily together. On one occasion he
beat her. On Thursday, the 19th of November, the
deceased, who was a strong woman, 38 years of age,
was in her usual health, but said she had a head-
ache. In the evening, after being an hour up.
stairs alone with the deceased, Mr. Beecher came
down to the kitchen. Deceased following imme-
diately, and taking hold of his arm said," My dear,
my God, what have you been giving me ?" He
turned to the persons present and said, " I
have only
given her two head and stomach
pills." The deceased walked to Dr. Gayton's sur-
gery in Brick-lane, which was some distance from
the shop in
Grey Eagle-street. Soon afterwards
'
In less than two hours she
shha vomitedo
convulsionsvi fan extraordinary character. Her
back was curved, her eyes worked like clockwork,
and she foamed at the mouth. She shook the room
in her struggles. She died early in the morning of
Friday. Dr. Gay ton, who made the post-mortem
examination, could find no natural cause for death.
Dr. Letheby could not reconcile the symptoms with
any natural cause which would leave no subsequent
trace. The difficulty arose mainly in this respect.
No trace of poison could be found, but the vomiting
of course, would have done away with that. The
symptoms generally were those of poisoning by
strychnine, but a person having taken strychnine
would not have been able to walk to Dr. Gayton's
and back again. The coroner, however, said that
he was informed that there was a poison which it
may now be mentioned is aconite, which was so
capricious in its action that it might have produces
the various effects described, and then have left
little trace. He, therefore, adjourned the inquiry,
and directed the police to follow up the matter.

Upon the resumption of the inquiry,
Mr. Beecher said, in answer to the coroner, that
he did not wish any of the witnesses to be re-called
and re-examined. He wished to say that the reason
he said to Elizabeth Brooks that he did not want
to go for Dr. Jackson was that he owed that gentle-
man n deal of money under his bankruptcy. But he
told Brooks that if she went Dr. Jackson would
come for her.

Mr. J. H. Thompson said that he was in practice
as a medical man. He knew Mr. Beecher, and had
a conversation with him about aconite about four
weeks before the death of the deceased. That was
about the time of the suicide of Hunt, who mur-
dered the people in the cab. On a previous occasion
Beecher had said that Mrs. Marns was very ill, and
witness advised him to call in a medical man. The
Wednesday after Hunt's death, he spoke of aconite,
and. the strong poison it must have been, and the
difficulty in tracing it. He said Hunt must have
been out of his senses. There was a conversation
about tincture of aconite, and in the course of it
witness mentioned that one of its effects was to pro-
duce sickness. The witness continued, after Mrs.
Marns's death I met Mrs. Lilley in the street, and
she told me deceased was dead, and described how
she died. I said, "Oh God, it was only the other
day that he spoke to mo of Hunt's death and aco-
nite.' I met Mr. Beecher since, and had a conver-
sation with him. He said that he had no occasion
to poison her, because he was getting his livelihood
by her. He said that he need not fret himself, as
he was conscious he had given her nothing to injure
her. The business was improving, and he had been
getting up in the world again.
By Mr. Beecher—When I saw you, you were
greatly excited, and you came to me for medicine
for nervous excitement.

Mrs. Emily Beecher said that she was the wife of
Mr. Beecher, but that she was living apart from
him, and resided in Bermondsey-place, Bermondsey.
She believed that she would have fallen a victim in-
stead of Mrs. Maros, if she had been living with him.
The Coroner—What is your reason for making
such a statement ?
Witness said that on several occasions he had
deliberately attempted to take her life. On one
occasion he fired a loaded pistol at her, but fortu-
nately the bullet missed her, and entered the door,
At that time she escaped and ran out of the room.
Twelve months ago he took up a knife, and was
going to stab her, but her sister rushed into the
room and seized the knife, and saved her.

The Coroner said that the inquiry waa relative to
the death of Mrs. Marna, and it would be best to
confine the evidence to what might bear upon that

case.

The witness said that Mr. Beecher thoroughly
understood poisons. He was constantly speaking
about them, and was for ever talking about admi-
nistering poisons in rings. He used poisons in the
preparation of waterproofs, and bottles used to come
from chemists labelled " poison." After the back-
ruptcy, witness and her husband were both desti-
tute, and they separated. Witness was taken home
to her father's.

Cross examined by Mr. Beecher—Witness de-
clined to say whether she was not now living with
her cousin as his wife. It was necessary to have
some one to take care of the two children. She
also declined to enter into the question whether a
bill of sale which Mr. Beecher asked about had not
been given by him to her father, and whether a
lease worth £BO had not been surrendered to him.
Mr. William Richards, surgeon, said that he prac-
tised in Woolwich. About three or four weeks ago
a man called at his surgery and wanted to purchase
aconite. Witness declined to sell it to him. lie
then made a very trifling purchase, and made various
inquiries about strychnine, prussio acid,
and other
poisons.
Witness was then directed to lookouunable
nd the
court, which he did. He then said," laar m
to recognise for certain any one in the room as the
man."
Aut.C.S., Kin eland-road,
Mr. Charles Beuley,
said that six or seven weeks ago, a gentlemanly.
looking young man entered his surgery and asked
for an ounce of tincture of aconite. Witness con.
.d that he came
versed with him, and having discovered
that he
supplied
him knew its properties and effects, Ruppiied
him with it. He sa! from the coun-
try, where aconite was
look getting into
great use.
The witness, after being directed to lo
around
the room, said chat the young man to Whom he sold
the aconite was a fsir young Man) and the party
present was therefore not the man.
The Coroner—All you can Say positively is that
you do not recognise any man e
Witness—Well, the man who bought the aconite
was fair.

I'he Coroner said it Was deemed advisable at that
stage of the proceedings to adjourn the inquiry.
The medical evidence had shown that there was no
natural cause for death. The police
most active exertions in the matter, and it would
be best to all
--cm them ample time to discover some
further clue, were making
__.--...... 1
The proceedings were accordingly adjourned.

POPE'S
—Tire Marquis of Bristol has
recently presented to the National Portrait Gallery
a full-length portrait of his ancestor, Lo
Secon rd John H
and the
ervey,
Keeper of the Privy Seal to George the d,
subject of one of Pope's severest satires. The ill-health to
which he was so long subject, the debility of his frame,
and, in contrast, a bright eye and quick intellect visible in
the countenance, have been faithfully, but heavily rendered
by Vanioo, the painter. The white and shrivellei shin of
the face and hands almost explains the famous line,—
Sporus, that mere white curd of asses' milk.
tAhne dptuhros
efoepopnetray o
nf
;Thee fur-lined
, Seal,
uffi y v
coat,B ase t sitsi
reeis
dandlinga the
spirit alluded
to in tut sequel,—
Now trips a lady and now struts a lord.