The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-24 00:00:00

Suspected Death from Poison.

Last night Mr. John Humphreys, the Middlesex
coroner, held an inquiry at the Grey Eagle Tavern,
Grey Eagle-street, Spitalfields, into the circum-
stances of the death of Eliza Marns, aged 34 years.
The case seemed to excite great interest in the
neighbourhood, and the court was crowded.
Jane Syms, 26, Gossett-street, Bethnal-green, said
that the deceased was the widow of Edward Marns,
a tailor. He died on the 29th of last May. The
deceased resided at No. 34, Grey Eagle-street. She
was a sober woman. She was taken ill at half-past
six o'clock on Thursday last. A Mr. Beecher, who
witness believed had been living with the deceased,
remained upstairs a short time. When he came
down the deceased followed him, and said to Mr.
Beecher. "My dear, my God ; what have you been
giving me ?" He replied, " I have
head and stomach pills." Mrs. Marns then seemed
given you some
to wish to go out. She went to the door. Mr:
Beecher did not oppose her going out. Witness went
with her to Dr. Gayton gentleman asked
her what she had taken, but she could not speak.
's. That
Witness then brought her home. Two of the neigh-
deceased was carried
bourn were sent for, and the
upstairs to bed. She sat up in the bed, then fell
back again. She trembled all over, and stretched
her arms out. There was no difficulty in opening
water was poured down
her mouth. Some her
throat. After the first attack the deceased
ftemed
to go into a kind of stupor.
Coroner—When Mr. Beecher -
By the C said that he
Edmund
ceased he d
e a and stomach
had given the pills a man
named Wre• Edmund was present. Witness could
at for her death. She
not accou seemed in a kind of
fit. 5110 had resided with her five e
y ars.
airs. Charlotte Mole, 31, Grey Eagle-street, said
oho was sent for last Thursday evening to see the
&ceased. On arrival she found her dashing her
bead about in a dreadful manner, foaming at the
fight mouth, and appearing to hard for her breath.
She could not speak, ,but was conscious ; the body
was straight but stiff, and she worked her arms
and hands about; her eyes looked as if they were
about to start out of her head, and the mouth was
drawn on one side. At times her eyes wont round
like the works of
a watch, and she suffered a suc-
cession of fits, lasting
from 10 to 5 minutes each, at
which times her back was bowed, the body resting
on the head and heels ; altogether she had 24 fits.
The usual remedies were applied, and Dr. Gayton
was called in. During the night Mr. Beecher came
up twice, seeming much cut up, and at about 4
o'clock on Friday morning he proposed that medical
assistance should be procured. The death rattles
were then in her throat, and witness told him that
a doctor was then useless.
The Coroner said it was necessary that Mr. Beecher
should be present, in order that he might ask the
witnesses any questions that he might think proper. '
Mr, Beecher, a respectably-dressed man, of about
30 years of age, who was said to be a tailor, resid-
ing at No. 34, Grey Eagle-street, Spitalfields, then
entered the court, and proceeded to cross-examine
the witness as to his having gone himself on two
occasions for a doctor.
This was admitted.
After SOIDO further unimportant evidence,
Dr. William Gayton deposed that the deceased
came to his shop in Brick-lane between 7 and S
o'clock on Thursday night. She, was at the time
very pale, and in a fey? In-1111. i f
es left the shop and