The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-15 00:00:00

SCIENTIFIC AND ORNAMENTAL PRESENTS.

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The Mysterious Death of a Young Lady at
Salisbury by Poison.

On Monday afternoon the prisoner in the above case was
brought before the Mayor of Salisbury, James Hussey,
Esq., and F. Attwood, Esq., at the Council House. He
took his place in the dock with a nonchalant air, and the
Mayor, addressing him said—William John Storer, you
are charged, on the information of Mr. Superintendent
Caldow, on suspicion of having caused the death of Emily
Sophia Blake, by administering certain poisonous pills to
her.
The prisoner made no answer to the charge.

Mr. William Martin Coates, surgeon, of Salisbury, was
then sworn. Ho said—About 12 o'clock on the night of
Tuesday, the sth inst., I was sent for to go to the house of
Mr. Blake, in Castle-street. I there saw the deceased,
Emily Sophia Blake, who was in convulsions. I know of
nothing but nux vomica or strychnia that would produce
such symptoms. I immediately asked her if she had taken
anything that could have made her so ill, and she replied
No." I did not tell her that she was dying. Finding
that she was likely to die, I requested the attendant to
sendfor Dr. Roberts, When he came he concurred in my
opinion as to the cause of the symptoms. I was present
when the young lady died. On Dr. Roberts asking her if
she had taken anything, she said "Dont," I think three
times. Her father also asked her, but she made no reply,
except that she was dying. At length she said that she
had only taken some pills. On Dr. Roberts asking who
had given her the pills, she replied, "Mr. Storer." (An
exclamation of surprise from the prisoner.) I asked her,
then, for what purpose the pills were given her, and she
replied, "To keep me well." On my asking for an expla-
nation, she said, " In my pearliness."
Mr. Lee—Did you know Mr. Storer previously ?

Mr. Coates—Yes. He was formerly an assistant to Mr.
Blake. Is it necessary to state that Miss Blake indicated
where other pills were to be found?
Mr. Hussey thought not. Sufficient had already been
stated to justify a remand.
Prisoner—l have a statement which I should like to
make.

Mr. Hussey—You had better reserve that.
Prisoner—Yes, but I have had no chance of saying
anything. I am perfectly innocent of the charge against
me.

Mr. Hussey—Every opportunity will be given you for
defending yourself.
Prisoner—But it is not a pleasant thing to stop in prison
for a week upon a charge of this kind. (Producing a paper.)
Shall I read this statement ?

The Mayor—You aro privileged to do so, but I should
advise you not. .
Mr. Hussey—lt may be used As evidence against you.
TheMayor—The magignp strongly, udvisos you not to
make any statement whatever in the absence of a profes-
sional adviser.
Prisoner—l shall do it whether or not. I never made
pills of any kind for Emily Sophia Blake, except compound
rhubarb for digestive pills, which I frequently made for
her, and which her father and mother sometimes used.
As near 'as I can remember, nine or ten weeks ago Emily
Sophia Blake came to me in the surgery and said she
wanted to consult rue. I Was busy, and said, " Nonsense,
I can't speak to you now." She said, " I must speak
to you." She said she was two or three days over
her time. Would I make up two or three pills for
it? She said her mamma was frequently speaking to her
about it, as if she believed something wrong, not that
I had any intercourse with her, for I had not. I made her
some pills, compound of myrrh and rhubarb, and told her
to take them at bedtime. I don't know whether she took
them the next day, or the day after, but she told me they
bad the desired effect. I never made pills for her of a diffe-
rent drug. She used to take cough pills, in which there
was naphthaline, but they were kept in the surgery, ready
prepared, and she used sometimes to get them for herself.
Of the digestive pills I saw her take one, three or four
days before I left. Sometimes she took one beforo dinner.
Sometimes I made her 12 pills, and sometimes 24. Shortly
after my asking her father's consent to our engagment, her
mamma spoke to her in the drawing-room. They were
rather against it at the time, and said she ought not
to make up her mind so quickly. I was outside my bed-
room door, and I listened. I heard her say that if she could
not have Mr. Storer she would have no one else. I then
came away, and came downstairs. She told me downstairs
what had passed between her mamma and herself. She
told me she would have nobody else but me, and that if her
pa and ma tried to alter her she was sure to poison herself.
I remonstrated with her, and told her that if they objected
I would wait till she was 21. She said she hoped to be
mine long before that. Since my leaving Salisbury, on
the 17th of last month, I have never sent her medicine of
any description, nor a prescription to obtain any. As'
regards strychnine, I never had 'such a thing in my
Possession in my life. After leaving Salisbury 'I wrote
two letters to her when I was ill in bed—so ill that I
didn't think I should write to her any more. When I left,
on the 17th August, it was considered by ourselves and the
family that we were engaged, and that we were to corre-
spond. It happened that about a week after it was broken
off somehow or other. Does it stand to reason—do you
think I should have poisoned one who was dearest to me,
and to whom I was looking as my future wife ? I swear
that I gave her no pills of any kind for five or six weeks
before leaving the place, except the digestive pills. She
might have had some previous to that. I declare before
God and man that Emily Sophia Blake never received any-
thing poisonous from me during her existence. I didn't
know that I was charged with murder until Mr. Lee told
me yesterday. Then I didn't know whether I was charged
with having shot her or cut her throat. If I had thought
of such a thing I would have died with her. When Mr.
Caldow came I told him that I know nothing about it, and
that I would willingly go with him.
Mr. Superintendent Caldow—l read the warrant to you.
Prisoner—Yes, but I did not know, until Mr. Coates
stated it, that when she was dying she said she had some
pills from me.. She formerly had ; but certainly nothing
poisonous from my buds. I cannot say that she did not
say so, with the intention of hiding the deed she had done
with her own hands. She avowed that if the engagement
tlhdine cglalrodobne,ftotrhine Gko dI andeve
ever saw
shall be most happy to court
was broken off she would poison herself, which she appears
tlohhaavvee
ndoonek—noinwlme,hdgate.waly,
iisnne cis
thesuiiorny surgery,
\SvthrStrychnine
cr
Where
andnsihne;
gotcwo Irt tstahai ne 1
py
Inl
s everc
o n
thaai
nd
n e anys
tirny
c mh
ny i nPe
ors
any other poison, I cannot say. If I had given them to
her why did she not take them before ? I had been away
from the house for three weeks.

---
The Mayor—ls that all the statement you have lo
make?
Prisoner—Yes.
The Mayor—Then we remand you on this charge till
Monday next.
Prisoner—Shall I not be required to be present at the
inquest to-morrow ?
The Mayor—That will be a question for the coroner.

:cud shortly afterwards
The prisoner was t
lodged in Fisherton Gaol.
then removed,

The inquest was resumed on Tuesday morning, before B.
M. Wilson, Esq., at the house of the deceased's father, in
Castle-street. The Coroner said, on hearing that deceased
was supposed to have died from the effects of strychnine he
immediately telegraphed to Professor Harley, asking him
if he could make an analysis. The professor, however, was
not in London at the time, and accordingly he thought it
necessary to send Mr. Collins, one of his clerks, up to
London to Professor Taylor, with whom he had since been
in communication. The professor informed him that it
would be first of all necessary to obtain the authority of
the Home-office kik the analysis. He at once made the
necessary application, but had only that morning received
the sanction of the Secretary of State to the proceedings.

The first witness called was Mr. Thomas John Blake,
who said—My daughter's name was Emily Sophia. She
was 19 years old in April. I had an assistant by the name
of William John Storer. He came to me in October last
year. He left ray employment about three weeks before
the death of my daughter—l think on the 17th of August.
Whilst here he boarded with my family. He was on
friendly terms with my daughter, and professed to be
paying his addresses to her, but against my wishes. I
discharged him for his irregular conduct and habits of
intemperance. I gave him notice three months before, but
he begged to be allowed to stay on. On Tuesday night I
was sent for to go to Harnham a little after nine o'clock.
My daughter had not then gone to bed. She kissed me,
and bade me good bye. She had gone to bed previous to
my return, which was a little after 10 o'clock. When I left
home she appeared as cheerful and well as ever she was in
her life. She was perfectly cheerful ; in fact, there was
no alteration observable in her. She had been out several
times during the day. She went out for a walk with her
mamma in the evening. About half-past eleven o'clock I
was sitting down stairs talking to my wife when I. heard
some one screaming. My wife at first thought it was
somebody in the street. Then there was another scream,
which I knew to be my daughter's. I at once ran up-
stairs, and found her in a dreadful state. There was
no light in her room. My wife followed me up as soon as
she had lighted a candle from the gas. I went on without
a candle. My daughter vas undressed, in bed. I said to her
"Oh, my dear, what is the matter ?" She said, "Oh, papa,
I woke up so ill." I said, you shall go and sleep with your
mamma to-night, and I will sleep in your bed." I thought
she had been frightened, but after the lapse of a few
minutes, I found that something worse was the matter. I
soon gave up the idea of its being hysteria. She said,
" Hold me, hold me," every moment. We held her, and I
asked her mamma if she had ever seen her like it before,
and she replied, "No, do go for Mr. Coates." ' I at once
sent for him. She had had two or three slight attacks of
hysteria, but not frequently. Before Mr. Coates arrived I
asked her if she had taken anything to cause her illness.
She replied, "No, pa; no." There were bottles in the
room, but none of them ever contained poison. I was led
to make the inquiry in consequence of the violence of the
attack. Mr. Coates came in rather more than half an hour
after my daughter first alarmed us, and I took him up to
the room. I heard Mr. Coates 'ask her if she had taken
anything, and she said, "No, no." Mr. Coates took up a
glass, and asked what it had contained. I told him it was
a glass from which I had just given her a dose of chloro-
dyne. He said, " Give her another." I gave her 30 minims ;'
she had previously taken 25. Neither dose appeared to take
effect. I afterwards went for Dr. Roberts, and brought him
back with me. This was about one o'clock. My daughter
had previously said to her mamma, "What can this
bo ? What can this be ? I shall die. I shall die." Dr.
Roberts pressed her two or three times to my if she had
taken anything, and I believe he added, "Because you are
dying." I pressed her also to tell us, and she then replied,
" Don't, don't." I said, " What have you taken ?" and she
said, "Pills." That was in answer to the inquiry of both
Dr. Roberts and myself. We were . both speaking toge-
ther. I asked her how many, and she said "Three." I
said, "Who gave them to you.?" and Dr. Roberts Put the
same question. She replied, "Mr. Storer." I then said
" When ?" She said, " About three weeks ago, just be-
fore he left." My wife came forward and- asked, "Have
you any more of them ?" She replied, " Yes, there are
some in a box in the clothes-drawer." We pulled out the
top drawer, in which a box of pills was discovered. I be-
lieve my wife took them out. Afterwards we found
another box, marked " Digestive pills." There was no in-
scription on the other box. The second box contained
only three pills. My daughter had been in the habit of
taking digestive pills for some years. The first box of
pills was shown to my daughter by Dr. Roberts, and she
said it was the one from which she took the pills. She was
asked by Dr. Roberts for what purpose the pills had been
given her, and she replied "To keep me well." I cannot
say whether this was before or after the box was found.
She was shortly afterwards
,seized with convulsions, and
died about half-past one.
By the Jury—She was perfectly sensible for most of 4,„
time rup to the time of her being convulsed.. She had
never threatened to destroy herself.
By the Coroner—l know that Storor wrote to her two or
three times after leaving, but those letters were inter-
cepted. I read them myself. They were addressed to her
here, without any concealment on his part. They were
sent back to Storer by my directions on Tuesday, together
with everything belonging to him. My daughter took
the parcel to the railway station. I have no copy of those
letters.

By a Juror—She was perfectly willing that the letters
and things should be sent back. I did not observe any
change in her demeanour in consequence of the intimacy
between herself and Storer having been broken off. She
appeared somewhat low for two or three days after ho left.
He asked my consent to his marriage with my daughter,
when we first discovered the existence of an intimacy be-

tween them. Mrs. Blake first taxed him with it. I told
him that she was young, that I could not entertain his
proposal for a moment at that time. Ho told mo he had
fully made up his, mind to marry no one o',.se. I still re-
fused my consent, and told him that being a minor she
could not marry contrary to her father's wishes. On a
second occasion I told him it must go for twelve months,
and that we should see how matters stood then. I was
not aware that Mr. Storer had ever prescribed for my
daughter, but he had dispensed medicine for her under my
directions. I was informed that my daughter's symptoms
were similar to those which would be caused by strychnine.
I had no strychnine or nux vomica in my dispensary, nor
in the house, to my knowledge.
The Coroner—Had you any Battle's vermin killer in the
house ?

Mr. Blake—Not of late. I think there was some kept in
the house about three months before Mr. Storer left. I am
aware that Mr. Storer had a private medicine chest of his
own upstairs, containing various drugs. I am not aware
whether that chest contained strychnine. The digestive
pills were mixed, in all probability, by Mr. Storer. There
were 12 of the other pills left. On searching over the
house we found one little document, which has been given
to Mr. Superintendent Caldow. [The document was pro-
duced, and read by the coroner, as follows :—" Miss Blake,
at least Mrs. W, J. Storer, must soon follow, or the conse-
quences will be her husband must go to Salisbury to fetch
her sharply."]
Mr. Blake said' the document was in the handwriting of
Storer. It was found in his daughter's bedroom.
Mrs. Elizabeth Blake was then called, and deposed as
follows—The deceased was my husband's daughter by his
first marriage. She was of a cheerful disposition, and was
on very good terms with myself and husband. She was
out once alone on Tuesday afternoon, and in the evening
for about two hours with me. She did not complain of being
unwell, and had no appearance of illness. It must have been
about half-past 11 when we heard her scream. I said, "My
dear, what is the matter? Are you frightened ?" She said,
"Oh, no, mamma; I feel as I have never felt before. 1
awoke very ill, and on getting out of bed found that I
couldn't stand." She had another convulsion, and then my
husband sent me downstairs for 25 drops of chlorodyne,
which she took, with a little difficulty. She did not say
that she was to keep secret the fact of her having received
pills from Mr. Storer. The box containing the pills was
an ordinary pill-box. Mr. Storer showed great temper on
ono or two occasions. He did not make use of any threats.
My husband told me that when he gave him notice he said
he would be revenged. Deceased would not be possessed
of any money in her own right until after her father's
death. Mr. Blake was displeased with Mr. Storer in the
surgery, because of his intemperate habits. Mr. Blake
and myself told him that he had better leave, as he was
unable to do anything. My husband thought his illness
had been produced by drink.
The Coroner—Had you any Battle's vermin killer in the
house ?
Mrs. Blake—About three weeks before Mr. Storer's
leaving I think a packet was obtained to kill some mice.
A part of it was used. The remainder was used a night or
two after Wards, and the paper was burned. We placed it
near a hole where we thought a rat came out. The next
morning it was gone. That was the only time that
Battle's vermin killer was introduced into the house for
•
some years.
Mr. W. M. Coates was then calledi and repeated the
evidence which he gave before the magistrates on Monday.
He added—l made a post-mortem examination of the body
on the evening of the day on which she died. I examined
the brain and spinal chord, the chest and abdomen, but
found no disease. I sent the stomach, and the small in-
testines, with their contents, a portion of the liver and
spleen, some of her blood, and a box of pills to your (Mr.
Wilson's) office, with a short description of the symptoms.
The whole has since been transmitted to Dr. Alfred Taylor.
Poisoning by nux vomica, or strychnine, would leave no
traces of strychnine in the stomach. There was great ex-
travasation of blood in the muscles,which were contracted.
Dr. Roberts was the next witness. Ile corroborated the
main points of Mr. and Mrs. Blake's evidence as to what
took place in the young lady's bed-room immediately pre-
ceding her death. The symptoms were those of tetanus.
The inquiry was then adjourned until Thursday next.

NEW YORK, Sept. 2.
The tone of all the journals published in the South-
ern States, and the testimony of every one who has
recently been through them, substantiate the state-
ments I have lately sent you respecting the temper
and disposition of the people towards the North and
the general Government. But as it is very likely
that the class which refuses to believe the late struggle
is completely at an end may still deny that Southern
opinion has been fairly represented by these state-
ments, it may be well to bring forward Southern
evidence itself on the subject. I have told you that
the large body of the Southern people arc heartily
rejoiced at the termination of the war, and are anxi-
ous to do everything in their power to return to the
Union and remain at peace. Of course they would
prefer to have won, but since the arbitrament which
they selected has gone against them, they accept the
decision with better sense and judgment than their
so-called friends and advocates, and determine not
to aggravate the misfortunes of their position by
continued and impotent resistance. That this is the
true state of feeling may now be proved out of the -
mouths of Southern men and from Southern papers.
Probably.some far-seeing writer at a distance may
declare that this, too, is " incredibly disgraceful ;"
but facts, although harder to pick up than large
words, are more useful in enabling any one to judge
ofthe state of this or the bent of public
opinion. To turn, then, to Southern papers. With-
out overburdening this letter with extracts, brief
passages may be gleaned which will show the ten-
dency of the whole Southern press. " Instead of
wanting to try it again," says the Richmond
Republic, " the people of the South never want
to see or hear of war, either with the' people-of the
North or with any other people under the sun."
And it goeS on to complain,of the " appalling sel
fishness and callous indifference manifested to the
Welfare of the privates" by the Confederate
Government. If all Europe denied that this latent
bitterness towards Mr. Davis exists in the South as
well as in the North the denial would not change
the fact, palpable to every one in this country who
has eyes and who uses them. Without adopting
Northern opinions respecting the President of the
lath Confederacy, I sought in a
,recent letter upon
Mr. Davis to describe and explain them, endorsing
only the statement that the evidence of cruelty to-
wards Federal prisoners in Southern gaols or pens
was irresistible. The mass of evidence now being
produced in the Wirz trial will show what my au-
thority was for the latter opinion, and, with regard
to Mr. Davis, there is scarcely a public organ in
the whole United States which does not own that
the people are against bim. The South think
he ruined their cause, the North that he supported
it too well. Both look upon him with disfavour,
and it cannot be unimportant that ,the reasons for
this sentiment should be fully explained.
In the same spirit, as the Richmond paper, the
Mobile Tribune recommends the State Convention
to support loyal Union men, such, it says—
" As see clearly that slavery is as dead as a red herring,
and that any attempt to restore it, even 'to a temporary
life, will be almost a crime, will hurt the general god,
keep the State from the civil rehabilitation which is so im-.
portant to its future welfare. . . . We must stand high
above our prejudices, and, the modes of thought which we
have so sedulously cultivated for the past four years."

The Georgia papers are full of appeals toNorthern
men of capital to come and settle in that State,
assuring them of a cordial welcome, The Richmond
Whig be,gs the public to believe that, "'so far as
Virginia is concerned, there is not the shadow' of
truth in any statement which represents ..the great
body of her citizens as other than peaceable, loyal,
and subraistive to the Government.". Another Rich-
mond
_paper, the
_,Teepubac,
_reproaches_ bitterly the
-profassed :supporter of the Southern cause In
New York, the Daily News, for misrepresenting the
South by constantly declaring that the war " is not
over." It remarks, " There is no foundation for the
sombre pictures of our condition and prospects drawn
by the News," -.Even in South Carolina it is declared,
by Northern men who have latelypassed through that
no trace of enmity is shoWn towards the North. The
people say, " We brotight the war about, and, how-
ever unfortunate-may be the issue for us, we are not
going to make it worse by' throwing dirt in the face
of the Government." The Constitutionalist, published
at Augusta, Georgia, has the following :
"It is obvious that the State of Georgia stands to-day fully
provided with all the material elements of prosperity; seces-
sion, war, conquest, and emancipation having neither injured
her soil, altered her climate, dammed' her rivers„ nor rendered
unproductive those rich natural resourees of every kind
wherewith a kind Providence has so amply,endowed her."
And it affirms that the people are willing to abide by
the issue of the War. The Tennessee journals express
similar views, and, indeed, it would be easy to fill
columnswith extracts to the purport of those already
quoted. • , • , •

'o pass now to what Southern men are saying
and doing. There are; plenty of them in New
York, and although not pretending to disguise their
regret at having lost, they face their present position
manfully and resolutely. They are inviting the co-
operation of Northern capitalists to 'enable them to
build bridges and restore roads, and I have been
assured by many that there is plenty of cotton yet
in the South if it could be got together and brought
to market. Information on this point is, however,
too vague to justify any positive conclusions. At
Memphis a public meeting, consisting exclusively of
men who actually carried arms in the Confederate
araly,was recently held, and resolutions werepassed
acknowledging that the issues raised by the South
when it went to war—namely, its right to secede
and to extend slavery—had been decided as con- i
elusively as by "any of the customary forms of
law," and adding, " We regard it as the duty of the
people of the South to energetically apply them-
selves to the work of repairing the losses incurred
during the war, to re-create its prosperity, and by
every means to develope its resources to their
utmost capacity." The meeting also passed the fol-
lowing resolutions :
,4 That we recognise the abolition of slavery as an inevi-
table event—a dead institution—and we would not restore
it if we could. . . _

“That we do not regret taking the amnesty oath r that
we have faithfully. baerved, and that we will zealously and
faithfully observe it hereafter.

"That wo pledge our honour to give a hearty co-opera-
tion in the restoration of the civil laws of the United States
Government and the Constitution thereof, and will do
everything in our power to uphold the same."
Thereupon the meeting adjourned.
At Richmond a great " mass meeting" has been-
held, at which the statement that the South was not
disposed to yield was indignantly denied, and the
following resolution, among others to a similar
effect, was passed
" That the general temper and disposition of the Southern
people, including our own, are to accept and acquiesce in
the results of the late sanguinary struggle, and to resume
the duties of citizenship in the Union. That the men of
character and ability who haye_hitherto influenced public
sentimentneither advise nor intend anything different from
the discharge of their duties as' citizens of the United
States, and are setting an example of full and ready sub-
mission to the authority of its Government, and counsel a
full recognition of the facts of the actual situation, includ-
ing the accepted and irreversible abolition of slavery."
The National Dramatic Executive Committee
issues an address from New Orleans, in which it de-
clares that even " show of opposition to the gene-
ral Government is extinct," and that, with the ex-
ception of a few who made profits out of contracts
in the late war, everybody desires to make peace
permanent. Judge 0. A. Cochrane, who lost all
the property he possessed by the war, recently de-
livered an address at Macon, Georgia, affirming that
the people of that and other States had " come out
of the war losing everything but honour."
went into the war," he said, " on the judgment of
human wisdom, to protect slavery ; we came out of
it with not a slave to tread our soil." And he gave
this advice which was received with applause
Let us qualify, as voters, to aid in the organisation of

In the absence of any pressing political news a few
bcaocircumstance
illustrationscrliuiannnvwittataneayrbe
uninteresting..
oaihnlfvaagepwtl.
happening
snnge
iyxni excessive sriaohtitersiepne urdevani h
ac.
United
ado
dm
iLfsojatrirelaevsg
anhdanrtiddasiaypenegngmo:asrt
here is sure to be instantly
Any own observations,-therzlsgwleouraldii-
contradicted, and that consequently if I gaVe any
information respecting railway travelling based on.
ders to,prove-that not a, Vib;tteylriacal:C;erettti7hilald-
ever occurred in this country, I will again fortify •
my remarks with statistics taken from the New
York papers. According to, the returns given..:byf
the Tribune there have been 67 disasters on Ameri-
can railroads during the past twelvemonths, in which
300-persons were killed and more than 600 injured. -
The New York Pines, however, gives fuller retUrns;—
from which it appears 'that no less than 45 railway
accidents have taken place since last April, and that
the total number of killed and wounded is-1,500. .
If to these be added the casualties by steamboats_L
the aggregate of killed and wounded will not be less T.
than 5,000. The Herald gives the number of rail- •
way disasters between the -Ist of January and 31st
of August as 128, in which 266 persons were killled
'and 1,109 wounded. The Evening Post states that
fatal` accidents occurred in the months of July and
August just past, the loss ,of life being noless than
77, and the injured numbering 166. Nearly the
whole of these disasters were caused by sheer; un-
deniable, and wilfunieglect. Yet, until within` the
last few days, when an unusually horrible accident
happened close to New York, scarcely any attention
has been paid to these events, the coroner's inquest
being solely a matter of form; and ending almost as
soon as it is begun. The disregard Of human life
shown here since the war is certainly most extraor-
dinary.; It'rather resembles the impregnable 'indif-
ference which is to be observed among the Mussul-
men. of India when an epidemic is raging among them
than the decent helingwhich is common to civilised
and Christian people. A woman commits a murder,
and is-riot only acquitted by the jury and kissed in
open court by her counsel, but complimented and
flatteredby the judge.. ' Another Woman adveriiies
every day in the papers her reagness to destroy
children. 141a6re is no disguise about this Over-
tisement , it iS so openly expressed that a school girl
could not fail to understand it. Coroner's juries sit
to inciitire„into railway accidents, and will scarcely,
condescend to receive-airy- evidence.- Railway mur-
der' which, would excite horror and indignation
throughout Europe do not iattract SQ, pinch notice
here as one Child-poisoning' cape in England, which
is, held to be 'an evidence of our natiOnal habits and
'morality. ery inciden' of thii-H.kind 'is greedily
drawn from the English- papers, Ind- a big label
stuck on to" it while the. five 'or- Six murders) a!week
reported here—this is a truthful, not an exaggerated
statement, of. the number—are passed over: as. very
~
commonplace incidents, as, indeed,theyare. 'With
reference to railway travelling,. itlas laufbeen the
boast of Americans 'that their plan of 'liaising a
cord along the rods of the railway cars,- and thus •
enabling the iia,s.4,seriger to communicate. with 'The •
driver, 'is a safeguard against.accident. Eiperience ,-
Pro-ies that it is not of the smallest ,use, except,it be
to give. a delusive sense of .security to the, passeu,-
gers.. Theyjnay like to fancy that they could stop
the train , at anl4 moment. -.ln realitythey find
themselveS With 'broken legs or arms before they
had any idea of the approach of danger. The' per-
manent way on nearly every line out of New. York'is
now in a condition .which must render disasters not'.,
a matter of, chance. but of certainty. The rails, _as
I stated in a previous letter, are broken into mere
.fragments, and the sleepers are so rotten that they
yield to eVerythrust Of a walking stick. The cars
oscillate widely from side to side; and jump at a rate
which prove that it is not so easy a thing as it looks
to cause a railway accident, but that great pains are
necessary.. The country roads across the line are not
fenced in, .and the level crossings have no gates to
them, but merely a notice put up in these words,
".Railway_crossing, look out for cars." This board,
it will be allowed, is of no great use after dark.
Hundreds of such roads run across'every line. The
railway is rarely properly fended in at any part, so
-chat cattle stray upon the line constantly: In short,
the least disagreeable.accident that can happen:to a
railway traveller, especially at this season, is to take
'away with him very-unpleasant mementoes of his
journey. All classes being huddled together in one
long car—for all men are equal, the tobacco cheiver,
.the shoeblack, and the too fastidious Englishman or
American alike--the atmosphere is loathsome be-
yond deseription, and there is almost sure to be a
woman who claims the tra*ellefs seat and puts him
out of it. Such are thought •to be. the privileges of
-the sex in America. Behind each.seat is often a
projecting piece -of iron, for the
stuffed
dlePld p
traveller's head a
to rest against, afoul, greasy, offen-
sive
pad, which could not be fail to be au object of
interest to the diligent student of insect life, but
must always prove a terror to the tired-traveller.
Every now and then the guard walks through the
cars, and does not ask the tourist for his
ticket, but knocks . him . in the. side if his
head happens
,to be turned the other way, .or
pinches his arm. This, so far, as have seen, is
invariable the man never speaks, but always uses
his fist. It' of course, be very ungracious,
not to say improper, to repulse these familiarities
in a land of equality 'and freedom. There are sleep-
ing cars to travel in by night, but they are simply
storehouses of vermin, and anybody who trusts him-
self .within them is sure to spend an active and
lively night. If by chance he drops asleep the con-
ductor will 'certainly tap him in a friendly way in
the' chest and cry out, " Now, then, ticket!" The
indecency of other arrangements in these ma must
leave undescribed. The English system of railway
travelling, even at its worst—say on the Great .
Eastern line—is so far superior to the American that
they cannot be for a moment compared with each
other; while the sleeping carriages" which we have
placed_ upOn our Indian railways are, as a matter of
fact, more comfortable than an ordinary bedroom in'
a crack New York Hotel--the Brevoort House,"
for instance—where a stranger on a hot night is
'poked into a cupboard to sleep. Railway arrange-
_ments in America are far behind those of all the rest
Of the world, as all travelled Americans sorrowfully
willg b_
pe
a manyiate
d
admit. If some proper supervision is not exercised
movoerrethe
railwayman murdersageni
readers of the morning journals.
The Statements which have: been made respecting
ent of
fto the
regale the the
rset ro
the intention of General Lea to leave :Virginia and
take up his home in Europe are. understood to be
unfounded. Mr. Seward 's passport order was in-
tended to give Southern men who :wished to exile
themselves facilities for leaving the country, but .it
is not compulsory in its .effect, and does no more .
than cloSe the mouths of cavillers who made out
that the Government -would neither pardon the
_Southern leaders nor suffer them to find a place of
refuge elsewhere. It is willing to do the first, under
certain moderate and reasonable conditions, and to
do the latter without any conditions at all.

SUICIDE OF A CLERGYMAN.—On Monday the
Rev. Josiah Rodwell, of Canterbury, while on a visit to his
brother, the Rev. J. M. Rodwell, of Clovelly, Devon, de-
stroyed himself by cutting his throat with a razor. The
deceased, who was 50 years of age and in moderate circum-
stances, had for some time appeared much depressed in
spirits, resulting, it is, thought, from. overtaxed energies.
An inquest was held, and the jury returned a verdict to
the effect that the deceased was in an unsound state of
mind when the fatal act wars committed.