The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-20 00:00:00

UNIVERSITIES' MISSION TO CENTRAL

AFRICA.

A meeting in connexion with the Oxford, Cam-
bridge, Dublin, and Durham mission to Central
Africa, was held yesterday afternoon in St. James's-
hall, Piccadilly, Mr. S. B. Beresford Hope in the
chair.

tral Africa, with a view not to make an English
settlement—and it was very important that should
be borne in mind—but with the view of making
an African settlement. The uncertainty of life
and property in that country among the natives
was so extreme, that it was necessary there should
be some nucleus of civilised and English life,
around which the Africans could cluster, and
under its shelter, from union with one another, pos-
sessing a measure of physical and social strength,
they would then render it impossible for the slave
dealer to attack them. Had anything happened to
show that Dr. Livingstone's expectations were

The large hall was well filled by a highly re-
spectable company, among whom were many ladies.
The proceedings having been opened by prayer,
The CHAIRMAN said he had to apologise on behalf
of the Central African Mission for having called a
public meeting in London at this unusual season of
the year, late in autumn, instead of early in spring,
when halls like the present were best filled, but the
work in which they were engaged was one that
would not bide the seasons of fashionable life. In
that work they must be up and stirring at all sea-
sons alike, and he had therefore to congratulate the
mission that at this usually dull period of the year
that vast hall—the largest, he believed, in London
devoted to meetings of this sort—was filled, area
and galleries alike. (Cheers.) They had met, not
to inaugurate any new scheme, nor to assist at the
anniversary of any long-established society, but to
promote, perhaps, the most truly missionary so-
ciety that had ever assembled in London. Their
object was to throw in fresh blood into the Central
African Mission. They all knew a Christian mar-
tyr's blood had been shed in Central Africa for the
Gospel of Christ. That good, fine, holy, earnest,
single-hearted man, Bishop Mackenzie, had died at
his post, doing his work on a pestilential island in
a Central African river, and they had now to send
out his successor. The work was independent of
time and charge—it was God's work, and must be
done in God's strength. Humanly speaking the
mission was in great straits. Bishop Mackenzie
was dead, Mr. Burrup was dead, and the mission
had been obliged to retreat further down the river,
and they had simply to put it to the meeting
whether that mission, which had been undertaken
by the Universities of the land, those old institutions
-which the piety and munificence of their ancestors
had founded—undertaken on the impulse of the
generous enthusiasm which D r. Livingstone's simple
narrative had created—should be given up at the
first serious difficulties which had presented them-
selves. That work was a holy and Christian work.
The command to go and teach all nations was as
binding on the 19th as on the first century of the
Christian era, and without looking to any great
material success, without any flourishing reports to
present or conversions to marshal, they must go on
step by step doing a work which, in proportion as
it was done in simplicity of heart, in faith, and
humble dependence on the Divine strength, would
receive the promised blessing. (Cheers.) They
had lost the first head of the mission, but those who
supported the mission felt undiminished confidence
in it. They were determined to hold on, andit was
for such a meeting as the present to give them the
means of doing so. The progress of British dis-
covery, emigration, and colonisation had been most
beneficent. Too much could not be said in praise
of British enterprise. Steamers had even been
started on some of the African rivers. But he con-
ceived the Universities had wisely and well con-
sulted for the altered circumstances of the times by
• coming forward as the foster-mothers of such a mis-
sion as this. At any rate, they had done so when
others held back, The credit was theirs; the re-
sponsibility was theirs also; but it was for the
meeting to lighten that responsibility. He did not
encourage them to look for any very brilliant re-
sults. Brilliant results could not be expected to
flow from the small subscriptions that had hitherto
flowed into the coffers of this mission. Humanly
speaking, brilliant results were out of the question.
All they could do was to sow the seed; the crop
might not spring up in their own or in their chil-
dren's lifetime. They were not there to rake up
past grievances, or to sit as a commission of in-
quiry whether what bad been done during the last
12 months had not better been left undone. What-
ever might have been Bishop Mackenzie's policy in
Africa he would not discuss. Bishop Mackenzie
was a devoted servant of the Lord—engaged in a
holy mission, and he lost his life while so en-
gaged. Let his memory rest in peace. (Cheers.)
' They were there to bid God-speed to the new
bishop, and he hoped they would give him such
a welcome that would convince his rev. friend, and
those others who were about to join the mission,
that they might rely on their Christian sympathy
and support. (Cheers.) He should now call on the
Bishop of Oxford to move the first resolution.
(Cheers.)
Theßishop of OXFORD said the resolution he had
to move was in these terms—" That this meeting
cordially sympathises with the exertions of the
Church of England to extend the blessings of the
o f Cen-
tral n-
tr a l
GospelA f r
ef a .
Christ
The
tosimple
m pt
le he
wording
rd benighteding
of regionstha resolution
expressed at once all that he wished inh his present
address to bring before the meeting.
dis-
tinctly a movement of the Church of This
was
Englandwhich it specially behoved every attached member
of that Church to help forward; first, from its con-
stitution, and, secondly, from the particular object
which it set before itself. From its constitution—
for he quite agreed that it would be wholly im-
possible in the present state of the Church to dis-
charge our bounden duty to the heathen world ex-
cept through the agency of Church societies, and
therefore he rejoiced to see such Church societies
flourishing, their efforts and subscription lists in-

fallacious ? Were the difficulties which had arisen
such as had not been foreseen or should make them
stand still or withdraw from the mission ? What
had the difficulties been ? In the first place, there
had been the collision between the mission and the
slave trading people. That was foreseen and ex-
pected. They planted the mission nevertheless; it
was a sort of protest against the slave trade—it was
perhaps the only way in which the stave trade could
be defeated, for it was only by engendering lawful
commerce that the slave trade could be put down ;
it was therefore to he expected that the instincts of
the slave trader would be roused against the mis-
sion. The mere existence of that difficulty was then
no reason for withdrawing from the mission. Then

it was said that a mistake had been committed.
Most probably Dr. Livingstone had mistaken for
the mere roving of the slave trade agents what in
fact was a great tribal movement, and be had thus
involved himself in a difficulty from which he had
always endeavoured to steer clear. Bat when had
any mission ever been conducted without some mis-
take ? Even Paul himself might have made mis-
takes, but did these show that God was not with
_ _ _

him ? No ! they only showed that the treasure was
in earthen vessels while all the glory was due to
God only. And with regard to the death of Bishop
Mackenzie and Mr. Burrup, had they died because
it was impossible for English people to live in that
climate there might have been some ground for
argument against the mission ; but, so far from that,
he said their death was as much an accident in the
ordinary meaning of the term, as if they met it in
an express train at home. It arose from the up-
setting of the canoe and the loss of the medicine,
which was essential to the life of Europeans in
that country. Had there ever been from the
first any great work done for God which had not
been begun in tears and nurtured under what
seemed the heaviest misfortune and the greatest
discouragement ? That was so much the rule that
he confessed if all went on too smoothly with any
enterprise he was apt to look for some very over-
whelming reverse or some suspicion of unsoundness
in the mode in which the work was carried on. It
was by the blood of the original martyrs that the
seed of the truth was spread in the earth. "In
every city bonds and afflictions abide me," was the
escutcheon of Christ's noblest witness. Sowing in
tears they would reap in joy. Bishop Mackenzie's
mysterious and melancholy removal from the field
of action was a pledge to every heart with a grain
of Christian heroism in it that the inheritance of
that land should yet be obtained. Could the pagan
Roman say that wherever the body of a legionary
lay there the Roman eagle should advance ever and
retire never, and would the Christian warrior not
say, " We take possession in the name of Christ of
that whole district of Central Africa in that tomb of
Christ's faithful martyr ; on that as our standing
place we shall set our foot and advance the triumphs
of the cross P" (Cheers.) One of the greatest fathers
of the Church said he believed that if but for the
space of 24 hours the whole church were wholly
faithful the world would be converted within the
next 24 hours. It was the want of the Christian
character stamped upon those that bore the Chris-
tian name—it was the want of claiming with the
full wholeness of a perfect faith the promise of the
Lord, which had weakened the arm of conversion

It was this which thinned the ranks of missionary
success. Nothing but the most unchristian faint-
heartedness could lead them to give up the good
work. The Church of England had taken up this
work; she had committed herself to it, and he trusted
they would all yet have abundant cause to rejoice
together over the greatness of the success which
God would vouchsafe to their efforts.

The CHAIRMAN stated that the Bishop of London
and the Bishop of Capetown had been unavoidably
prevented from being present. Mr. Gladstone also
had been expected, but could not attend. He then
called on Mr. John Talbot, who seconded the reso-
lution, which was unanimously adopted.
The Rov. Mr. GRO. TOZI3II, the Bishop designate
of Central Africa, next addressed the meeting. As
a church and a nation they had put their hands to
the plough—the only plough that could effectually
turn up the barren yet virgin soil of Africa—and
the glorious seed to be sown there would, in God's
own time, bring forth an abundant harvest into His
eternal glory. They should regard the tomb of
Bishop Mackenzie somewhat as the Israelitish peo-
ple looked to the cave of Machpela, as a foretaste
of the great blessings God had in store for their
church and nation. Coming to the policy to be
pursued in Africa, which must be ventilated sooner
or later, there were two subjects on which he would
say a few words—first, the difficult matter of tribal
invasion and hostilities among the native tribes,
and, secondly, the particular line they were called
upon and bound to take with regard to that great
curse and plague spot of Africa, the fruitful source
of all her complicated wrongs, namely, the slave
trade. Without speaking of Bishop Mackenzie and
his labours in any other than the most friendly
spirit, it became his duty, looking to the results of
the policy that had been pursued, to consider se-
riously what course should be adopted in future.
Rather than commit himself to a policy of aggres-
sion, he shou'd come back to the sad and miserable
alternative of deserting Central Africa altogether
for a time as a field of missionary enterprise. If
the Gospel was to be admitted into that far-off land,
it must be by other means and arts than those of
war ; and as to the way in which he must speak
and act in regard to slavery, he would yield to none
in the expression of his horror and detestation of
that most cruel and hateful traffic. He yielded to
none in his deep feelings of indignation at the ac-
counts of slavery on the banks of the Zambesi. Yet
sthtietynt uijori,
usthdnewaelvaert
dfiertsrtimveernytatletnhdey might considere tenderly with that in.
it to the highest interests of humanity. Yet he felt
they had a great work and mission in this respect
to overthrow and extirpate that system which was
the fruitful Source of African miseries and wrongs.

creasing day by day, and even holding their t own,e
in the present distressed state of a great part of h
country. He was sure that the very last purse that
ought to be dipped into in order to relieve that dis-
tress was that which contained the comparatively
niggard offering to God for the extension of his
kingdom. (Cheers.) It was of extreme use to the
Church that over and above those settled societies
there should be efforts of a more special kind—
sparks casting themselves forth from the warm heart
of the great cEntral mass of Christian intelligence
and feeling. There was nothing more dangerous to
the Church than falling into the groove of mere
routine, and coming through its perpetual same-
ness to a lower state of action. This must be the
result when men contented themselves with the
miserable guinea subscriptions which they rather
grudgingly, perhaps, directed their bankers to pay to

T-L--11.E SUN LONDON,
THURSDAY EV •
ENING,
the societies, a list of which they handed in at Christ- But how was that to be accomplished ? Not
mas. Such men hardly knew what they did pay— by violent measures, but rather gradually and by
they poid without the consciousness, in giving, of degrees, " here a little and there a little, line upon
any sacrifice for the great cause of missions—what line, line upon line, precept upon precept, precept
they gave went forth without a prayer, without a upon precept." His mission would be la mission of
direct devotion of their means to the work of Him peace, depending rather on secondary influences
for which it was subscribed. (Cheers.) In such a than on great and certain primary interferences
state of things it was a special benefit to the Church with the institutions of Africa, As the represen-
t at home to be roused out of that conventional tative of the mission he besought their sympathy
grooved system, and led to make a new and unusual and support. (Cheers.) He had just returned from
effort by which to assert its own missionary spirit, a visit to those two great centres of learning in
and by its reflex influence to warm and invigorate which the mission originated, Oxford and Cam-
its own heart. (Cheers.) This was specially such an bridge, and he was thankful to say that the cause
effort. Raised by Dr. Livingstone, the mission was these regarded with the same enthusiasm as
was taken up by the Church, and it must have been ever. (Cheers.) It would be a slander on the Church
taken up by the Church, for, although the central and the clergy to say that they lacked missionary
heart was lodged at the Universities, it was quite zeal and enterprise. The hearts of the younger
impossible that all the funds required could be sub- members of the Universities, especially, were beat-
scribed thence ; therefore, unless the Church had ing true to the Church and to the Gospel. They
taken it up by giving it the necessary funds, it must had shown great earnestness in the work. He
have fallen to the ground. The expense must neces- trusted they would continue to do so—that he and
sarily, on the founding of the mission, be large for his colleagues would go forth strong in the prayers
this reason—they had, in fact, to originate a means and sympathiee of the English Church and nation,
of communication which must be maintained un- and that at all events they would not be left power-
broken between the interior settlement in Africa less for want of the material means which God had
and the seaboard, and to a great extent between the given to them in such abundance. (Cheers.)
seaboard and the Cape settlement. The missionaries The Rev. R. GREGORY,
ineumbent of St, Mary's,
must thus be fed to a great degree ; medicine must Lambeth, moved the next resolution—" 'that this
thus be supplied to them ; there must be kept up a meeting warmly welcomes the Rev. W. Geo. Tozer
living line of communication to prevent their being as the successor of the lamented Bishop Mackenzie
absorbed into the great mass of uncivilisation and as the head of the Central Afrfcan Mission," which
barbarism into which for the love of Christ they was seconded by the Rev. GEORGE WILLIAMS,
had thrown themselves. (Cheers.) The expense, Senior Fellow of Caius College, Cambridge, and
therefore, must be great at the first starting of the carried by acclamation.
mission. Nothing was wasted on machinery. The The Hon. and Rev. LATIMER NEVILLE, Master
plan of the mission was the simplest possible. of Magdalen College, Cambridge, moved a vote of
It was on the advice of Dr. Livingstone and Sir thanks to the chairman for his kindness in presid-
George Grey (Governor at the Cape) to plant a ing over the meeting, which was seconded by the
nucleus of English Christianity on some point where Rev. G. HAWKINS and carried by acclamation.
English people could live in the very heart of Cen- The meeting then separated.

THE SUSPEC7ED POISONINGI CASE
IN JVILISHIRE.

HINDON, WEDNESDAY.

A very extraordinary case of suspected poisoning
has very recently been under the consideration of
the authorities in the Southern division of the
county of Wilts, and great interest has been excited
in the more immediate district from the similarity,
in many respects, to the late notorious case of Mrs.
Wilson, who was recently executed at Newgate for a
similar crime to that alleged. It appears that a Mrs.
Kiddie, the wife of John Kiddie, a carpenter, resid-
ing at Sudwell, a small village near Semley, in this
county, had been suffering from severe illness for
some time since the•22d of August last, and had been
attended by Dr. Shettle, of Shaftesbury, up to the
22d of October last, when•believing from the symp-
toms exhibited that some irritant had been ad-
ministered he spoke to Mr. Kiddie on the subject,
and in consequence of what took place, Mrs. Trow-
bridge was taken into custody (Mrs. Kiddie having
died), and brought before the magistrates here, and
twice remanded. The coroner for the county also
opened an inquiry into the cause of the death of Mrs.
Kiddie, and this afternoon, at four o'clock, Mrs.
Emily Radcliffe Trowbridge was again placed in
the dock, charged with the murder of Mrs. Kiddie
by poison. She seemed deeply effected at her
posicion.
The magistrates present were Messrs. It. Graves,
(chairman), A. Seymour, J. Du Boulay, M. Jeffreys,
J. Lock, and T. F Grove. _

Mr. R. Swyer, solicitor, of Shaftesbury, appeared
to watch the proceedings on behalf of Mr. Kiddie;
Mr. Chitty, of Hindon and Shaftesbury, repre.
. .....
sented the prisoner.
At the commencement ,Cti the. Rto.eeedings the evi-
dence of Mr. Shettle given at theweVious exami-
nation, was read ever as follaw.s:,--1 am a doctor of
medicine and a general petitioner. I have been
the medical attendant upon Alan' Kiddie, the wife!
of John Kiddie. On the 25th August she was suf-
fering from what I consideAd chronic inflamma-
tion of the stomach. I tried several remedies, but
actlkey took very little effect, I supposed that her
disease was complicated with cancer. Some short
time afterwards the evidence of cure not being suf-
ficient in my opinion to lead me to suppose she was
dying from that cause, and the symptoms of irri-
tant poisoning showing themselves in sickness and j
retching, I watched the case very closely. On the
Bth Oct., I discontinued all medicines, and gave
milk only as food. The sickness still continued, and
on the 12th there was great retching. I desired that
some other medical opinion should be taken, and Dr.
Roberts, of Salisbury, was called in. His opinion did
not coincide with mine as regarded an irritant, and
I thought I might be mistaken. Two or three days
afterwards I was again led to believe that my for-
mer opinion as to an irritant was correct from the
absence of symptoms that usually attend organic
disease approaching a crisis—the peculiar glassy
appearance of the eye, and the yellow appearance
of the skin. I stated my opinion, and on Oct. 22
the patient died. I made a post-mortem examina-
tion in conjunction with my assistant. I found a
small schirrhous tumour the size of a small walnut
encircling the lower part of the tube through which
the food passes to the stomach. The disease was
not in an active state, and in my opinion could not
have accounted for the sickness and retching from
which the deceased had been suffering. The sto-
mach, intestines, and omentum all exhibited marks
of great inflammation, and I have no hesitation in
referring death to that cause. The heart, pericar
dium, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancrea, spleen, and
other organs were all healthy. We removed the
sterna* intestines, and liver, and packed them
caretully in jars, which were sealed, and sent to
Dr. Heripatb, at Bristol, for analysis. I believe
death was occasioned by irritant poison. Arsenic
would produce such symptoms. The body has been
exhumed, and I have seen it. There was very little
decomposition or smell. Those symptoms denote
death by arsenic, and my opinion is decidedly con-
firmed. Some little time previous to her death,
from the peculiarity of the symptoms from which
she was suffering, I stated to the deceased's hus-
band that it would be necessary to have a post-
mortem examination, and also to Mrs. Trowbridge
(the prisoner). Nothing particular occurred then,
but subsequently the prisoner stated that Mrs.
Kiddie had heard of my wish to make a post-mor-

tern examination, and wished her sister not to allow

it or to leave the house until after she was buried.
said tilern woo time enough for that, and I left the
house. On the following day I charged the sister of
Mrs. Kiddie with having told her of my wish, and in
consequence of a communication from John Kiddie,
I called upon Mrs.Trowbridge, and said, I regretted
that anything had occurred to cause her distress.
She said, " What a horrid creature you must have
thought me to consider me capable of administering
anything improper. I have noticed how closely you
have watched my basket, and how carefully yon
have inspected the food." I said that I had made
no accusation against any one, and I was sorry if
she had formed that impression. I told her it was
my duty to watch my patients closely, and to take
notice of everything that occurred. I then left, and
never had any conversation with her afterwards. I
never prescribed arsenic to Mrs. Kiddie. The symp-
toms would very likely produce burning in the
throat.
Dr. Shettle, examined by Mr. Swyer—He sealed
up certain bottles, and sent them to Dr. Herapath,
which he identified as having been sealed as pro-
duced.

Cross-examined by Mr. Chitty—l performed the
post nzortem examino.' ion, in conjunction with my
assistant. I took the whole stomach and put it into

a bottle; before doing so I examined it. I have
know n the prisoner for some time, and have been on
good terms with her. I have seen the prisoner in a
sick-room before. When I was called in, Mrs
Kiddie's stomach rejected all food, and on finding
this I ordered beef-tea injections. I think eight
days was the longest time the stomach retained
food. I sent pills, but she never said they would kill
her. Ido not know whether she brought up the
pills, but she was sick after taking them. My as-
sistant made them up. He is more than 16 years
of age. Some time since I took a bottle with prus-
sic acid down to the house. and left directions with
Mrs. Trowbridge how to use it. He proceeded to
say that he proposed callin in a physician, and Mr.
Kiddie said that his wife had consultei Dr. Roberts,
g
of Salisbu should like to call him, He saw