The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 29, 1868,

things had been said about the Great Western Com-
pany, and the manner they worked their line for
them, but he had always found the officials try to do
the best they could for the South Wales Union line.
Mr. SPENCER said that they would have to double
their present traffic before the original proprietors
could receive 3 per cent. for their money.
The report was adopted, and thanks to the chair-
man and directors terminated the proceedings.

Lucknow, fbr which he was honourably mentioned
by Lord Clyde, and publicly thanked by the
Goiernor-General of India in Council. He served
throughout the whole campaign in India.

The Suspected Poisoning of a Lady at

Greenwich.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. C. J. Carttar, coroner for West
Kent, resumed an inquiry at the Ashburnham Arms, Green-
wich, into the circumstances attending the death of Mrs.
Elizabeth Reeve, aged 40, wife of a veterinary surgeon, re-
siding at 52, Ashburnham-grove, Greenwich, and which,
it is alleged, was occasioned by the administration of a cer-
tain deadly poison, known as veratria, or white hellebore,
as reported in these columns on Friday last.
Mr. Norton, solicitor, of Clifford's-inn, attended for the
husband of the deceased.

Mr. C. H. Hall, of 1, Charles-street, Clarendon-square,
Euston-road, who was censured by the coroner for not being
in attendance at the last examination, said—l had been dis-
penser to Dr. Hope for 18 months, but left him on the 31st
August last, having given notice of my intention to do so
on the Ist of the same month. Dr. Hope had been engaged
to attend deceased in her confinement, and having left home
for Margate he gave me directions as to his patients. On
the morning of the 14th August, about 10 o'clock in the
morning, the husband of deceased came to Dr. Hope's, and
inquired for Dr. Hope. I told him that Dr. Hope had gone
away for a day or two. He said his wife had been taken ill
during the night, and was very poorly, not being better that
morning. He asked me if I would come down. I had asked
him the symptoms of the deceased, and he said she had been
,sick once or twice, but he did not think she had been
purged, and he attributed her illness to having partaken of
plum pie on the Sunday. He said he should like me to at-
tend as soon as possible, and having another case to attend I
went to the deceased's house about half-past 12. Mr. Reeve
asked me into the parlour, and his wife came down stairs.
The deceased said she had been ill during the night, and
attributed her illness to an attack of bile. She complained
of a pain in her head. I asked if any of the vomit had
been saved, and Mr. Reeve said it had been thrown away.
I noticed that the complexion of the deceased was sallow,
and she was desponding. I felt her pulse, which was then
about 70 or 75. The deceased complained of having an
affection of the liver. She asked what I intended giviiig
her, and I told her a saline effervescing draught, and that
it would be necessary to give one of the powders with the
medicine I should send. The deceased said she had not
eaten anything during the day, but her husband, in her
presence, attributed her illness to having eaten a plum pie
on the day previous. The deceased said that she had been
in the habit of having a few pills for the affection of the
liver before her confinement, and I told her I would give
her some pills after she got over her then illness. I re-
mained about 20 minutes, and afterwards sent a saline
mixture. (The witness here described the properties of
the mixture, which it will be remembered was stated by
Professor Rogers, in his analysis, to have been perfectly
pure.) lam aware that there is a drug known as veratria.
I have seen such drug, but never in Dr. Hope's surgery.
At four o'clock the same afternoon Mr. Reeve again came to
the surgery. He appeared breathless and pale, as if from
hurrying, and asked me if I would go directly to his wife,
as she had had fits about ten minutes after she had par-
taken of the medicine I had sent. I asked him if he had
not been to any other medical man, our house being two
miles from Reeves'. He asked me if I had made any mis-
take, and had sent the wrong acid. I told him I had never
made any mistake in mixing medicines. He said he had
called on Dr. Scott, and a brougham being ready at the
door he and I got in and drove to the house. On our way
he told me his wife had had fits. On arriving at the house
I found deceased in bed insensible ; the pupils of both eyes
were dilated, but then there was no convulsive action. Her
husband then said he must go and fetch a friend from the
Blackfriars-road, and left. There was a servant girl in the
house, and I sent a note by her to Dr. Scott. I administered
several spoonfuls of sal volatile to deceased, and let the
blinds downito keep out the light. The deceased murmured
" George" once or twice. Dr. Scott came down in about
half an hour. The deceased had one convulsive fit while
I remained. Her eyes were turned up and partially to the
right. Her whole frame was convulsed, her arms stretched
out, and her hands clenched. There was no noise and no
screeching. I remained until seven o'clock, and then left
her husband and her aunt, whom he had brought with him,
with her. When I left she was apparently improved, the
stertorous breathing which I noticed after the convulsions
having ceased. I said I would attend again in the even-
ing, and went at half-past 9of my own accord. The de-
ceased was then slightly improved, and appeared sufficiently
sensible to recognise persons in the room, but not to
speak, except saying " George" several times. I proposed
an injection of warm water, and her husband brought
the water, and the injection was administered. I left at
half-past ten, at which time the injection had not operated
The next morning, at nine o'clock, I went to the house,
and found that the patient was dead. I went into
the house. Mr. Reeve told me he had been to see
several doctors, and he objected to my touching
the powders or medicine which were in the room, and
I left them where they were. The deceased was in-
sensible when I saw her a little after four on the after-
noon of the 14th of August. She was sensible afterwards,
so as to call "George," but could not utter anything con-
nectedly. The deceased got up in bed during the fit, and
sat in a horizontal position and remained so. The husband
appeared anxious about the condition of deceased, and also
after her death. During the time I was there Mr. Reeve
wished to give her something, but I told him that I had
given her some sal volatile. He rushed up to the bedside
and asked what he could give he:. I had the sal volatile
with me. I had ordered brandy and soda water, but that
had not been given her.
Mrs. Elizabeth Benjerodt, of the Blackfriars-road, said
the deceased was the wife of my nephew. On the evening
of the 14th August he came to my house and said his wife
was very ill indeed. I went to Greenwich and found de-
ceased in bed, and in an insensible state. I remained with
her until her death next morning. During the night there
was fit after fit at intervals, and from six o'clock in the
morning (two hours before death) the fits were more fre-
quent. Her hands were not clenched until she was dying.
There was hard breathing, and she would turn from one
side to the other, but did not fall off the bed. The deceased
had been married about 20 years, and there are five chil-
dren of the marriage living. During the night Mr. Reeve
prayed for deceased, who put up her hand and seemed
pleased, and then became unconscious. The deceased was
not given to despondency, but she had a great dread—
almost a terror of her approaching confinement. Had seen
deceased and her husband frequently. He appeared a fond
father and affectionate husband.

Mrs. Mary Ann Green, a neighbour, said—A little before
eight on the morning of the 15th August, a little boy (the
deceased's son) came for me. I went into the house and
saw the last witness and another female there. Deceased
was in bed totally insensible and in a dying state. She
died in about five minutes afterwards.

By the Coroner—Mr. Reeve has told me that he thOught
there had been some mistake in the medicine. He asked
me to register the deceased's death, because I was present
at the death. He gave me a certificate. He had previous
to that, on the same day, said that immediately after his
wife had taken the draught she became worse, and that he
had asked Dr. Scott to taste it. He had written a state-
ment,giving it to me,and which I thought should have been
made public, as a paragraph had appeared in the news-
papers concerning her death.
Mrs. Sarah Kidd, another neighbour, deposed that after
the funer4 but not before, her husband told her that he
thought she had been poisoned through a mistake in the
medicine. Deceased has told me that she would rather the
child would die, as she had had so many children. I saw
the body at 11 o'clock the same morning, and also on
Wednesday evening, when it was so decomposed that it
was fastened down in the coffin.

Dr. Hope, of Deptford, who had been engaged to attend
deceased in her confinement, was recalled. He said—on
Wednesday, the 17th August, Mr. Reeve came to me and
asked me for a certificate of deceased's death. I told him
I could not give hii a certificate, as I had not seen her
previous to or at the time of death, but that I would go
and see Dr. Scott. I went and saw Dr. Scott, who de-
clined giving a certificate, but said he had no objection
to sign it after Mr. Palmer, who last saw deceased alive.
I went to Mr. Palmer, who, after some hesitation, signed
a certificate, giving the cause of death, " Convulsions."
I took the certificate to Dr. Scott, who signed it, and I
then added " Mr. Hope's assistant," showing that he, too,
had been in attendance. On the day following my giving
the certificate, a Mr. Lloyd came to me and told me
that Mr. Reeve had misrepresented the case altogether,
and asked me how it was possible 1 should have given
a certificate, not having seen his relative. I told him
he was mistaken ; that I had not given the certificate, but
that it was signed by gentlemen who had seen her. There
are two descriptions of hellebore poison, black and white.
I know that one of these is given for the purpose of pro-
curing abortion.

Mr. E. Childs, pawnbroker, of Knightsbridge, was called,
and produced the deed of a marriage settlement, dated Jan.
13, 1846, by which the deceased, who was then Miss Eliza-
beth Hill, of 8, Brunswick-terrace, Commercial-road East,
was entitled during lifetime to the interest on a sum of
£l,OOO 31 per Cent. Annuities, and in the event of William
George Reeve (her husband), of Camberwell-road, Camber-
well, veterinary surgeon, surviving her, the money was to
revert absolutely and solely to him for his own use.
Mary Ann Lloyd, of Shirley, Surrey, said—The deceased
was my cousin, and on the last occasion of seeing her at my
house, in July last, she told me she expected her confine-
ment in September, and said, "If anything happens that I
die quickly, will you see into it ?" I replied, "Go along
with you—nonsense," not thinking anything of such re-
marks. The deceased had before told me her husband
would not marry her until her money was settled upon him
and that she expected her money would be her death.
When she bade me " Good-bye" she said, " Perhaps you
will not see me again."
Eliza Marks, the servant girl, was recalled, and repeated
the evidence given on a previous occasion. In answer to
questions, she said it was a rhubarb and not a plum pie that
her master and deceased had for dinner on the Sunday.

Mr. Jas. Lloyd, of Shirley, husband of a previous witness,
wassailed, and described a conversation he had had with

deceased's husband as to the symptoms preceding the death
of deceased, and which led to the present inquiry being
held.

The inquest room was then cleared, and on the public
being re-admitted, the coroner said that the jury had again
determined to adjourn the inquiry, an analysis of a certain
powder and wafers found in a box of deceased's alter death
not having been completed yet by Professor Rodgers.
The husband of deceased was again bound over in the
sum of £lOO to appear at the next examination.