The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-18 00:00:00

administered to the deceased, he should not expect
to have found a trace of it after the long period of
time which had elapsed since the death; but sup-
posin,garsenic in a fluid form to have been admini-
stered immediately before death he should expect
to have found some traces of it remaining. If col-
chicum had been administered previous to death he
should not expect to have found it at the period of
time which had elapsed in this case. He could form
no opinion from the appearances of the portions of
the body submitted to him of the cause of death.
He had not had the same opportunity of judging
on this point that Mr. Nunneley had, and he could
only say that the heart of the deceased was in a very
healthy state, and that the appearance of the kid-
ney did not indicate anything as to the state of the
body at the time of death.
In reply to Mr. Norton,
Dr. Taylor said he entertained no idea that the
arsenic detected in the earth taken from the grave
arose from the body of the deceased, because arsenic
was occasionally found in the soils containing oxide
of iron. With regard to the presence of one mini-
ral substance which was found in the body,
namely, a small quantity of mercury, he wished
to add that on its discovery he obtained from Mr.
Nairn, the medical gentleman who attended the de-
ceased, a copy of his prescriptions, and he found
that a dose of calomel had been administered to the
deceased on October 15, two days before her death,
and that would account for the mercury found. He
had no doubt that a person might die from the
effects of arsenic and none be found in the body. It
might pass away by the process of elimination, but
that would require from 10 to 15 days, and it might
be carried off by vomiting or with the urine: The
shortest time he knew of traces of arsenic in the
body was eight days after it had been, taken, but in
that case the quantity was very small.
This concluded the evidence of Dr. Taylor as re-
garded the case of Mrs. Atkinson. Dr. Taylor,
however, informed the court that portions of the
blood, lungs, and the entire heart of the deceased
had been reserved for further examination if it
should be considered necessary. The learned doc-
tor here signed his deposition, when Mr. Chipper-
field requested that he might be again sworn to
give evidence in the case of Mrs. Soames.
Dr. Taylor was accordingly sworn, and proved
on oath the following report, read by the chief
clerk :—" On Tuesday, July 2041862, my assistant,
Mr. Prior, received from Sergeant White, at the
chemical laboratory, Guy's Hospital, certain por-
tions of the remains of the deceased, contained in
six jars, well secured, sealed, and labelled, There
was a seventh jar, containing sawdust from the
coffin, and three paper parcels containing earth,
taken from the surface of the grave in which the
body was buried from immediately above the coffin
as well as from the side of the coffin. Five jars
contained the stomach, intestines, liver, lungs, and
one kidney of deceased, and another jar contained
a quantity of fluid from the cavities of the body.
On Monday, July 30, these jars were opened in the
presence of Dr. Miller, professor of chemistry in
King's College, London, and portions of the
viscera were delivered to him for analysis.
These were parts of the stomach, intes-
tines, and liver, with the whole of th 3 lungs.
The parts which I reserved for analysis were, with
the exception of the liver, scarcely recognis-
able. They were sodden and white, of a most of-
fensive odour, and had undergone a conversion into
adipocire. All appearances whether of disease or
poison, as they may have existed at the time of
death, had been destroyed by the decomposition
which had taken place. One half of the stomach
and intestines, a large portion of the liver (in two
separate analyses), and the whole kidney, with the
watery liquids removed from the body, were sub-
mitted to the usual chemical processes for the de-
tection of mineral poison, especially of arsenic, an-
timony, mercury, and other compounds. The result
was, that no trace of any of those substances, or of
any mineral or metallic poison could be detected in
the remains. No vegetable poison taken in a fluid
state could be detected in a body which has been
interred for the long period of six years.
"The conclusion from this analysis is, therefore,
that there was no poison which could be detected
by chemical processes present in the remains of the
deceased. This, however, is quite consistent with
the fact, that the death of the deceased may have
been caused by some irritant vegetable poison. The
proof of this must rest upon other branches of evi-
dence,"
In answer to interrogatories, Dr. Taylor said
that if any poisonous mixture containing either ar-
senic, antimony, or mercury, had been taken by the
deceased within 52 hours of her death he should
have expected to have found some traces of it in her
remains. If arsenic had been administered in such
a quantity as to cause death it would not be en-
tirely eliminated or passed into the system. No
doubt arsenic might be expelled by vomiting and
purging, but if the person died within 52 hours he
should expect to find traces of the poison. No
doubt arsenic might be expelled by vomiting and
purging, but produce such an inflammation as to
terminate fatally.
Mr. Chipperfield here asked Dr. Taylor what
opinion he formed with respect to these cases upon
the other evidence which had been adduced during
the inquiry, upon which Mr. Norton ob-
served that that was a question which must be
reserved for the trial ; and Dr. Taylor remarked
that he could not give any opinion unless he read
the depositions very carefully, or heard the evidence
given in open court before the judges.
Dr. Taylor, Mr. Nunneley, and several other wit-
nesses in the case, were then bound over to appear
and give evidence on the two distinct charges of
wilful murder against the prisoner at the sessions
of the Central Criminal Court, to be holden on Mon-
day, the 22d of September next.
In consequence of the lateness of the hour and the
number of witnesses still to be examined, the pri-
soner was further remanded to a future day.

ATTEMPTED MURDER IN SHAD WELL.

Walter Hill, a man of colour, who has been in
custody three weeks, was brought up on remand,
before Mr. Selfe, at the Thames police-court, on
Saturday, charged with cutting and wounding
Laura Myers, alias Honora Morris, with many
other aliases, with intent to murder her or do her
grievous bodily harm.
The prosecutrix, who is a most incorrigible thief,
and has been in custody 50 times for various
offences, .vas brought from the London Hospital to
give evidence. She was in a very weakly condi-
tion, and it was quite wonderful that she had sur-
vived half-a-dozen stabs in different parts of her
body and the great loss of blood she had sustained.
On being sworn, she stated that at the time she was
assaulted by the prisoner she was intoxicated, and
could not recollect what the prisoner did to her.
She was in the London Hospital when she came to
her senses, with a good many wounds on her back,
arm, and shoulder, and belly. She met with the
prisoner on the night of the 26th of July, and he
went home with her. On the following morning
early he charged her with taking his boots and
trousers, and she said she had taken them. She
was then stupid with drink.
James Harwood, a labourer, of 15, Victoria-
street, Bluegate-fields, Shadwell, said that on the
morning of the 27th of July, about seven o'clock,
he saw the prisoner and the woman Myers, whom
he knew as Irish Norah, in Victoria-street. The
woman's face was all over blood and dirt, and she
was crying and screathing. She ran away, and the
prisoner went after her and seized her, and, after
turning her round, stabbed her repeatedly with a
shoemaker's knife, and left her bleeding on the
ground. The prisoner then ran away.
Mr. David Hyman Dyte, house surgeon at the
London Hospital, said that the woman Myers was
admitted there on the morning of Sunday, the 27th
of July, at half-past seven o'clock. She had a
,)tinctured wound on her shoulder, in which a shoe-
maker's knife was firmly embedded, the whole length
of the blade, which was four inches by measure-
ment, being quite buried up to the handle. The
knife penetrated the bone, and required the ap-
plication of very great force before it could be
pulled out of the shoulder. There was an incised
wound of the back 11 inch deep, a smaller
wound of the same kind a little below that, a wound
in the right loin, and two other wounds. The pa-
tient was extremely ill when admitted, and suffer-
ing much from the shock and from exhaustion.
The wounds were calculated to do grievous bodily
harm. The woman had been under medical treat-
ment ever since, and was not entirely recovered.
Poli3e-sergeant Edward Dillon, 19 K, stated that
on the
morning of Sunday, the 27th ult , he was
called to Blucgate-fieids, and saw the prisoner' and
the woman Myers there. Hill had nothing on but
his shirt and stockings, and said he had been robbed
in the house No. 2 Victoria-place, of all his money
and'his clothes, and that Myers was the thief. She
denied having robbed him, spat in his face, and
called him a black-lookingP
nigger. She was pro-
ceeding to more violence when he separated them,
and told the prisoner to go home and obtain some
clothes, and when he had put himself into decent
trim to return to him, and he would look after his
property. The next thing he heard of the parties
was that the prisoner had murdered the woman,
He went and took him into
after the p risoner,
custody. The prisoner said, " Whatever has hap-
pened, I didit."The witness then produced a shoe •
maker's knife, the blade of which was covered with
blood. Sergeant Dillon also said that the prisoner
walked a quarter of a mile to obtain the knife, and
said he intended to kill the woman.
The prisoner, a West Indian, about 25 years of
age, on being called upon for his defence, said—The
woman robbed me of everything. That is all I have
r got to gay. She met me and asked me if I Would