The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-06 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 6, lEEE.

quillings, forming flounces. Every here and there upon
these is placed a large pouff of white satin ribbon, serving
as a nest for a small bright coloured bird. There are six-
teen of these ornaments.

The Alleged Death from Poisoning at

Greenwich.

Yesterday Mr. C. J. Carttar, coroner for West Kent,
resumed the adjourned inquiry at the Ashbumham Arms,
Greenwich, into the circumstances attending the death of
Mrs. Elizabeth Reeves, aged 40, wife of a veterinary sur-
geon, residing at 54, Ashburnham-grove, Greenwich, who,
it was alleged, had died from the administration of veratria,
or white hellebore, on the 15th of August last.
Mr. Norton, of Clifford's-inn, again attended for the
husband of the deceased.
Sergeant Digby, 18, R division of metropolitan police,
gave some recapitulatory evidence.
Frederick George Baldwin, a youth, said—My father is
an herbalist, carrying on business in Greenwich. We keep
veratria, or white hellebore, in our business, but I have
only once in my life sold it in powder. The gentleman I
sold it to said ho wanted it to mix with some lard for his
dog, and as he appeared to be acquainted with its properties
I sold it him without asking any questions, selling it un-
reservedly.
Mr. Reeves here stood up in the inquest-room, but the
witness said he could not identify him as the person who
had made the purchase.
The Coroner said it was to be regretted that, for the
sake of society, such a deadly poison should have been
sold without the name and address of the individual pur-
chasing it being ascertained, and an entry made.
In answer to a question, the witness said he had been
five years an assistant in his father's business, and his
father had been in business 21 years.

The Coroner here directed the witness to proceed and
bring a specimen of the powder, which he did and handed
it to Professor Rodgers, who said it was not of the same
description as the powder found in the house, which was of
a compound character, but contained the same poison.
Professor Rodgers, of the London Hospital, said—l have
analysed the powder and wafers handed to me by Sergeant
Digby. The wafers contain no poison, but in the powder
I found the same alkaloid, containing the same powder as
that found in deceased's body.

By the Coroner—lt is not such a powerful poison as
strychnine. I have known some who have taken large
doses and recovered, and in some cases 20 grains would
prove dangerous.

William George Reeve, son of deceased, said he was 12
years of age, but before being sworn his intelligence was
elicited by his replying to the coroner's question if he knew
what was an oath, "It is a religious obligation to tell the
truth." lie was then sworn, and having explained his
mother's illness and death, as already reported, said—Three
days before my mother's death she said to me, " George, I
shall never get over this confinement." I replied, "Oh
yes, ma, yon will ; you have often said so before." She
said, " It's no use, George, I shall never get over it ; but
do not tell pa, because he has so much bother and anxiety,
it will break his heart." On the Saturday previous to my
mother's death she put all her things straight in the
drawers, saying, "I shall never want them any more."
Mr. Reeve here stood up, as if anxious to make a state-
ment, and was asked by the Coroner if ho had anything to
volunteer by way of explanation.

Mr. Norton—lle is hero to answer any questions put by
the coroner or jury.
The Coroner—Then I have no question to ask him.
Catherine Webb, widow, deposed to being engaged to
attend the deceased in her expected confinement, and said
the deceased twice told her she should not get over it, ex-
pressing a hope that witness would do all she could for Mr.
Reeve and the children whilst she was in the house.

Mrs. Meader, residing at Bow, was called by Mr. Norton,
and said that on July 19 Mrs. Reeve visited her, and said,
" It is all over with me ; I shall never get over my confine-
ment. I suppose it will be another great tiresome boy, and
I am so sick of children."

The Coroner hero produced a diary of Mr. Reeve, found
by Sergeant Digby on searching the house. It consisted of
30 or 40 closely written pages of foolscap paper, loosely put
together. From March 10 to Aug. 13 (two days preceding
deceased's death), there was no allusion direct or indirect
to Mrs. Reeve. It also appeared the entries were not made
on the days they purported to be, but were a record of
events entered in some cases a few days after, and not on
the day of the occurrence. The entry on Sunday, Aug. 13,
states that his wife was as well as usual. On Monday, Aug.
14, it was stated his wife was seized at half-past 2 with fits
of unconsciousness, which lasted till the time of her death
on the Tuesday morning. After the post mortem exami-
nation ordered by the coroner was made, everything that
had previously occurred was chronicled with the greatest
apparent minuteness, the following being the only points
of interest. The entry on Aug. 15 was :—" My dear wife
died a little after 8 this morning, after a severe powerful
attack of convulsions. God receive her soul." On Wednes-
day Dr. Hope brought the certificate and examined the
body, which was coflined On Thursday he picked a bou-
quet of the flowers most loved by his departed wife, and
placed them in her coffin. lie also took up his son George
and daughter Rosa to take their last look of her in the
coffin. On this day Messrs. Child and Lloyd visited him.
The latter shocked him by saying, that his wife told Mrs.
Lloyd that her money would be the death of her, and that
if anything happened to her she (Mrs. Lloyd) was to see
into it. In referring to the money Mr. Lloyd said, " Not
that I know Mrs. Reevc had anything." He was convinced
Mr. Lloyd was lying, from the fact of having discussed
family matters with him at Norwood, relative to the pro-
priety of having another trustee appointed under Mrs.
Reeve's marriage settlement, on which occasion she told
him she had £l,OOO. The diary put the query, "Is it pos-
sible that if my wife anticipated foul play she (Mrs. Lloyd)
would have kept the secret to herself until Tuesday last ?"
It then continued—" It is highly improbable. I believe the
Lloyds got it up from mere wickedness and spite, with a
view of hurting my feelings." The entry on Friday, Aug.
18, stated that the jury met and viewed the body,and after
it was identified adjourned. lie then enters at great length
into the facts and incidents attending his wife's illness,
stating she always had had lingering confinements, and the
last time she was more than usually despondent, and dis-
cussed what would become of the childrenif both died. Sho
was subject to bilious attacks, for which Dr. Cook was in
the habit of giving her pills, and which used to relieve her.
On the Saturday preceding her death she was very cheer-
ful and musical. On Sunday morning she prepared the
breakfast and the dinner. They had tea together that day,
and after putting the children to bed and expounding the
Scriptures to his wife and son George, he and his wife re-
tired to rest. The entry on Sunday, August 20, stated that
he buried his dear wife at Forest-hill Cemetery, in mother's
grave. All the children (five) were present, and each threw
a bouquet on the coffin. His blessing, his love, his
esteem, his all followed her to the grave. She was a fond,
good, faithful, devoted, and virtuous wife and mother, and
he appealed to God that they might meet where the spirits
of the just are made perfect.

After the reading of this document, which occupied the
learned coroner upwards of an hour, the inquest room was
cleared. The coroner and jury remained a long time in
consultation, and on the public being admitted,
The Coroner said the jury had determined on the ad-
advisability of having a still further adjournment for a
fortnight, and the recognisances of Mr. Reeve were en-
larged until that time.

The Charge against a Magistrate's Son and
his Housekeeper.

DOLOELLY, Thursday.
Yesterday the inquiry into the cause of the death of a
newly-born female, the supposedillegitimate progeny of Mr.
George Francis Griffin, draper, of the firm of Griffin and
Son, Stafford, and Thyrza Tunstall, his housekeeper, was
resumed at thoAssizo Court by Mr. Griffith Jones Williams,
the coroner for Merionethshire.

Mr. Motteram, barrister, of the Oxford circuit, instructed
by Mr. B. W. Hand, solicitor, of Stafford, appeared to
watch the case on behalf of the accused person Griffin ;
Mr. D. Pugh, solicitor, of Dolgelly, was present for Thirza
Tunstall ; Mr. Wm. Brown, solicitor, of Stafford, repre-
sented the prosecution. Captain Clough, chief constable
of the Merionethshire police; Co]. Hogg, chief constable;
and Superintendent Oswell, of the Staffordshire police,
were also present, and the court was densely crowded.
George Francis Griffin was present in court, and Tlxyrza
Tunstall was in an adjacent room, but did not appear.
The following evidence was taken :
Martha Evans said—l live at Borth. I recollect receiv-
ing a parcel containing a child last Saturday week. A
little child (my daughter) brought it to me. I Was in the
house when she brought it. She put it down near the
door. The parcel was white, and it looked as if it was in
a pillow case. When I first saw it the mouth of the bag
was open. There was the body of a female child in the
bag, and I put it in a drawer. There was nothing round
the child but the bag when I saw it. There was some
paper which the child had taken off, and which my hus-
band went to fetch. I did not see the paper until my hus-
band brought it to the house. Captain Clough came to
the house, and Edward Barrow afterwards took the bag
and the child and the paper away. _ _ .

Ebenezer Evans said—l am the husband of the last wit-
ness. I recently saw the dead body of a child at my
house. It was in a small bag. Edward Harrow put it in
a box. There was not any paper in the bag when I first
saw it. I saw the paper afterwards, between the house and
the river, on the shingle. The tide had been over the
place where the paper was. I cannot swear that I should
know the paper or the words on it. I did not pick up the
paper myself, but I know the man who did.

The paper was then produced and handed to the witness,
who said—This is the paper. It is dated September 12th.
1 see a name upon it which I saw there when the paper
was first shown to me.

The Coroner—Do not mention the name. It shall not
be disclosed at present.

Owen Jones stated—l am a police-sergeant stationed at
Dolgelly. I was called to Borth on Saturday week last,
Sept. 23. I went to Ebenezer Evans's house and saw the
body of a child in a bag in a box there. I also found some
pieces of newspapers in the box. I put the body, which was