The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-09 00:00:00

blood Mrs. Vyse had sustained would greatly relieve her.
Mr. Savory, of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, spoke to the
appearance of the bodies of the children after death, and
also to the circumstance that strychnine had been admini•
stered.
Mr. Chambers—How much strychnine would kill child-
ren of the ages of the deceased ?
Witness—That would depend on the mode in which it
was administered, whether solid or in solution. I should
say a quarter of a grain would most probably kill.
Mr. Justice Wightman—What would be the most rapidly
effectual ?

'Witness—Solution by far.
Mr. Chambers—How soon after its administration would
its effects become evident—suppose a couple of grains were

given?
Witness—l should think the effects would commence in
about a quarter of an hour, supposing it were given in the
form of a pill; but I cannot speak positively as to that

point.
Justice IVightman—Suppose it was given in solution ?
Witness—Then it would act in four or five minutes. I
gave the substance I obtained from the body of one of the
children to a cat, and it produced the usual evidence of
strychnine.
Mr. Attfield, demonstrator,of practical chemistry at St.
Bartholomew's Hospital, said—l analysed the contents of
the stomachs handed over to me by Mr. Savory. In both
I detected the presence of strychnine. 1 have also analysed
" Battle's vermin killer" powder. It consists of starch,
sugar, Prussian blue, and strychr ine—the latter formed 10
per cent. of the mixture. The packet given to me by Mr.
Savory weighed 52 grains, and the strychnine in it would
be five grains. From what I have heard from Mr. Savory
I should say the sixpenny packet would contain a sufficient
quantity to destroy the lives of two children.
This closed the case for the prosecution.
Mr. Sergeant Ballantine then proceeded to address the
jury for the prisoner. He said in the whole of his
lengthened experience, and the learned judge would bear
him out, a more melancholy spectacle had never been
presented in a court of justice. Here was the prisoner, a
person but a short time ago surrounded by wealth and
luxury, now at the bar of that court, charged with
the highest offence known to the law—viz., of wilful
murder of two of her children whom she loved. Whatever
might be the result of their verdict the consequences were
too terrible to contemplate, but before he concluded the
difficult and painful task, he should, he felt convinced, leave
no doubt that the prisoner was not, at the time, in a con-
dition to be responsible for her own actions. If the jury
took that view of the case, even then it was impossible not
to think that even the prisoner in the long incarceration
that awaited her, would not have preferred, when she had
been discovered with life streaming from her, that the kind
interference had not taken place. He felt confident
that the result of this lamentable inquiry would
be such as to clear the name of the unhappy
lady from the crime of killing her two children—children,
as he had already said, she loved more than perhaps a
mother ought to do. The absence of motive was a very
important point for their consideration. In this case could
it be said there was the slightest motive? Why, ordinary
persons when they first read the circumstances con-
nected with the melancholy case, involuntarily exclaimed,
" Why the woman must be mad I" and such he certainly
thought would be their decision. It was well known that
females suckling after becoming enciente were liable to at-
tacke of great nervousness, and he understood that was the
case of the afflicted lady at the bar. He should also call
before them evidence to show that many of the rola •
fleas of the lady had been afflicted with insanity,
and he firmly believed that there was no doubt that
Mrs. Vyse suffered from the same malady, and that
her mind at times was liable to lose its balance.
The learned gentleman then commented on the evidence
given by the witness Harrison, the searcher at a police
station, whom, he said, he thought the jury would be of
opinion was not quite the sort of person who ought to have
been put in attendance of a person suffering under the
frightful nervousness that Mrs. Vyse was suffering
Nothing, to his mind, could bear out in a stronger manner
the assertion that she was an irresponsible agent than that
she, a fond, loving, and devoted mother, could witness the
writhings and agonies of her children, and then with cool-
ness and composure proceed to lay them out on the bed
in the manner they were discovered. He hoped that, after
hearing the evidence he should adduce that the verdict
would be such as to enable the remaining children of Mrs.
Vyse to know their mother was not a murderess.
The following evidence was then offered for the de-

fence :
Mr. Richard Vine, a chemist and druggist at Bayswater
and uncle to the prisoner, said his brother Peter committed
suicide, his mother was subject to melancholy mania, as
also were two cousins of his.
Dr. Hood, physician to Bethlehem Hospital, produced
the book containing the entry of a patient named James
Aynsherd, first cousin of the prisoner on the father's side,
having been an inmate of the institution, and his discharge
uncured. All forms of insanity were heriditary. Ayn-
sherd's insanity was what was termed paroxsymal, which
means a species of madness 'which often resulted in suicide
or homicide.
Mrs. Elizabeth Saunders deposed to various acts of eccen-
tricity on the part of Mrs. Vyse's grandfather. He used
to keep a great number of cats in his room, and used to
sleep with his coffin under his bed. He was called in the
neighbourhood in which he resided " Mad Saunders."
Mr. Edney, of Ludgate-hill, bootmaker, knew Mrs. Vyse
as a customer. He never knew a mother so interested in
the personal appearance of her children as Mrs. Vyse. On
the morning before the lamentable event, Mrs. Vyse
brought back two pairs of boots he had made for the chil-
dren. She said they were not the elegant boots she had
ordered. She conducted herself in a very violent manner.
She used to look and:stare about in a very wild state. At
that time he was of opinion that Mrs. Vyse was a person of
unsound mind.
Mr. Spense, of St. Paul's Churchyard, said he had also
from the appearance of Mrs. Vyse, some days before the
tragedy, formed an opinion that she was a person of un-
sound mind.
Eliza Birkett, servant to Mrs. Vyse, said she remembered
the death of the child. Mrs. Vyse was with the child night
and day before it died. On some occasions she threw the
tea things into the fire-place. The next morning she did
not recollect doing so; and on being told of it she cried.
Mrs. Vyse never took malt liquor with her meals. She
said she could not take anything, as her head was so bad.
Sha used to drink milk and water.
Dr. George Merritt, the medical attendant on Mr.
Vyse's family, also gave it as his opinion that Mrs. Vyse
was a person of unsound mind.
Dr. Forbes Winslow said—l have been in court during
the whole of this trial.
Sergeant Ballantine—You have heard the evidence, what
is your opinion as to the state of mind of Mrs. Vyse ?
Mr. Chambers objected to the question.
Mr. Justice Wigntman thought the question could not
be put.
Examinationmeontinued—The suppression of menstrua-
tion would likely in certain cases operate prejudicially
upon the brain where there was the heriditary taint of in-
sanity.
Dr. Copland expressed his concurrence in the opinion of
Dr. Winslow.
Mr. M. Chambers, Q.C., then addressed the jury on the
evidence adduced for the accused.
The learned Judge then proceeded to sum up the evi-
dence, and said that if the jury were perfectly satisfied that
the prisoner was in a condition not to discriminate between
right and wrong, they could not find her to be a person of
sound mind.
The jury retired at 10 minutes past five, and, after an
absence of only four minutes, returned a verdict of not
guilty on the ground of insansity.
There was another indictment against the prisoner, but
no evidence was offered.
The usual order for confinement during her Majesty's
pleasure was made by tb.e learned judge.

NEW COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Wightman.)
THE HENDON Tom` GuDY.
James Lavinson was indicted for the wilful murder of
Sarah Ann Cocks at Hendon.
The facts of this case have repeatedly appeared in The
Sun. It will be remembered that the nnfoi tunate girl met
er death from a gun-shot wound in the head, and the pri-
soner was accused of dischArging the weapon.
The witnesses having been
examined,
The jury retired to consider tlicir verdict.
At a quarter to five the jury returned into court and
y found the
prisoner
announced that the
strongly recommended him to mercy. The guilty, but ,they
learned Judge then passed the sentence of death in
the usual form, announcing that the recommendation of
the jury would be transmitted tothe
he could hold out no hope proper quarter, but
he h ut
of mercy.

THE CORONERSHIP OF THE CENTRAL
DISTRICT.

DECLARATION OF THE POLL-TIIIS DAY•

The official declaration of the polling for the coronership
of the Central division of Middlesex took place this day at
the hustings, Portland-place.
At 1 o' clock Mr. Sheriff Cockerell stepped forward to the
front of the hustings and declared that the voting had been
as follows :
Dr. Lankester .................... 1,131
Mr. Lewis ............ 1,084
Majority for Dr Lankester ... —47
He therefore declared that the election had fallen on Dr.
Lankester. (Loud cheers.)
Dr. Lankester then took the Coroner's oaths, after which
Mr. Lewis shook hands with him, and both gentlemen ad-
dressed the assemblage.

-
To-morrow (Thursday) will be a day of double
attraction at the Crystal Palace, the great fountains being
played at three o'clock, and Elondin giving a special per-
formance on the tight rope in the centre transept at foux,
by desire of her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge.
One shilling will, as usual, be charged for admission, but
an ample supply of reserved seats will be provided for those
who desire them.