The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-01 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON,

motives, 'whether the step taken were wise or un-
wise. I ought in justice to you to add, since I
observed during the inquiry an alleged statement
by Mr. Windham to a witness of my being your
bosom friend,' that, in fact, I have never had the
honour of seeing you more than once 'n society—
viz., at Mr. Hook's ; but I never saw you at all
before you returned from India, and my only other
interviews with you have been when you presented
yourself at my court, or chambers, in the interest
of your ward. I write, therefore, in no sense as
your friend, but in answer to your appeal.—Yours
faithfully, W. P. WooD.
"Major-General Windham, C.B.
" You are at liberty to make any use you think
fit of this letter."
I have nothing further to add but that I wish it
to be fully understood that I was not persuaded to
consider my nephew a fit subject for the proceed-
ings in question until some time subsequent to his
marriage—not, in short, until an accumulation of
facts connected with the management of himself and
his property had been pressed upon my attention.
When, therefore, I called upon him shortly after his
marriage, and offered him a small piece of inter-
mixed land, much coveted by his father, at the
price (L 1,000) at which it had been bought a short
time previous to his coming of age, I did so as the
best proof I could give him that I was not inclined
to be unreasonably angry with his conduct —I have
the honour to C.
sir, yourlN obedient servant,
C. A. WDHAM, Major-General.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—ln the report of the proceedings in the case
of Mr. W. F. Windham in the Times of to-day, it
is stated that so favourable was the impression pro-
duced by Mr. Windham's examination before the
Master and the jury that • the ;pinion expressed to
your reporter was, that if the examination had
taken place at the close of the case r the peti-
tioners, neither the Master nor the jury wouM have
thought it necessary to subject Mr. Windham to
the expense of adducing evidence in his defence. In
this opinion we must entirely concur, and ,we beg
to be allowed to state that when the case of the
petitioners was drawing to a close, on the 30th of
December, 1861, Sir Hugh Cairns suggested that
kr. Windham should be examined, according to
what he believed to be the usual practice, at the
close of the petitioners' ease ; and that Mr. Wino-
ham's advisers are not responsible for the course
that was ultimately taken.
The following is an extract from the shorthand
writer's notes of what passed :
" Sir Hugh Cairns—There is one question, Sir,
which is entirely in the jury's hands and yours—
viz., when they would desire to see Mr. Windham.
I believe it is the usual practice that that should be
done at the end of the petitioners' case. Of course,
Mr. W indham will be in attendance.

" The Master—l will tell you the usual course I
take, and which I have adopted on several occasions,
perhaps three or four of them without juries. I
hear all the evidence first, and then have the sub-
ject of the evidence in, to see whether his appear-
ance, demeanour, and conversation accord with the
evidence or not.

Sir Hugh Cairns—lt occurred to me that it
might assist the jury, with reference to the obser-
vations I should have to make, if they saw Mr.
Windham at the end of the petitioners' case.

" The Master—l have never done that.
" Mr. Chambers—As far as my experience is
concerned, having first been taught so by the books,
it confirms what Sir dugh Cairns says—that it is
done at the end of the petitioners' case ; and in the
caes in which I have been engaged generally at
the end of the petitioners' case the alleged lunatic
is subject to examination ; but any course that you
(the Master) and the jury think proper my learned
friend Sir Hugh Cairns and myself will agree to.
" The Master—The jury leave it in my hands.
" Several Jurors—Certainly."
We are, sir, your obedient servants,
GREGORYS AND CO.
Solicitors to Vlr. Windham.
1, Bedford-row, Jan. 31.

EXIRAORDINARY CHARGE OF

ADHLYISTER,ING POISON,

One of the most extraordinary charges of attempt-
ing (
to poison that we have heard of was on Tuesday
last investigated before the magistrates for the
liberty of Peterborough. The evidence showed an
amount of credulity in fortune-telling scarcely to be
believed in persons moving in respectable society.
It appears that on the 17th ult. the police authorities
receivedinformation that Mr. Albert Adolphus
Armstrong, farmer, of Deepingate, and his house-
k. eepe r, Mrs. Halls, had been poisoned, and, from
inquiries then made, it was ascertained that these
paxties had for some time been suffering from pains
in the stomach, &c., the symptoms, in fact, being
exactly those which are generally caused by poison ;
and from a statement made by Mr. Armstrong's
wife that she had administered to her husband and
Mrs. Halls some powders provided by an old for-
tune-teller, named Pat Rowlett, residing at Crow-
land, which were meant to prevent Mr. Armstrong
inheriting some property, warrants were issued
against the old fortune-teller and Mrs. Leaton (Mrs.
Armstrong's mother), who were thereupon taken
into custody ; and at a special potty sessions, held
at the Justices'-room on Tuesday last, were ex-
amined before the Rev. Wm. Strong (chairman),
and J. M. Vipan, Thos. Walker, and Wm. Paley,
Esqs., when the following evidence was adducedl:
The first witness called was -Albert Adolphus Arm-
strong, who said he was a farmer, and resided at
Deepingate. He married his present wife, then
Catherine Jane Leaton (daughter of Catherine
, Leaton, one of the accused), in 1855. He then lived
at Cambridge, and afterwards in London, In 1860
Thos. Leaton, his father-in-law, died suddenly, and
he (Mr. Armstrong) was sent for from London.
Mr. Leaton died (without a will) possessed of con-
siderable real and personal estates. Mr. Arm-
strong then resided with his mother-in-law, and
commenced managing the farm. There is a sum of
£2,000 in dispute, being Mrs. Leaton's pro-
perty apart from her husband's. She has repeatedly
said she would do all she could to prevent his
having that money. In 1860 Mrs. Leaton left
his (Mr. Armstrong's) house, and went to reside at
Deeping. There was then no unpleasant feeling
between them. About hay time in 1861 he went
to Mrs. Leaton's house, and found her engaged with
Pat Rowlett. He hid himself behind a screen in
the room in which they were, and heard them his-
sing into each other's ears, they at the same time
eating white currants. He heard the old woman,
Rowlett, say, " I will bring some white powder
that will do for them ;" and Mrs. Leaton said, " It
shall be done." He expelled the old woman from
the house, and threatened if he found her there
again to give her into custody. In the summer of
1861 he was taken ill with pains about the body
and cramp, accompanied by vomiting and sickness,
and has had the like symptoms up to the time of
taking these proceedings. Never suffered in the
same way before. Went to London in November
last, and stayed two months, and during his stay
had none of these symptoms, but improved in health
generally, and gained flesh, as did also Mrs. Halls,
who was there at the same time. Soon after he got
home he was again taken ill with the same symp-
toms, and suffered very much. Then expressed a
wish that if he died a post mortem examination
should be made of his body. Soon after consulted
his solicitor, Mr. Gaches, by whom he was advised
to take these proceedings. In cross-examination
Mr. Armstrong admitted that since his marriage
with his present wife he had been convicted of
bigamy, and served nine months' imprisonment..
On Tuesday, the 21st ult., about 3 o'clock in the
morning, he took his wife into the police-station at
Peterborough, and charged her with attempting to
Poison him. A former servant of Mrs. Leaton's
corroborated plaintiff as to his finding the old
woman, Rowlett, with Mrs. Leaton in the summer
of 1861,
old woman
and expelling her from the house. The
education, taonldd her that. she had had a very superior
Mrs. Leaton had learnt astrology was highly connected, and had
school, and she' and the Hebrew language at
Leaton to detpeabr
d tcould w i
tnnoews s
treadliat
she
ee
allowed
Rowlett 2s
Rowlett advised Mrs.
be separated
for her daughter, "as
anything could be de,TaTed from the
the good must
wit-
ness that Rowlett said there was a pot of.l:gaodlcl
Mrs. Leaton told buenfdo.erer
but something prevenYtewdetrhe
an apple tree, and the
believed it was there, as theem
going one night for
.it,
Catherine Jane Armstrong drev,oWas
, and that she still
a il,e,
.p
alltZot2lhalhtoesrhmheieskrsninegw
Martha, commonly called
professed telling fortunes, d had Rowlett. She
faith
for-
tune before her marriage. - She m
her mother's house. She (witnesse) hadwith her. inat
what the old woman told her, and the latter had
promised to do all she could for her, sseanii f,\
get the money (the £2,000) from her huslumil for
her. In hay-time, 1861, witness saw " Pat Row-
lett" at her mother's house; went upstairs with her,

.••••••,.....
had told her mother had told her Rowlett wanted to see
her, she having something for her. Rowlett asked
her how she was, and how the children were, and
told her to take care of the baby, as he would be
her (witness's) main claw ; by which she under-
stood that if she lost him her husband would get
the money. Rowlett told her that she had left
something for her on the chimney-piece, and she
was to give her husband and Mrs. Halls a little of
it in anything. She could not find it on the
chimney-piece at first, but afterwards found a little
paper, and asked her mother if that was it, who
replied in the affirmative. She understood it was
a mere charm, to keep her husband from having
the money. She kept the powder, which was a
whitish one, for some days, and then put it in her
husband's tea, and directly after heard him complain
of pains in the limbs and sickness. Noticed he
looked better when he came back from London,
after being there two months. After he returned from
London her mother asked her how her husband was,
and when she told her he was a great deal better,
she said " Oh," and seemed surprised. Soon after,
in consequence of seeing him (her husband) very
ill, she told him what she now gave in
evidence. There was a little powder left ;
she had it in her pocket, but did not
always keep it there. Threw what was left into
a pail in the barn. Administered some of the
poison to Mrs. Halls. Cross-examined—She never
wished to injure her husband, as hel was always
very kind to her. Put the " stuff" into her hus-
band's tea in his cup. No one saw her. When her
husband took her into Peterborough police-station
he told her where he was going to take her to.—
C. B. Edwardes, deputy chief constable for the
liberty of Peterborough, deposed going to Deepin-
gate on the 20th ult. Mrs. Armstrong then said
in his presence that about three or four months ago
she first conceived the idea of giving ber husband
drugs. He had hal some powders handed over to
him by police-constable Scotney. One was found
in a drawer in the kitchen, and another under a
cushion of an armchair in Mrs. Armstrong's bed-
room. He caused the powders to be analysed, and
the result was that alum only was found in one,
and in the other carbonate of soda. Mrs. Armstrong
at first denied, but afterwards admitted, putting
those powders where they were found. He had the
contents of the pail in which Mrs. Armstrong said
she had thrown the remains of the powder she had
from Rowlett analysed, and found it contained green
vitriol.
On the usual caution being read to the prisoners,
Mrs. Leaton said, "I wish to leave the case in the
hands of Mr. Taylor." Rowlett said, "I never gave
Mrs. Armstrong a powder in my life. I never told
Mrs. Leaton's fortune in my life. I have never
been in Mr. Armstrong's house since they were
married, and am as innocent of the crime as a babe
unborn." The latter prisoner was committed for
trial, and Mrs. Leaton was discharged.
The prosecution was conducted by Mr. Gaches,
and Mr. Taylor defended the prisoners. .
Popular feeling at Deeping is much against Mr.
Armstrong, and on Monday a mob of between 200
and 300 people proceeded to his house at Deepiu-
gate, and attempted to set it on fire by placing a
quantity of straw at the front door and setting
fire to it, pulled the piping down, and broke
several panes of glass in the windows; and on
the following evening, before Mr. Armstrong got
home from the petty sessions at Peterborough, a
mob again collected and entirely demolished
the windows, including the frames and sashes,
and broke several chairs which were just inside,
doing damage to the amount of £3O or £4O. In
fact there has been no such ebullition of public
feeling displayed in the neighbourhood for many
years. A strong body of police is now patrolling
the neighbourhood of Deepiugate to prevent any
future riot of this sort, and we believe that proceed-
ings will shortly be taken against the chief parties
concerned in this wholesale malicious destruction of
property.

FORGERY OF RUSSIAN B ANK NOTES.

Yesterday at 2 o'clock the men Reichberg, Har-
witz, and Josephson, three of the five Polish Jews
now in custody on the charge of being concerned in
the extensive and systematic forgeries at various
places in this country of Russian rouble notes, were
again placed at the bar of the justice room at the
Mansion-house, in the custody of George Scott,
detective police officer, before the Lord Mayor, to
undergo a further examination.
Mr. Sleigh again attended for the Russian Govern-
ment ; Mr. M‘Donnell, barrister, for the prisoners
Rcichberg and Harwitz; and Mr. Hope, of Ely-
place, for Josephson.
Mr. Sleigh said the inquiry had assumed so
important a character by the gradual development
of the extensive and extraordinary system of for-
gery with which the prisoners, and two others
now in custody, were charged, that he thought it
would save time if ho completed the case against the
three men at the bar, the original batch, before ad-
ducing further evidence against the other two, who
had since been arrested at Birmingham.
The Lord Mayor, falling in with the suggestion,
had the prisoners Rosenburg and Weber formally
brought before him, and remanded them until Fri-
day next.
The inquiry was then resumed, and subjoined is
the fresh evidence given yesterday.
Benjamin Hilimer, examined by Mr. Sleigh—l
am an ornamental engineer at 5, London-wall. I
remember in the beginning of November last the
first prisoner Josephson calling on me there. He
brought a small circular zinc plate, on which was a
worn-out pattern, unfit for printing, and asked me to
make a copperplate like it,leaving it with me for that
purpose. I asked him what it was for. He said a label
for a watch paper, and that he was a travelling en-
graver and watchmaker. I had to do the plate in about
a week, and he came punctually to get it. It was not
then finished, and he gave me three more days to
do it in. He called again at the end of that time,
when the plate was done. [lt was for doing the
engine-turned work of a rouble note.] That was
about the middle of November. My charge was
205., and he paid me first by giving me a watch
worth 30s. I returned him 10s. in change. The
impression on the plate produced, which is the one
I had engraved for him, is not now so strong as
when it left my hands. I could not say whether it
has been used in printing.
Cross-examined by Mr. Hope—l had not seen
Josephson before the Ist November. He said he
was a travelling engraver, and had received instruc-
tions for the plate from a watchmaking house at
Liverpool. He showed me a tradesman's card, and
asked what I would charge for engraving that. He
took it away with him, saying he would bring it
back to me to be engraved, but he did not do so.
Mr. James Wood, typefounder, West Smithfield,
was recalled, and identified the letterpress found by
the officer Scott at the prisoner Reichberg's house in
Bevingden-street,Hoxtou. He produced the tympan
of the press on which were impressions of the type
and figures he (witness) had engraven on a plate,
proving that the plate had been used in printing.
Cross-examined by Mr. M'Donnell—He had not
used the press at all before it left his premises. The
impressions on the tympan had not been produced
by using type with hand pressure. They were du-
plicated in some places, particularly in the border
part of the note; he could, indeed, see parts of three
impressions upon it:
James Watson, a porter to the previous witness, j
proved that, at the request of his master, he took
the letter-press produced to the house (No. 6) in
Bevingden-street, on the 18th November, accompa-
nied by the prisoner Harwitz, and carried it down
to a kitchen, where he left it.

John Girling—l am in the employment of Mr.
Roberts, printer, 41, Tabernaele•walk, Finsbury. I
remember the prisoners Harwitz and Reichberg call-
ing there together about the latter end of Septem-
ber, and asking me the charge for printing 1,000
copies of an impression of a certain size, which they
indicated. I said about 4s. They went away, Har-
witz saying they would call again. About the
beginning of October Reichberg called alone, bring-
ing with him a " form" of type, and asked me to
pull a few proofs of it, which I did. On my pulling
the first impression he said it would not do, as the
face of the border was not close enough together. I
tried to remedy the defect by taking out the oblong
piece of wood and filling the place up with oblong
pieces of metal, but I could not get them sufficiently
close for him. He then asked me to write on paper
the defects of the border. I did so, and he took it
away with him, stating his intention to get some
more type cast to be used in its place. About a
fortnight afterwards Reichberg came again alone,
bringing some type in a frame, and I made some
alterations in the border at his request. (The
witness stated these in detail, and showed the
anxiety of the prisoner to have certain half and
quarter pieces of the type at particular places in the
border.) While so engaged I asked him what the
border was for. Re said he was going to show it in
the Great Exhibition. I asked him why the half or
quarter piece of border was to be placed so particu-
larly in certain positions. He replied, " To prevent
any one imitating them." I asked him what he was
going to put on the middle of tha paper, within the
border. lie said some engraving, he being an en-
graver. The border did not do much better than the
previous one. He asked if I knew a typefounder. I
mentioned the name of Caslon, of Chiswell-street,
Finsbury, and wrote it for him on paper. He went
away, /caving both parcels of type with me, and
stating he would get a fresh lot of type. He had
asked me on that occasion if I would teach him let-
terpress printing. I inquired the terms, not then
being aware of the nature of the work. Evading
the question he said he had plenty of money, and
asked me to come to his house next morning. The
next morning being Sunday I objected, but offered