The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-10 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Me. Wm. Carter, the coroner for East Surrey, has
been engaged for three days inquiring into the circum-
stances attending the death of Edwin Roe, aged one
year, who died from the effects of arsenic. The inquiry
took place in the Royal George Tavern, Union-street,
Rotherhithe, and excited, at each sitting, considerable
interest. The following will be found to be a brief sum-
mary of this important inquest :
Harriet Roe said that she was the wife of William
Roe, a hoop-slaayer, and she lived in Wild's-court, Ja-
maica-level, Rotherhithe. The deceased was her son.
A person who came to her house gave him a halfpenny,
for the purpose of purchasing at a shop a cake. Her
son George went out with her children and was absent
about five minutes, and on' his return she saw a
cake in the deceased's hand. It was a flat cake,
covered with carraway seed, coloured blue, yellow,
and pink. She broke the cake, giving part to
the deceased and the remainder to another child
of hers, named William, aged three years. The
portion' which she gave to the deceased he ate,
and the other child also ate what he bad. He had his
dinner that day, consisting of mutton, pudding, and
some potatoes. After partaking of the breast, witness
made some sop for the child, which it refused to take.
The deceased continued to fret, and she put it in the
cradle, where it slept for nearly an hour and a half.
Upon awaking it vomited. It went to sleep again
until about nine o'clock. She told her husband that
the child seemed convulsed, but he did not think
medical aid necessary. Between half-past ten and
eleven o'clock she retired to bed, keeping a candle
burning lest the infant should wake. At, a quarter
past twelve he got worse, and appeared sick at the
stomach, and he made an attempt to vomit, but could
throw nothing up. She then sent her husband for a
doctor. On his return Mr. Burns came, who saw the
child. She informed him what it had partaken of during
the day, and that after eating the cake he was not out
of her presence. Mr. Burns sent some medicine by her
husband, consisting of a powder and mixture. The
powder was put into the mouth, and two teaspoonfuls of
the liquid in a few minutes afterwards. She then placed
some hot flannel to the stomach, and as she did so the
child struggled in her arms and expired. She could not
account for the death otherwise : it was altogether tin-
expected.

George Roe said that he was 14 years of age. The
deceased was his brother. On Sunday week preceding
the present inquiry he carried him to the house of Mrs.
Banks, who keeps a little shop for the sale of cakes and
sweets,' and other articles of provision. Mrs. Banks'
son served him with one. He asked for a seed-cake.
The top was coloured, and the seeds were blue, white,
yellow, and green. His mother gave the best portion to
his brother William, and the other part to the deceased,
in his presence.

•
The room having been cleared, the Jury consulted
and returned a verdict "That the deceased died from
inflammation of the stomach and intestines, caused by
eating a cake with coloured carraway seeds thereon,
these containinc, arsenic ; but they (the jury) considered
the same death had not arisen through such a want of
care in the making of such cakes as amounts to an act
of cricaivality.".