The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-02 00:00:00

AN OLD MISER.

YARMOUTIL—The following story, the truth of which
we have satisfactorily ascertained, has within the last
few days excited the attention of some of our local au-
thorities. An old woman named Mutton, whose hus-
band is a coal carrier, residing in a Row on the quay, bad
complained of being somewhat unwell for a few days
prior to the 12th ult., on which day her husband,
when he returned from the pursuit of his usual avocation,
found her to be so ill as, in his opinion, to need assist-
ance, arid ho offered to help her to bed, e.n offer she
gladly accepted, but which came too late, as she expired
before ho could get her there. It had always been sus-
pected that she possessed money, but it could never be
ascertained with certainty. So soon, however, as the wife
was dead, the husband, whose cupidity, it seems, ex-
ceeded his grief, commenced a search for the recovery
of this hitherto imaginary wealth. Already golden
visions passed before him, and Californian riches seemed
to invite his acceptance. Apparently well aware of the
probable nature of the materials in which the hoards
would be secreted, and shrewdly suspicious that certain
places into which he had long been forbidden to pry,
were the depositories of the anticipated treasures, he
carefully examined sundry broken jugs, pieces of rag, and
other equally valuable relics of antiquity. Fully aware
that great riches like great merit are sometimes hidden
beneath rough and uninviting exteriors our hero did not
despise or turn away from the most repulsive collections.
And well, it seems, he was rewarded. Within the
multiplied folds of rags which had long ceased to serve
any other useful purpose, the portraits of the present
and preceding monarchs of these realms beamed forth in
bold relief from gold and silver pieces, such as might
excite the wishes of the covetous and gratify the desires
of the miser. But it was not suddenly nor at once that
the extent of his riches were developed. About forty
pounds is said to have been the proceeds of the first
search. Encouraged by this success, the husband, like
some patient miner, pursued his search. Every corner
of every cupboard was explored, and every likely article
was carefully examined. His success continued till it is
said some 160/. had been brought together, a sum of
large magnitude to one who, but a few hours before, was
wanting the common necessaries of life. The sudden
accession to such a fortune was not likely long to remain
a secret, and there were certain indications in the con-
duct of the husband at the funeral that new means had
been discovered for gratifying certain bacchanalian pro-
pensities. It soon became noised abroad that the wife
had starved herself to death to hoard up wealth, which
bade fair soon to be dissipated at the shrine of the jolly
god. The report reached, among others, a gentleman
whose peculiar duty it was to make some inquiries re-
specting the case, and it was soon ascertained that the
story about her sudden death was true; that a surgeon
was called in to see her, but life was extinct before his
arrival. Prior to a certificate of burial being issued, the
law required that some one present at the death should
certify as to the cause of death, but in this case, at-
tended as it was by circumstances that might be sup-
posed to demand some inquiry, a certificate of burial
was issued upon a note given by the surgeon, stating that
deceased was dead at the time of his arrival, and that he
could not say what was the cause of death. We believe
the registrar, who it seems erred from oversight, has so
had his attention called to the subject as will in future
prevent a similar occurrence passing unheeded.

ALLEGED MURDER FOR THE
SAKE OF BURIAL FEES.
The greatest excitement prevails at the present
time in Hastings and its vicinity, in consequence of
a female having been apprehended on a charge nt
administering poison to her husband and three of her
children, growr -up young men. The circumstancet
which transpired, and led to the prisoner's apprehen-
sion, were the following:—
It appears that at the toot of the White Hart-bill,
in the parish of Guestling, resided, up to last Sept.,
a bird-working man, named Richard Geering, and
his wife, with five grown up sons, two daughters,
and four younger children. The father, who belonged
to a benefit society, held at the White Hart, died on
the 13th September last, at the age of 56. The
sudden manner of death gave rise to a belief that the
man had died from a disease of the heart, and he was
buried in the parish churchyard, the prisoner receiving
at the time 61. from the club. On the 27th of Dec.,
one of the sons, aged 21, named George, died fro°,
what was supposed to be pericarditis. On the 6th 01
March, a second son named James Geering, also
died, aged 26. This party was also a member of the
same benefit society as his father had belonged to.
This son's death was registered as being caused from
gastritis. A few weeks since a third son was take°
ill with violent vomitings. He was attended by the
same surgeon, but circumstances arose which induced
a desire that another surgeon should be called in,
which was done, and the medical men having pre'
scribed, the son recovered, and contemplated going
to work again. Having so far recovered,
no further notice was taken of him by the
medical men, until Mr. Ticehurst, the surgeon, re-
ceived information that the son was again seized
with vomiting. He immediately proceeded to the
house, and on examining the matter the son had
brought off his stomach he detected the presence °f
arsenic. The coroner having been informed of the
suspicion attached to the death of the husband and the
two sons, that functionary at once gave orders for the
three bodies to be exhumed, which was according
done, and OR Thursday afternoon a jury assemble'
and were sworn in.
The CORONER informed the jury that, from Wbfit
he had heard, he felt it to be his duty to cause 3.-
n
inquiry to be made into the cause of the deaths of the
several parties named above.
The jury then proceeded to the churchyard, ".bete
the several coffins were opened, and the stomachs and
intestines of the deceased were removed, for the pa'
pose of being submitted to Professor Taylor, for the
application of the proper tests. The bodies were
afterwards reburied, and the jury bound over t°
appear again, when the analysis is complete. Th,e
inquest was, therefore, adjourned sine die. The whole
of the intestines and stomachs were in a remarkable
state of preservation.
On February the 27th, Mary Anne Geering, the
prisoner, was brought before W. Briscoe, Esq., st
the Town Clerk's office. She is a well-look'
ing woman, about fifty years of age. Mr. Thorne
son, the superintendent of the East Essex constalitv
lary, said that he had apprehended the prisoner on s
charge of administering poison to her son Benjamin
18 years of age, who was then so ill as to be unab,
to attend. He had searched the house, and found fet
paper with the word " poison" marked thereon.
contained a red precipitate. He told the prisoner the
ti
she was charged with administering arsenic to 13f
son, when she replied that she had not had any `l3
her house for many months. Mr. Henry Dillo,',:
chemist of Hastings, said that he had known t""
prisoner for twenty years. She was at l'1",
shop on the 2d of April, when she had a mixture'
He had sold her many pennyworths of arsenic. Sbe
had some about the 12th of February. She had some
several times during the autumn of last year. Air'
Ticehurst, surgeon of Hastings, said that he wag
called by the prisoner to see her son Benjamin. Ta
said her reason for wanting him to see him was t'",
she had lost her husband and two sons in the same
way, and that Mr. Pocock had seen him and conlii
do nothing with him. Witness saw him on the 13t
instant, when he described himself to have been
suffering from the previous Sunday with violent
vomiting, great irritation of the stomach, and tee./
derness of the abdomen ; all the symptoms wet e,
irritating poison. On the 19th he saw the patie!;
again, when he was quite well ; but on the 24th Pr
heard that he was ill again, but not from any mena,bed
of his family. He went immediately, and on see'ei
some fluid of a greenish hue in a utensil, he t°ebt,
e
some home in a bottle, having been told that t.
patient had vomited the same. He had analyzed l
and believed it contained arsenic. The prisoner_
told him she had not had any arsenic in the house
for more than twelve months.
The prisoner was remanded.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
VIC E • CHAN CE RY COURT, May 1'
(Before Sir J. KNIGHT BRUCE.)
PIPER r. SoYER.
This was a motion for an injunction to restrain the
defendant from preventing the plaintiff from baying a_c.
teas to the books of account in the partnership in th!,
bill mentioned, and from exercising the rights of a ptkr__,
ner. The plaintiff alleged that early in 1848 he
vented a beverage called " Tortoni's Anana," and gene
rally known as " Soyer's Nectar," and that he entered
Zus
into partnership with the defendant, John Gi°./j
for the purpose of making and selling "id
beverage, and that in consideration of Ss
partnership, and also of the undertaking becounrjg
,_,
the property in equal moieties of plaintiff and said de,
fendant, the latter brought 2001. into the concern, and
premises were taken for the business in Rupert-streeea
Haymarket. The capital not being sufficient, it was ogre .
that Gibbs should bring in 2001. more,which was to be con'
sidered as a debt due by the partnership. Subsequelq;
in the same year, it was agreed between them, Lnaciti",,a,
defendant, Alexis Benoit Soyer, of the Reform v't"„t
should be admitted as a partner, it being considered tu'd
his name would be of great advantage, and it was agreed
that he should bring in 100/. only, in consideratinlifio
his acquiring one-third interest in the concern, the
previous partners each retaining a similar share. d,
September, 1848, it was agreed, for the further exten
of
ing the business, that the defendant, Richard Baker'„jd
Bisson's-grove, St. John's-wood, stockbroker, stle;s,
be admitted a partner into one-forth of the business
on consideration of his bringing 1,0001. into the cepa
cern. It was also agreed that the 2001. advance
originally by Gibbs should be charged to the plate,
tiff's share, that each partner's share should be ell,•
fourth, that " the manufacture and sale of SeYetebe
Nectar should be common to the four partners, that,iea
agreement be for seven years, and that the firm be ea' be
Soyer and Co." The plaintiff alleged, that during
old partnership be had kept the secret of the naanu,l•3ot
turn of the beverage to himself, but that the defenuf'ch
Baker refused to enter into the partnership unless satin
secret was communicated, and that accordingly 011.,0.
execution of the agreement it was communicated. ''t
ferences soon arose, which ultimately led to the Preser.
proceedings, and to the arrest of the plaintiff by
Groomridge, one of the creditors of the firm.
llis lloNoun directed the partnership to be dissalye de
as from this day, without prejudice to any question, 'ns
defendants within 48 hours to discharge the judgree;.
obtained by Groomridge, without prejudice to any questat
tion, they to be entitled to credit in the account for v'
they shall pay to Groomridge. His Honour likew:i•
directed a reference to ascertain and arrange, on eqn'
able terms, the interests of the respective parties.

ESCAPE Of Two CONVICTS.-WOOLWICH,
—About twelve o'clock last night two convicts escaq,
from the convict hulk Hebe, recently moored innti,
river near the west end of the Royal Arsenal. `"":
of them is named Charles Lanker, 28 years of ag' is
native of Sheffield, and cutler by trade. The other
named Thomas Bradbury, 19 years of ag e. He was
native of Coventry, and followed the occupation 0' a
hawker.
MR. FORBES, M.P.-It is with deep regret
have to state that our much esteemed county metoheiri;
Mr. Forbes, of Callendar, met with a severe accident,„th
consequence of being thrown from his horse on the 1".ro
instant. He had been hunting with the Stirlingbulp,
hounds, near Avon-bridge, when the animal came dl
and Mt. Forbes being thrown, as stated, he receiver,
fracture in one of his legs. The latest account is,
Forbes is doing well.—Stirling Obserwer.
We learn that the Tallowchandlers' CoMPI
have presented a donation of 101. 105. to the lianah„f;:f,
Flag Ragged Schools, through their Chaplain, the
Doctor Hughes. Hughes.
—O4

BIRTHS. lady
On the 26th ult., at Atkins-road, Clapham-park, the
,
of J. Micholson, Esq., of a daughter. of
lady
On the 27th ult., at Woodhouse, Leicestershire, the la
Witt'
T.
On
Esq., of a daughter.
On the z7th ult., at Butleigh-vicarage, Somerset, the ,
of the Rev. W. F. Ne ville, ot a daugter.
wife
On the 27th ult., at Teignmouth, Devon, the of Capt.
H. Lugad, Royal nneers, of a son.
On the 28th ult ,L at gi
Rutland-gate, Hyde-park, the wife of
F. P. Barlow, ~ Esq jun ,of a daughter.
__----"'

MARR
At Witton Le Wear, in the couI
ntED' „y of Durham, t
ult., by the Rev. Lawrence' Browne, the Rev. Henry 0.),
non Baumgartner,
son of John Thomas Baumgartner,
of Milton-house, near Cambridge, to Frances OctaYi3,
daughter of George Hutton Wilkinson, of Harperlf-Paty
Recorder of Newcas.le-upon-Tyne, and Judge of the C°l'l
Cou of Northumerland. Con-
Evans, On the 25th ult.b, at Walcot Church, Bath, the Rev' con-
Evans, 8.A., Minister of Portland Chapel, Bath, t,?•
-3 r-
stance, eldest daughter of the late Rev. Arthur Hugu
son, rect of Fxearth, Esx. (-0
On theor 2Stho ult., at St.se Pancras, Euston-square' liar?
Pittar, Esq., to Rosalie, eldest daughter of Joshua .31337
Esq., of Fitzroy-square.
On the 26th ult., at Hampstead Church, Thomas Jolla
Esq., of Leeds, to Rebecca, eldest daughter of the late
Russell, Esq., of Maidenhead, Berks.

DIED.
On the 27th tilt., Thomas rilaiklock, Esq., of Stock's' lcl-
villasOn, Stockwell, aged Bt.
the 27th ult., Mr. W: Flanagan, of Mansion-b°
street, City, aged 78; also, on the 28th ult., Mrs. Sarah
nagantn,
h e wile of the aagedbove, a
21, at Oxford, William T. 1' trarD°
O 27th ult.,f
scholar of St. John's College, eldest son of Air. W.
Prospect-place, Old Brompton. rhe,
On the 2Sth ult., at Lymington, Hants, Charles St. —3
Esq., F.A.S., tt'c

of
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BlithilolloXl Wednesday, May 2, 1849,