The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-05 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK.

A. respectable looking young man named William
Mew, who was described on the charge-sheet as a
commercial traveller, residing at Bexley-heath, was
brought before Mr. Seeker, in the custody of Ser-
• geant Hughes, of the L division, charged with at-
tempting to murder Helen Ealing by administering
• a large portion of poison to her.
Rebecca Gilbert, a very intelligent young woman,
said she resided with her mother at 26, Bennett.
se, street, Stamford-street. About three weeks ago last
Wednesdey the prisoner and the NrOMOD came to her
mother's house and represented themselves as husband
and wife. The prisoner hired furnished apartments,
and stated his name to be Anderson, and that he was
g, a commercial traveller. They lived in the house
quietly until. Wednesday the 26th ult., when Helen
Ealing, his supposed wife, cooked some dinner, and
carried it up stairs. She then heard some words
ensue, and a few minutes after one o'clock the pri-
soner came down stairs and told hlr that his wife had
gone out suddenly, and he could not tell where she
- was gone to, and that he should go and look after her.
After he had left the house witness went up-stairs
and found the door of his apartments locked, when
she suspected that they had both left the house
and might return at tome hour in the night.
She accordingly sat up fcr them until two
o'clock on Thursday morning, but the pli-
as soner did not return until Saturday morning, when he
came and asked witness whether his wile (Helen
•14 Ealing) had returned. Witness replied in the nega-
tive, when he left the house in a sudden manner. She
suspected that something was wrong from his excited
state, which induced her to go up stairs to his apart •
meat and try the door. She found it locked, which
_ caused her to look through the keyhole. She then
saw what she supposed to be a woman lying on the
ea bed, which caused her to inform her mother of her
suspicion. Assistance was immediately procured,
and the door aas forced open, when they found the
woman on the bed apparently in a dying state.
Mr. SECHEIt—AV hen did you see her prior to that ?
Witness—l saw her on the Wednesday morning
when she cooked the dinner. She was then in good
34 health.
Mr. SECIEEIt—Was she dressed when you dis-
covered her in the bed? Witness—She was, sir;
exactly in the same dress that she wore when she
cooked her dinner on Wednesday. I was so
frightened when I saw her that I ran out and fetched
a surgeon.
Mr. J. Vardey, surgeon, of Stamford street, said
1
that he was called into Mr. Gilbert's house on Satur-
day morning, the 29th ult. He went up-stairs
into the second-floor front room, and saw a
woman lying on the bed in a state of
coma, apparently from inhaling cloroform or
some noxious drug. She was then recovering from a
state of somnolency which appeared to have lasted
some days, and she was conscious of everything about
4 her, but unable to speak or reply to his questions.
is- Lie had heard that she had been locked up in the room
114 two or three days, and it was his impression that some
2%
5 narcotic drug had been administered to her, but that
7s her constitution had overcome its deadly effects.
Mr. SECKER—Have you examined the contents of
- the stomach ? Mr. Vardey—l have not, as it was
too late, and quite useless to do so. She was gra-
ms dually recovering when I saw her, and was able to
T make me conscious of her feelings.
Mr. SECKER—Did you examine the room to ascer-
tain whether anything was lying about which might
6d- have contained poison ? Mr. Vardey—l looked about
the room, and saw a key lying on the table, but I
- could see no phial or anything which had contained
81 poison or any narcotic drug. From the appearance
.oa. of the place I believe she did not take it herself.
• Mr. SECKER—CouId you form any opinion when
the drug was administered? Mr. Vardey—l should
6s think about two days. lam surprised how her con-
6d. •
t stituon subdued the effects of the drug.
a%6d Mr. SECKER—CouId not a small dose taken on the
Friday have the same effect ? Mr. Vardey—lt is
_ impossible. The narcotic must have been taken at a
I.!! more remote period.
Prisoner—Was the door locked inside or out ?
Mr. Vardey—The door I entered was locked in-
side, and the key was on the table, but the other door
was open. As soon as I discovered that poison had
lee. been administered I recommended Miss Gilbert to
- inform the police, when Mr. Wagstaff, the police
surgeon, was called in and assisted me in examining
the woman. I have since attended her, but she is
not free from danger.
Miss Gilbert was here recalled, and stated that she
believed them to be husband and wife, but she ex-
pected that some jealousy existed between them, as a
Mr. Green used to call upon the woman, and the
14 prisoner had requested her to deny her being at home.
The prisoner left the house on Wednesday morning,
the 26th ult., stating that he was going to look after
his wife. He came to the house on Friday evening
and went up-stairs. He remained a very few minutes,
and on leaving he told her his wife had not returned,
and be wondered where she had gone to. She did
not see him afterwards until he was in custody.
Mr. SECKER—CouId any person enter the house at
any time without being seen by yourself or mother ?
Witness—They could not. Had the woman left the
house on Wednesday she or her mother must have
seen her enter. The street-door was always kept
locked, and the key inside.
Mr. SECKER—Have you any idea how the poison
or drug was administered ? Witness—The woman
told her that when she place the dinner on the table
some porter was poured into a glass by the prisoner.
She swallowed the contents and was immediately
overcome. She recollected nothing else until wit-
ness forced the door open and found her on the bed.
Sergeant Hughes, 20 L, said, that he was called
in to see the woman, when he received information
that the prisoner had administered some poison to her.
He searched for him, but was unable to find him
until the previous evening, when he took him into
custody. He told witness that he wished "he had
been at the devil before he saw her."
Mr. SECKER—Did you not tell him the nature of
the charge ? Witness—l told him he was charged
with administering poison to Helen Ealing with in-
tent to murder her.
Mr. SECKER—What did he say to that ? Witness
—He said he hoped I
heold w
him he as notcould not seeead, and he wished
to go and see her. ther,
and I then took him to the police-station. The pri-
soner told Mr. Green on Saturday that Helen Ealing
was dead, and that she had done it herself.
Elizabeth Dunn, lodging-house-keeper, 49, Burr-
street, East Smithfield, said she had known the
woman some time. She was a very bad girl, and had
twice taken poison. The prisoner lodged at her house
and was a married man, but Helen Ealing induced
him to f• lope with her from her house about three
weeks ago. She had been in prison for attempting to
commit suicide, and she was positive that she had
taken the drug herself with the same intent. She
had heard that the prisoner was charged with the
murder, and she recommended him to give himself up
to the police. The woman was the daughter of a
solicitor's clerk, but in very poor circumstances.