The Sun.
London, England, 1807-04-01 00:00:00

AGRICU4,TURE, &c.

MONTHLY REPORT FOR MARCH.

The cold dry weather through the month has been
very fayourable'to the young Wheats, which in se-
veral parts of the Eastern Astrid have had their
first hoe ; their general appearance continues pro-
mising for a crop. The 'Barleys-have been kept in.
check by the late cutting winds, and on wet soils
are considerably gone otf. The fallowed lands have
worked remarkably 'well for the Oats ;- and those
foiward sown shew good plants. Beans and Pease,
both dibbled and" drilled, cony a healthy appearanCe.
Tlw Turnips, except the Swedish, are nearly fed
off in most countries. Rape has stood the winter
well, and promises a great .bloom: The Ryes are
forward, and_ afford plenty of seed. The Hop
grounds in some parts of Kent and Sussex dress
badly, having loSt much of their fine root, from the
wetness of.the winter. Smithfield continues to re-
ceive large supplies of all kinds. of prime meat, %%Ith
no material alteration of price since last month.---;
Lean Stock'are dearer; several droves of 'prime Scots
and Irish have been eagerly bought towards the close
of the month, at an advance of full ten per
Store Sheep are also higher priced. The flock mas-
ters on the South Downs sustained a heavy loss of
lambs at the beginning of the month froni the seve-
rity of the weather_ The Wool markets continue
brisk at last month's prices...

YORK LENT ASSIZES. •

CROWN END.

- Grace Robinson, of Sculecates,
_Hull, was charged
with the wilful murder of Esther Bustard,„her sister,
by administering the poison of white arsenic to her,
on the oth of oOtober. last. - '

George Fielding, surgeon, Hull; paS the first wit-
ness
,stated, that upon the most
careful examination of the stomach and intestines of
' the deceased, he wik enabled tq'saY, \% ith, certainty,
that the deceased died of poison, and tbat that poison
was whi%e arseniC.: he collected a sufficient.qUantity
from ti,e lower orifice of the stomach, which was
nearly e. 'rroded through, to: stibyeet it to the usual
test ; which,, upon being placd upon hot iron,
extlibitt,t white flames,- and had the smell of. garlic:
This Ge,Jlernan stated, thatt-the usual time within
whi _li _ this` poison prOduced death was 24 hours.;
but he4had: known more than one. instance where
• this effect was prodtteed within eight Or. len, hours.
He Xp eresedi,t,aS.: e his decided opinion, that
deceased ,had. not expired in 'a fit; asthe head, which
he opened,' was in a natural state. The general
,•slat; of the body was_ healthy.
.Thomas Mirsh stated, that he- was apprentice to.
Mr. Hewitt,•- druggist; of Hull ; that 'the Prisoner
had been in the habit of coming to their shop, and
that she had,purchased, at two several times, white
arsenic ; the first time about .twO. months before' the
death '
of-her sister,, and the.latter time within about
ten days. of her death, but whether before or after
Hull Fair, he-could tint certainly say: The 'Prisoner'.
infoime4 him;.• that.she used it to 4estroy rats and
mice ; and that she always gnixed it with oatmeal;
and placed, it in a 'IOW Cellar, where nothing could
get at it. This Witness proceeded to state, that-on
the 20th of Oaober, the day previous to i the death
of the deceased, the Prisoner came again to ihe
shop for some. Godfrey's Cordial y and then said,
" She. was afraid her little dog had got some of the
last poison ;" -and asked the Witne's's opinion,
Whether it would poison hint?. to which he replied,
it certainly.would if the dog had got much -of-it.—
.The Witness said, be did not reeollea the Prisoner
buying any arsenic at this time.
Martha .Sugden, who was neighbour to the de-
ceased, said, she went with the deceased. to Hall Fair
on Old Michaelmas-day; and when they returned,
accompanied her to tire Prisoner's house, who ac-
costed her sister with great atiger,•and said, "They
say thou be asked 'to the kirk: - but let thee be asked
in what church thou may, I will put thee past thy
wedding-day," These words the Prisoner repeated
several times.; and on the deceased.saying that she-
would. marry whom she pleased,_ and that she loved
every hair of his head, the Prisoner said, she would
strip the deceased naked, and turn her out of doors,
if she could not get quit of her any other way ; for
she was determined the house should inot go from
her (the. Prisoner's) own children. The Witness
also Stated, that the Prisoner and the deceased fre-
quently, quarrelled, and lived on very bad terms toge-
ther.
Mary Cal-us stated that she got up to wash on
the 21 st of Oolober, very early, and :saw the Pri- .
soner come into the kitchen for a candle. She said
to the Witness,'" my sister is dead." Witness went
to look at-the corpse, and found it quite cold ; they •
proceeded to wash the body of the deceased, when
the Prisoner insisted that her mouth should be Wasii,
ed with gin,; assigning this reason for offering this .
indignity to the dead corpse of her sister---," She
loved it whet she was living,and, she Shall have 'I,
some now she :is. dead. .

David Dundas,said,..that he lives nearly- opposite
the Prisoner, at Senlcoates; and as soon as he heard
of the death of her sister,' went to the Prisoner's to
make inquiry respaing it. The Prisoner. said, her
sister had died in a fit, and hat been so .very ill ever
since Friday the 1 7tl, insumt, that.she wasinca-
pable of leaving,,her bed_without...assistance; and
that they„had sat up with her every night,hntil her
death ;" and she appealed for the truth of what she
said to a Mrs. Thompson, who was present ; and
whb said, it vas so." To this statement the Wit-
ness objecled, 4aying that the deceased had bi,en seen
doing the business of the house .since that .period.
Mr. Thomas Hill, who was a trustee to the deceased,
and who v-as present at this conversation,' said it
was very strange he. had not been. infbrined of her
indisposition,; but that' he would take the manage-
rhent of the funeral upon himself ; to which th.
Prisoner replied, ! I have .ordered A-coffin, and she.
shall be buried to-day.": This Witness said,the de-
ceased appeared to 'enjoy a good state of health, nor
had he heard that she was subjea to fits.
Thomas Pro6tor stated, 'that be was a constable
at ; and after the Prisoner had been committed
t-. 6 gaol, she sent for the Witness, and said to him,:
1 arp..very sorry I did not tell the Gentlemen
-(meaning the Jury) the truth ; for I bought some'
'arsenic on the day before my sister died, and mixed

kICHARD HARRIS, 0; No. 4, 19artlett.court,'Bow-street ; and published by WILLIAM ARMIGER Sot iPrs, of South Molton.street, Crosyerloriquare;
LCD, No. 112, Stratid; where Adu rn ertiseenti, Orders for the papei,. I(-tiers for the Editor, &c. (post-paid), must be addressed.