The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON,

the appearances, the immediate cause of the death was
inflammation of the stomach and bowels. The in-
flammation would produce the appearance of yellow
spots, but such spots are not seen in ordinary in-
flammations. Did not tell the prisoner what the
powders were composed of. Did not mention jalap
to her.

Cross-examined—Made up all the medicines him-
self, and some of them were delivered by his boy.
Wm. Warburton, botanist, of Warrington, in the
habit of attending poor people, stated that he had
been acquainted with herbs for nearly fifty years.
On Sunday, the 18th, at about four in the morning,
was sent for to the house of deceased, and there
found him very bad. He complained of excruciating
pains in the limbs, and in the stomach. The pri-
soner was present. Made him a decoction from a
few herbs, and made a note three weeks after of what
they were. One was queen of the meadow, another
raspberry leaves, and the third bramble leaves. These
are " generally stringents," used to check sickness
and looseness. On Monday, having been sent for on
the Sunday preceding, ag►ain ordered a decoction of
pellitary, burdock, and dandelion. Also ordered a
fomentation of thistles. Saw deceased after that,
shortly before his death, and he was then worse than
ever. He died about one o'clock on Tuesday morn-
ing. He had very violent convulsions.
Mrs. Taylor stated that on Monday, the 12th, saw
the deceased, between ten and twelve of the forenoon,
as he was going past her house. Deceased lived next
door to her. In the course of the day heard some
one vomiting in the yard of the house ; this was
about six in the evening. The prisoner then told wit-
ness that "Job was come home ill from work." Asked
her what was the matter, and she said he had got the
bowel complaint. On the Saturday morning, at about
eight, she was fetched in by the prisoner, who said
she had had so bad a night with him that she was
afraid he was dying. Prisoner asked witness to feel
his feet. He complained of great cold, and asked
prisoner to cover him up, which she did. Saw him
shortly before his death, when he was in a dreadful
state. His tongue was very much swelled, and look-
ing like a boiled tongue. He was crying for drink,
and complained of thirst. Saw nothing there for
him to drink, and told prisoner that some buttermilk
would be good for him. Prisoner said she had no
halfpenny to get any, and no one to send. A half-
pennyworth is a common quantity to get. Witness
went into her own house and got some buttermilk,
and gave it to deceased. Prisoner thanked her for it,
and deceased drank it, and said it had done him good.
Cross-examined—Prisoner and deceased had lived
there about three months. Had a conversation with
her a few days after they came, when witness asked
her if she had fuund any bugs in the house, and pri-
soner said that she had found one or two, but that she
knew how to get rid of them. She said that she used
arsenic for the purpose. The house was very dirty,
it had been occupied by Irish people.
Mary Warburton, an old woman of 80, lived next
door, on the other side, to deceased. At nine o'clock,
about a week or ten days before he died, heard a
noise in his house, and went into it. He was sitting
there with his head reared tip, sickly and faint. Had
blood on his face, and a wound on the side of his
head. Prisoner was then in the yard, at about three
or four yards from the door. He came to after a
while. He then, in the presence of prisoner, said to
her (prisoner), " Thou has done me my job," to
which she answered, "If I have not, I will do."
Did not see a mug or jug lying on the floor. Went
to the house on the day before he died, in the after-
noon. He said, on being spoken to by witness, draw-
ing his hand down his chest, "I'm very well, but for
this burning." Prisoner did not appear much "daunted"
(cast down) when deceased died ; and when the
funeral took place she was not apparently much
troubled. She walked to the funeral with a man who
was well dressed.

Jane Houghton, a young woman, neighbour of the
prisoner—About three weeks before the day of the
procession at Warrington, prisoner came to ask her to
go with her to buy a pennyworth of arsenic, saying
that they would not sell it without a witness ; said it
was to scour a room to kill bugs. They went toge-
ther to Mr. Barton's, and there bought it. The young
man there asked her, " whom she was going to
poison ?" She replied there was no one she had that
spite against to poison them. 'Witness asked him if
that would poison a person, and he said yes, he should
net like to try it with six. Prisoner said it was to
put in colouring to scour the floor. Saw her and
deceased together on the evening of the day of the
procession. Asked him why he was not with the
procession, and he said he was too ill. Next day saw
him at home sitting in an arm-chair. Observed to him
that his eyes were swelled, and he replied " Yes,
that he was swelled all over, and he did not know
w hat the devil to make of it." He then went
to b; d. On the night of the 19th witness was
standing at her own door, when the prisoner came up
to her and asked her where she could get some vine-
gar. Witness told her at Mr. Bates's. She went,
and prisoner then returned and asked her to accom-
pany her to buy some fuller's earth to put on her
husband's skin. They went together to a Mr. Bul-
lock's, where, besides the fuller's earth, prisoner asked
for a pennyworth of arsenic, but she was told they
had none. They then proceeded to Mr. Woods's,
and there prisoner asked for a pennyworth of arsenic.
Before she went to Bullock's she said, that she would
get a pennyworth of arsenic, for she had seen another
bug or two. At Woods's she said it was to put into
colouring to scour a room. The young man there told
her she should have brought a man as a witness, on
which prisoner turned to witness and said that she had
been with her before as a witness to buy arsenic, and
witness mentioned the name of Barton, The young
man gave her the pennyworth asked for. I saw two
file cutters at prisoner's house the morning after de.
ceased died, and some money on the table. Prisoner
pulled a piece of :paper out of her pocket, a single
piece, and with something wrapped in it, saying that
she should not want that any more, and that the
people coming after might look after the bugs in the
house. Witness, one day after that, told her that
people had been talking about the arsenic. There
were three or four women present when prisoner
asked her to go for the arsenic to Mr. Barton's. Pri-
soner said " Nobody knows of the second but you.
I don't care about the first, and you must not men-
tion the second to your mother. Thou knows I
burnt." Never heard her complain of bugs except
on these occasions when getting of the arsenic. Was
frequently at her house, and intimate with her.
Sometimes spoke about her husband's drinking, and
sail that she had left him a time or two, and that he
had abused—beat her.

Cross-examined—Prisoner on the morning of the
funeral was crying, and seemed distressed.
John Dixon, the apprentice to Mr. Woods, stated
that on Monday, the 19th of July, the prisoner and
Jane Iloughton came, ns stated by the latter, and got
the pennyworth of arsenic, &c. (as stated by witness
Houghton). Prisoner gave her name and address,
which were inserted in a small book (now produced).
The arsenic was put in a paper and labelled
"Poison," and then wrapped in a second paper. The
outside paper was white, but did not recollect the
colour of the first.

Dr. Davis, of Warrington, who assisted Mr. Steel
in examining the body, described the appearances of
the stomach, intestines, &c. Attributed the death to
the inflammation described, and said that the symp-
toms of burning heat, giddiness, &c., would all be
those attending arsenic poisoning.
Dr. Inman, lecturer on medical jurisprudence at
the Medical School in Liverpool—The symptoms
arising from arsenic poison would vary, according to
the quantity taken, the time of taking it, and the
constitution of the patient. But in ordinary cases
the symptoms before detailed are those produced by
such poison. Those are the most ordinary symptoms.
Inflammation of the mucous membrane of either the
bowels or the stomach is by no means common from
ordinary causes.
Mr. Steel and Dr. Davis were here recalled, and
both stated that the inflammation exhibited in the
present case was that of the mucous membrane.
James Jones, constable of Warrington, took two
jars, containing parts of the body, to Dr. Brett, in
Liverpool.
Dr. Brett, lecturer at the Medical School in
Liverpool, received those jars. Those jars contained
a stomach and human intestines. Witness agreed
with the evidence of the last witness as to the appear-
ances presented on these, and that they were such as
would be caused by white arsenic.
Mr. PoLLocx, for the prisoner's defence, addressed
the jury, in a speech of more than two hours in its
duration, in which he commented fully upon the
whole of the material facts in evidence.

After a very careful and elaborate summing up
from his LORDSHIP,
The jury retired, remaining out from half-past six
in the evening till near nine. On their return, they
found the prisoner Not Guilty.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron ROLFE.)
On Saturday Isabella Kirk, 20, a good-looking
young women, was arraigned upon an indictment
charging her with wilful murder. The indictment
alleged that the prisoner having, by the providence of
God, brought forth a living child, it became and was
her duty to provide for it the necessary clothing and
sustenance it required, and that she neglected to do
so, and unlawfully and feloniously exposed the child,
naked, in an open passage, to the inclemency of the
weather, and thereby caused its death.
Mr. Payne prosecuted. The prisoner was unpro-
vided with counsel, but through the kind interven-
tion of the under-sheriffs, Mr. Wilde watched the
case on her behalf.

So far as the circumstances of this case are of a
character to admit of being detailed, it appears that
the prisoner had cohabited with a young man named
Hay, and that the result of their intercourse was her
becoming in the familyway. About the 23d of Oc-