The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-02 00:00:00

THAMES.

John Hedsby and James Young, two bids about 19 years
of age, and who are what are technically termed " Flying

Duiimen," were charged by Mr. Samuel Tudor, a lead mer-
chant residing at Bromley, with having stolen a silver spoon
from his premises.
Mr. Tudor stated that the two prisoners had repeatedly
applied to him to know if be would let them remove his dust;
but he had declined giving them permis-ion, and informed
them he made use of it himself. Notwithstanding this they
came onMonday morning before he was up, and t(ld his house-
keeper they were come for the dest. She imagining they
had received orders to remove it, pointed out the dust hole,
from which they commenced filing their cart. Whilst thus
engaged, a lad named Clarke, who happened to be on the
premises, saw Hellsby take up a silver spoon and pocket it,
as he thought, unobserved. As soon as witness was informed
of the circumstance be procured the assistance of the police
and gave the prisoners into custody.
The lad, Clarke, deposed to the above facts, and added that
Hellsby showed the spoon to Young. and laughed. He had
picked up one previously, but being pewter, he put it don
again.

—K. 265, who apprehended the prisoners, produced the silver
spoon, which Mr. Tudor identified as his property.
Mr. BALLANTINE observed that he bad no doubt the public
were extensively plundered by these " Flying Dus'men."
With regard to Young, there was no positive evidence, and
he must, therefore, be discharged; but the case was clear as
respected Hellsby, and he should commit him for trial for the
felony at the ensuing sessions of the Central Criminal Court.

A WHOLE FAMILY POPONED.
An occurrence of a most ppi) .11ing character, by which
six persons have been prematurely hurried into eternity,
and the lives of three oilier parties creatly kopardised
took place in the village of Ken-al New Town, Harrow-
road, on the afternoon of Sunday last. The following
particulars were obtained from aii authentic source. and
may therefore be relied upon as being perfectly free from
-xaggeration:—lt appears that a man named Thomas
Hickman, aged 34. occupied, with hi= wife and six chil-
dren, a small cottage in Penton-villa4. NEMIe-ro., ad-
jacent to the comet •ry at Mensal green. Oil Sunday
miming last Caroline Ilinerny, a sister of Mrs. Hick
man, called to spend the day with her relatives, and
during the morning she was asked by her sister, whi.
was otherwise engaged, to prepare a rhubarb pudding
for dinner. It appears that slier the batter was mixed,
:and all the flour exhausted, the substance was too thin.
and or, going to an tuljoining cupboard sh, found in a
paper bag what, she imagined to be another package of
Hour. This she added. to the former mixture, and the
bOle was sent to the bakehouse. At dinner the family,
including the sister of Mrs. Hickman, partook heartily
of the pudding, little suspz•ciing that it contaitn-d a d ally
poison. Shortly after they had partaken of the pud-
ding very alarming symptoms were perceptible in the
whole of the children. They were first seize with
violent sickness, accompanied by a burning sensation in
the throat and stomach. Whilst Mr. and Mrs. Hick
man were attending upon th.-ir offspring, they were,
together with Caroline Bonerny. attacked in a similar
manner, and they then for 'he first tune imagined that
the fruit in the pudding had caused the symptoms, and
assistance was called in.
Air. Abercrombie, a surgeon, of the Mensal-road, was
promptly in attendance, and seeing the state the parties
were in he inquired what they had eaten ? He was told
that they had caten a quantity of rhubarb pulding, and'
w is shown the remainder of it, which was lying on the
table. From the symptoms which showed themselves
he was positive that it was not the fruit in the pudding,
but some violent poison that was acting on their consti
tution ; and from the metallic taste they dt scribed as
having in their throat he felt convinced that they had
partaken of arsenic. He make. known his suspicions to
the sufferers, when Mrs. •Htektna!ea sister exclaimed,
" It must be that white, composition which I found it,
a bag in the cupboard, and which I mixed with the
pudding." Hickman, on hearing that, exclaimed,
"My good God, why that is the white arsenic I have
had in the house so many years." Mr. Abercroin.
bie immediately on hearing this administered the
usual antidotes, and did all that the nature of the case
would permit of, but without any beneficial result, and
at six o'clock, James Hickman, a fine youth only nint
years of age, died from the effects of the poison. Iu
the course of an hour and a half afterwards another of
the children, named John, three years of age, also ex-
pired. A third child, aged eighteen months, named
Henry, next died. Mary Ann, aged four and a hal
also died at half-past ten. Seeing that there was litth
hopes of saving any of the sufferers, Dr Barnes 01
Notting-hill, and Dr. Browne, of Kensal-green, were
called in, but in spite of their utmost exertions tah,,sc
were unable to effect much good, and at ;.levpno,ci.,-3.
on Sunday night the filth child, named tnedlla-rriet Enz •
AbercrombieSundae
all his
both, aged six years, expired.
con-
tinued in attendance throughiubitinutftortthiunenwaliht!iteleooff.
tmheuranbinov%
children died
He was
absisondjeyat.h exhi-
fAalthonerdaoyf
thirty-four
entEig)hrtts and
de
at
years half-pasto f age, twelve
and yesterday;up
t o
the time
H
bited the greatest anxiety for the fate of his wife and
offspring.

Mrs. iiiekrnqn, her siqer, rind her son Thomas, ed twelve years, were at O'clock last evening all
t aghree
alive, but it was the opinion of the surgeon, that, al-
though th, re were stroug hopes of the sister and son',
recovery, from the fact of Mrs. Hickman being enceinte,
she 04d AO6 ponibly ,112 'num Air, Aber'