The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-26 00:00:00

ENTIIO YEN V. VIGERS,

Mr. Atkinson and Mr. Crowder appeared for the plaintiff. De-
fendant did not appear by counsel.
This was an action on two Nils of exchange, amounting to 1,5601
15e. 10d., which were drawn by defendant, and were not honoured
when they became due.

Evidcdce of the facts having been adduced, a verdict was given for
the

BULLARD V. Infl',lllErt

Mr. Cowley and Mr. Jervis appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr,
Martin for defendant.

This was an action brought by plaintiff, a railway surveyor, to re-
cover a bill of 971. 2s. d., for surveying a portion of the Direct
London and Leeds line of railway, and supplying sections, plans, ele-
vations, &c., thereof.

Defendant paid 301. into Court, which he considered ample remu.
neration for plaintiff's services.

When the case was part heard, a verdict was taken for the plain•
tiff, subject to a reference.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25.
(London Sittings at Nisi Prins, before the LORD CHIEF
l3Alww and a Special Jury.)

ALLNUTT V. RAY.

Mr. Martin and Mr. Ogle appeared for the plaintiff, and
Mr. Jervis and Mr. Peacock fur the defendant.

This was an action brought for the recovery of the sum of
6401. as., for goods sold and delivered. The plaintiff is a wine
and spirit merchant, and the defendant an extensive wine-
merchant, carrying on business in Mincing-lane. It appeared
that, in the year 1814, tl:e plaintiff suld, through his broker,
a quantity of brandy to defendant, to recover the amount of
which this action was brought.
Defendant pleaded that the debt accrued to the plaintiff
under the firm of John Ray and Company, and that it
was not a personal debt, and that, consequently, he was not
liable.

The point on which the whole case turned, was whether
there was a real partnership or one only in form existing
between defendant and his nephew, his reputed partner at
the time the transaction took place.
The case occupied the whole day, and a number of wit-
nesses were examined on both sides.

The LEARNED JUDGE, in summing up, said that the only
question for the consideration of the jury was whether a
partnership really existed between defendant and his nephew,
or not. If there was, the defendant would be entitled to the
verdict; but if not, the verdict must be for the
The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict for
plaintiff fur the full amount of the debt, 6401. 9s.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.

(Before Mr. Justice 1V ILLIAMS and Mr. Justice MAULE.)
the amended calendar exhibited an increase of 52 pri-
soners, some of them being charged with very serious
offences.

Ann Watkins, remanded from last session for feloniously
selling and having in her possession forged stamps, withdrew
her plea of not guilty to one of the indictments charging her
with having in her possession 500 counterfeit stamps, and
pleaded guilty instead. There were other indictments, and
the prisoner was ultimately remanded for another session.
William and Ann Richardson, father and daughter, who
stood charged with the murder of their infant son, were, on
the application of Mr. Clarkson, remanded for another session,
on the ground that sufficient time had not been given to in-
struct counsel.

Henry Joseph lallerby, remanded from last session, stand-
ing indicted for feloniously sending a threatening letter, &c.
The prisoner, apparently a boy, had sent two letters ad-
dressed to Elizabeth Clouter, a:child some ten or eleven years
old, containing three small parcels of oxalic acid, requesting
her to take the powders, as they were very nice.
Mr. Bodkin, with Mr. Clerk, was for the prosecution, the
prisoner was undefended.

• The following witnesses were then called :
Ann Clouter, living in Kent-street, Borough, remembered
the 6th of August last. A letter produced was addressed to
her daughter Elizabeth. The letter contained two papers,
which at first she believed to contain salts, but on tasting it
discovered that it was not so. She put the powders back
into the letter. She had seen the prisJner once in company
with her daughter. His relations were known to her.

Sampson Clouter received from his wife (the last witness)
a letter, dated the Gth August, and containing two powders,
which, on the same day, he showed to Mr. Blake, a medical
man. He afterwards showed it to other medical men, and
subsequently gave it up to Kien&all, the policeman. He re-
membered another letter coming on the 11th August, ad-
dressed to Mr. Clouter.

Kendall, police-constable, received the letters from Mr.
Clouter, which he gave to Mr. Warren, chemical operator at
the Apothecaries' Hall.

Robert Blake, surgeon, Borough, knew the prisoner's fa-
mily. The prisoner has purchased oxalic acid, which was
used for the purposes of his father's trade.
Warrington, Apothecaries' Hall, received three parcels,
which he found, on subjecting them to a series of chemical
operations, contained oxalic acid ; the two packages con-
tained 50 grains, and the other 35 grains.
Mr. Blake recalled—lf a child 10 or 11 years of age had
taken that quantity of oxalic acid on a full stomach it might
not have injured her, but if en an empty stomach it might
occasion death.

EdWard John Tiler, foreman to Messrs. Lewis, printers—
Knew prisoner as an apprentice in the same employment.
The letters produced were in his handwriting.
William Whittington, officer in the gaol of Newgate had,
on the 17th of this month, received a letter from the prisoner
to be forwarded. It was handed to Mr. Cope, the governor.
The letter was handed in and read by the clerk. It was
addressed to his brother, and expressed his regret that he
had acted so foolishly. He had done it only for a" lark,"
and with the wish of emulating some of the heroes in Lloyd's
cheap publications, some of whose feats had tired his imagi-
nation, because of the mystery which enveloped them.
No witnesses were called on behalf of the prisoner.
Mr. Justice WiwAsts summed up, and
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty, but strongly recom-
mended him to mercy, on account of his youth.
Mr. Justice WILLIAMS, in passing sentence, said that what-
ever might be the notions the prisoner might entertain of
his own offence, and they appeared to be somewhat extra-
ordinary, the law held that it was a most serious one, and
punishable with transportation for life. The jury had, how-
ever, recommended him to the mercy of the Court, on ac-
count of his youth, and probably influenced by the singular
communication they had heard read, which showed the
vague and wayward ideas he had imbibed from the books he
had been perusing. The Court, however, must mark its
sense of his heavy offence, and the sentence therefore was,
that he be imprisoned for twelve calendar months, and kept
to hard labour.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
SOUTHWARK.

George Thompson, a young man of respectable appearance, was
placed at the bar before :fir. Cottingham, charged on the police-sheet
with feloniously urging Bridget Edgar, landlady of the Marquis Corn-
wallis beer-shop in Dyer-street, Gravel-lane, Southwark, to take
poison, of which she died.
Mr. Robinson (solicitor) briefly stated the case, from which it ap-
peared that a woman, named Edgar, a widow, kept a beer-shop in
the above street ; that for some time past she had been cohabiting
with the prisoner, who formed an acquaintance with her from fre-

quenting her house ; and that of late they lived very unhappily, the
prisoner being in the habit of treating her in a very cruel manner.

On Saturdaynight, the 14th instant, they.had a disagreement, the
result of which was that the prisoner turned her out and shut the

door against her. Shortly afterwards a polic,eman, on finding her in
the street, and she having disclosed to him the conduct of her as-
sailant, insisted on her admission, and she was accordingly permitted
by him to enter the house again. The following day the parties again
had high words, in the midst of which the deceased drew ftom her
pocket a paper containing a white powder, and emptying it into a tea-
cup, poured water upon it, and exclaimed that she should poison her-
self. Upon hearing the threat the prisoner did not attempt to prevent
the unfortunate woman from carrying it into execution, but gave ut-
terance to words calculated to urge her into the commission of the
act, saying, " Take it, and be —." The moment he used the expres-
sion, she put the cup to her lips and swallowed off the contents. This
was between 2 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon ; and although the
prisoner mast have been aware of the deadly stature of the dose, yet
he made no attempt to counteract its effects, and permitted the un-
fortunate creature to remain writhing in agony until between 5 and 6
o'clock, when a Mrs. Seeger entered the house, and found her lying
on her back in one of the rooms, evidently in great pain. The pri-
soner was present at the time, and in reply to the question of Mrs.
Seager, the deceased said that she had taken arsenic, and calling the
prisoner to her, she held out her hand and ejaculated, "George, I
would not have taken it but for you. You ought to have prevented
me ; but I forgive you." On that occasion the prisoner said, ,"I
saw her take a white powder, but I was not aware it was poison."
Now he (Mr. Robinson) contended that the prisoner must have been
perfectly cognizant that she had taken a powder of a deleterious
nature, for it appeared she had commenced vomiting very
soon afterwards, and also complained of great pain and
heat internally. Soon after Mrs. Seager's visit the de-
ceased was conveyed to the hospital, where she lingered until
Tuesday, and then expired, notwithstanding the antidotes that were
administered to check the effects of the poison she had imbibed. On
the day following an inquest was held on the body, and a verdict of
"Temporary derangement" returned, none of the circumstances
with respect to the conduct of the prisoner in the transaction having
been made known to the coroner or jury. He (Mr. Robinson) should
abstain at present from entering into other facts connected with the
case, regarding the property missing belonging to the deceased. As
her friends were anxious, under the circumstances, that an investi-
gation should take place, they had the prisoner taken into custody.
Mr. Games, on behalf of the accused, said that he was perfectly
ready and willing that the most searching inquiry should be made
into all the circumstances, and although it had been alleged on the
present, as well as on a former occasion, when an ex parte statement
was made there, that the prisoner had urged the deceased to take
the poison, it would be satisfactorily made apparent that he did no-
thing of the kind, and was totally ignorant of the nature and quail•
ties of the powder she had mixed and taken off at a draught, and
Which had unfortunately caused her death.

Mr. COTTINGFIAM said, he should hear the evidence, if it could be
produced, to show that the prisoner was present and urged her to
take that which he knew was arsenic; and if such testimony could
be adduced, it was clearly as serious a charge as that of a man pre-
senting a pistol at and blowing the brains out of another. On the
contrary, if even the prisoner were present at the moment the de-
ceased swallowed the contents of the teacup, but was not aware of
the nature or properties of the powder she had taken, then the case,
so far as he was concerned, would assume quite a different com-
plexion.

Mr. Robinson said, that it would be remembered the deceased had
threatened to destroy herself before "she mixed the poison, and that
the prisoner on observing her did not use the slightest exertion to
prevent her, but, on the contrary, had uttered gross and unfeeling
words of a nature to induce her the more certainly to carry out her
threats of self-destruction.
Mr. COTTirionsm said lie was ready to hear the evidence.
Mrs. Seeger was then called, and she stated that she was ac-
quainted with the deceased landlady of the Marquis Cornwallis, in
Dyer-street, Gravel-lane, Southwark ; and that on Saturday, the
14th instant, she went to her house between five and six o'clock.
EU saw the dedeased lying on the floor in great agony, and in reply
to a question as to what ailed her, she said she ha i taken a dose of
arsenic. The prisoner was present on the occasion, and deceased
pttt out her hand to him and said, " George, you ought to have pre-
vented me front taking it, hitt I freely forgive yon." Witness, on
hearing what was said, addressing the prisoner, asked him why he
remained a spectator looking on at a woman taking poison, and did
net dash it out of her hands ? His reply was that he saw her take a
white powder, but did not know it was arsenic.
Mr. Corristonem asked the witness if she knew the deceased was
in the habit of carrying arsenic about her person ? The witness, in
reply, said, some time ago the deceased had informed her that she
had some arsenic, but she did not say where she got it, or for what
purpose it was intended.
Joseph Edgar stated, that he was deceased's son, and that be-
tween four and five years ago he accompanied the prisoner to pur-
chase some arsenic to kill rats, that a small portion of the poison was
used at the time, and the remainder was placed in a glass jug which
was kept on the mantel-piece in his mother's roam. He had been
informed that his mother had recently taken the arsenic out of the
glass jug, and wrapping it in paper, deposited it in her housewife,
which she kept in her pocket. Witness had every reason to believe
that the arsenic in question was that which caused her death.
Mr. Commutes:l inquired if there was any evidence to prove the
prisoner was aware the deceased was in the habit of carrying
arsenic about her, as that would be important, as tending to show
that he could not have been ignorant of the nature of the powder she
took in his mom ? Kr. Robinson admitted that at swat he WAS