The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-28 00:00:00

TALLOW.

The market for all kinds of Tallow is somewhat brisk
to-day, and the quotations have advanced since our last
report fully 9d per cwt. P. Y. C. on the spot is selling
at 44s 9d, and for forward delivery, at 43s 6d to 43s 9d
per cwt. Town Tallow is 45s 3d per cwt net cash;
Rough Fat, 2s 7d per 8 lbs. The delivery last week was
good. Letters from St. Petersburgh give the price at
132 roubles, with 10 down.

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.

CHARGE OF MURDER BY POISON.—Mary Spry and Mary
Ann Dore, aged 24, two females of most respectable appear-
ance, were placed in the dock, indicted upon a coroner's in-
quisition, for the wilful murder of Mary Ann Theresa Dore,
the infant child of the younger prisoner.
The prisoners have been out on bail.
Mr. Bodkin appeared on the part of the Crown, and Mr.
Clarkson defended the prisoner.
Mr. BODKIN, in stating the case to the jury, said if he were
not well assured that the two unhappy persons who appeared
before them were perfectly safe in their keeping, he should
confess that he had a very painful duty to perform, but he
believed from what he had seen of the facts of the case, as
they appeared upon the depositions, together with other facts
which he should give them an opportunity of hearing, that
the decision they would arrive at would be one of acquittal.
The prisoners were charged with the heinous crime of wilful
murder, committed in the worst and most offensive form,
namely, by administering poison to a helpless and unoffend-
ing infant, the child of one of the prisoners, and the grand-
daughter of the other, for mother and daughter were
now before them. It did not, however, appear that
there was anything but the most unbounded af-
fection and attachment shown to the child by both
the prisoners. On the face of the depositions there was
no evidence whatever that traced the possession of arsenic or
any other description of poison to either or both of them, but
there were circumstances of a suspicious character which the
coroner's jury thought justified them in finding a verdict of
wilful murder, with the view, he presumed, of the matter
undergoing further investigation. The elder prisoner's hus-
band was steward to the late Princess Sophia, and the
younger prisoner was the wife of a person who was in the
service of a highly respectable gentleman, and they lived in
Lower Grosvenor-place, Pimlico. The child was four months
old, and from its birth had been healthy with the exception
of being attacked with the disease called thrush, which had
made it ill for some time. The younger prisoner was ac-
quainted with a Mrs. Murton, who requested her to accom-
pany her on a short visit to the Isle of Wight, and the day
agreed upon for the journey was the 13th of July. On the
previous evening, Wednesday, the child was taken unwell
and was very restless during the night, and in the morning
a medical man was applied to, and he prescribed some liquid
medicine and powder. They went by the nine o'clock train
to Gosport, and crossed over to Hyde, and on arriving at
their destination the child was much worse. It was there
shown to a skilful medical man, a Mr. Bloxam, and having
also prescribed some medicine, he recommended the mother
to proceed back to London with the child. She accordingly
returned by the express train on the following morning,
Friday, and on arriving in London the child was rapidly
sinking. Mr. Driver, a surgeon, was called in, when he
found it suffering from vomiting, convulsions, and bloody
evacuations, and although medicine was again administered
it did not survive. Some suspicion having arisen as to the
death of the child, the contents of the stomach were analysed,
and three grains of arsenic were discovered. They had since
been subject to a test by Dr. Taylor, the eminent chemist of
Guy's Hospital, with the view of arriving at a conclusion,
and he should consider it his duty on the part of the Crown
to call that gentleman before them.
Several witnesses, among whom were two of the younger
prisoner's sisters, were then called, and their evidence bore
out the main facts of the Learned Counsel's statement.
Mr. Rogers, lecturer on chemistry, said he had applied the
ordinary tests to the contents of the stomach, and had pro-
duced less than two grains of arsenic in a metallic form.
From the appearance of a large black patch in the stomach,
he said it was his opinion that the arsenic had been admi-
nistered two days before death.
Dr. Taylor, of Guy's Hospital, who was then called, said
he had discovered one grain of arsenic in the stomach,
which would make altogether three grains. He was of opi-
nion that the death of the child was caused alone by the in
tersusception of the bowels. He had not discovered an
atom of camomile, though that was stated to be a portion of
the medicine given to the child. Dr. Taylor having gone
through the evidence proceeded to show the inconsistency of
the testimony of Mr. Rogers, who said the arsenic had been
administered two days, and stated that it was Isis opinion
that it had been administered only eight or ten hours before
death.
Mr. Baron PLArr here stopped the further progress:of the case
intimating that there was not the slightest ground for the
charge against the prisoners. He expressed himself in very
strong language as to the injustice and cruelty of placing a
mother and daughter in such a position in a court of justice,
and observed that this showed the way in which cases could
be got up at coroner's juries for the mere reputation of some
medical men.
The jury concurred in what his Lordship said, and imme-
diately acquitted the prisoners, who were at once dicharged,
to the evident gratification of nearly all in the court.
The Court then adjourned for a quarter of an hour.