The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-08 00:00:00

he did not see what benefit would arise to the creditors by
a further adjournment.
Mr. REED said there ought to be two separate accounts.
The Learned CoMMISNONER said it would be better to let
the bankrupt pass his examination without prejudice as to
any question as to the partnership.
The examination was then taken and passed.
The debts were 6,000/., the assets about 1,000/.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MARY LEBONE.
Thomas Assfuton Smith, Lq , of 13, Hyde Park-
gardens, was charged on a warrant with having com-
mitted an assault upon the person of Mr. John Richard
Wake Thompson, the son of a solicitor, of No. 2, Buck-
lersbury. The case arose under the following circum-
stances:—

It appeared that complainant's father had been ap-
plied to by a Mr. Charles Bennett to make application
by letter to the defendant for 1091., alleged tj be due in
relation to his connexion with the London and Birming-
ham Direct Railway. The letter was written, but as no
answer was returned a number of writs were prepared
in the defendant's name, and the complainant
was entrusted with the service. Ace :rdingly,
the complainant went to the defendant's house,
in Hyde Park-terrace, and was told that Mr. Smith
was at breakfast. The maid asked him his neme, and
he replied that it was Wake, so that he might get an
interview ; and after waiting some time in the hall he
was admitted to the defendant's breakfast room, when
he immediately presented the writs, and Mr. Smith
seized him by the collar of his coat, and shook him, at
the same time threatening to whip his father. He also
called complainant a scoundrel, and as he went towards
the door lifted up his foot for the purpose of kicking
him. The complainant stated that he gave no provoca-
tion further than he had stated. In answer to the
defendant's counsel he said, that in a moment of irritation
he called Mr. Smith a scoundrel, and took hold of his
coat in self-defence, but denied that he offered to kick
the defendant.—Mr. Long remarked that however much
Mr. Smith might have felt annoyed at being served with
writs, still he was not justified in striking the com-
plainant, who was simply carrying out the law. The de•
fendant was fined 40s. and coats.

THE LATE MURDER and SUICIDE.
On Friday, at six o'clock, Mr. W. Payne, coroner for
the city of London, and a jury of 16 inhabitants of the
ward of Bishopsgate Without, assembled in the Board-
room of the East London Union, No. 1, Devonshire-
square, to investigate the deaths of John Toomey, aged
57, and Mary Toomey, his wife, aged 38 years, the
victims of the horrible tragedy which took place in
Widegate-street, on Wednesday last, under the circum-
stances detailed in our columns of Thursday.
The proceedings excited ccnsiderable interest, and
the Rev. Dr. Russell, Rector of Bishopsgate, the chair-
man, and several other members of the Beard of
Guardians of the East London Union were present
during the inquiry.
The jury, having been sworn, proceeded to view the
bodies, which lay in the second floor back of the
house No. 13, Widegate-street, Bishopsgate-street,
On their return the following evidence was entered
into:—
Elijah Myers was first called. He said—l reside at
No. 12, Sandys-row. On Wednesday afternoon last,
about a quarter before 4 o'clock, I was in Widegate-
street, opposite No. 13, when a girl came running out,
and said her father, she thought, was in a fit. I went
up stairs at No. 13, with a person named Taylor, and
found the door fastened, sad a chair placed against the
door on the inside. I burst open the door, and saw the
deceased man banging by a handkerchief from the rail
of the bedstead. I saw no other person in the room at
this time. I gave Alfred Taylor a knife, and he cut
him down, There was a letter pinned on the outside of
the deceased man's coat, and Taylor took it off and gave
it to a policeman. We laid the decased man on the bed,
and Mr. Gilbert was sent for, but he was quite dead. I
saw nothing of the body of a woman.
The Coroner here read the paper found pinned to the
deceased man's coat, which was written on the back of
the title-page of a pamphlet entitled " The Magazine of
Popular Information on Capital and Secondary Punish-
ment." It was as follows :—" With all her faults I
love her still, if she would but reform. I have tried all
the means I could try, but in vain. She would not con-
form to anything rational, consequently, rather than be
bound to allow her a single shilling, I'll suffer this a
score times. No jealousy, both share alike, old
girl. Oh, friends of humanity ! console my poor afflicted
and distracted orphan girl."
Mary Crawley said—l reside at 11, Knight's-build.
ings, sun-street, and knew the deceased, Mary Tourney.
I went to her house in Widegate-street on Wednesday
afternoon, and was there when the room door was broken
Open. About three-quarters of an hour after the man
was found hanging I found the woman under the bed,
lying on her right side. She was quite dead, and her
hands and legs were tied up.
Ann Barrett examined—l reside at 6, Widegate-street
The deceased, Mary Toomey, was my sister. She bad
been married to John Toomey 18 years. They have
two children surviving, but neither was staying with
them. I saw my sister on Wednesday afternoon last,
about 4 o'clock, in Petticoat- lane, and conversed with
her. On the previous day I met the deceased man, and
offered to give him some beer, but he refused it, saying
that there was something the matter with his heart,
and he could not drirk it. He went to my place and
had some coffee, and left about half-past 9 o'clock, and
I gave him 6d., as he said he had no candle. He was in
the greatest distress, and deceased and his wife had
pawned all their things to buy food. They were allowed
2s. a week and two loaves of bread by the union. He
was latterly a porter, but he had had no work to do for the
last three months. They paid 2s. a week for rent ; but
I think they were a week In arrear. The deceased man
had pawned his shirt off his back to get food. The de-
ceased woman was not a druilard, but she and her hus-
band quarrelled very much about their distress. On a
previous occasion, last Christmas, I believe, he got a
bottle of poison with intent to poison his wife. I think
he was induced tocommit this act solely through distress.
Several witnesses were here called, who spoke to the
dreadful distress in which the deceased parties appeared
to be, and to their continual habits of quarrelling.
Mr. C. H. Gilbert examined—l am a surgeon, and re-
side at No. 1, Raven-row, Spitalfields. About four
o'clock on Wednesday last I was called to 13, Wideeate-
street, and I folind the deceased man dead from hanging.
About half an hour after I was called in to see the de•
ceased woman. I found her under the bed, covered with
a sheet, and quite dead from strangulation. The woman's
hands were tied in front of her, and the legs were also
tied with some shreds of old bed coveri ig. Both de-
ceased persons had, in my opinion, been dead seven or
eight hours. The deceased woman was in the last month
of pregnancy.
By the jury—The woman's hands were tied so loosely
that I think she might have released them if she had
thought proper. There can be no doubt but the man
had placed her where she was found under the bed be-
fore he committed the act himself.
Mary Anne.foomey, the daughter of the deceased per-
sons, was next called, and having been interrogated as
to the nature of an oath, was sworn. She said the de-
ceased were my father and mother. I was at place when
this happened. I saw my mother last alive about four
o'clock on Tuesday. She was then sober. I saw her on
Monday night, when she had been drinking. I saw my
father on Tuesday night at home, and he told me he
wanted me very early next morning. I cannot tell the
cause of what has happened, unless it was in conse-
quence of my father being out of work, and being so
poor. They had nothing but the 2s. from the union to
live upon for the last three or four weeks, as my mother,
who worked at tailoring, had had none to do. When she
got work she used to earn Is. per day. They used to
quarrel very much, and he used to say, " She might
view in him her butcher."
By the CORONER—My father has been in trouble, and
been abroad. He returned home about nine months
since. I have lost my place in consequence of this oc-
currence. My father attended Moorfields Catholic
Chapel, but he received no relief from the chapel.
Two other papers which had been found in the de-
ceased's room, were here read by the Coroner. They
bore the following:—
"I tried every effort to surpass this. Oh, horrid deed !
But the misguided, deluded woman, as if born to goad
me to do it. May it be a lesson to bad wives, to reform
in time. I should wish to say much more, only my
mind is unsettled, Mr. Robertson talked to me very
kind, and no man could take more pains with me than
the Rev. P. Dyer, who offered me money—but to no
use—my spirits were entirely gone, through the unkind
fleas of my unhappy wife. Mr. Church, a good-hearted
man, and a true faithful servant to the City Gas Com-
pany, and a good friend to the stokers, but many of
them do not seem to know it."
Mr. James Roberts, relieving officer of the East Lon-
don Union, examined— I first had to do with deceased's
family about four years ago, when his wife came to me
for relief in consequence of his being transported. I
again saw the wife about six weeks ago, when she came
for relief, and I saw the man on Tuesday last, when he
came to me about his wife. After I first saw the wife I
visited them, and found the man had no shoes. I then
told them to come before the board. I hinted to the
board that as the wife was pregnant they had better go
into the house, but the woman had so strong an objection
to the union that the board &lowed them 2s: per week
and two loaves of bread. This was on tug 29:h of April,
and that would carry them on for our weeks. I told the m
on the last time the allowance was given that that was the
last time. They omitted to apply until last Friday, in-
stead of applying, on the 27th of May, and I then gave
her the same reli, fas before. They were to have come
before the board on last Wednesday. I called upen
them last Sunday evening, and tried to urge upon the
woman, as she was so tar advanced in pregnancy, to go
into the house. They both objected to this very strongly,
and the man appeared very desponding. On Tuesday
evening last Toomey came to me, and told me not to
give his wife any more relief, as she was unworthy of it.
She had come home drunk on the Monday night, and
had gone out on that (Tuesday) morning, and been out
all day. He added, that she had been the cause Of all
THE LORD CHAMBFRLA/V W h th b
aavtepr•eseentesttoafiultihuor-
his misfortunes, and was not worthy of reliefd,,i:sspsolrdliinagd,
money. He shed tears, and appeared very
theafioqrjositialttmiezttloiaftthi
eLord Chamberlainship, now'vacant in
it is not 'inTendeed,
but was perfectly sober. They were never at
.any
on their second city •
time
consequence of the' esignation of the Earl Delaware. It is
refused relief by me, although I acted,
board
stated that this determination has been come to by Sir Robert
application, without the order of' the
There being no further evidence,
some length, proeeedE'd to explain Peel in consequence of the uncertainty which prevails on the
The CORONER, at
the law as it related to the.erime of murder and felo-de. subject of theduration of the present Government. The
se, and, having. concluded ondonderry has been
his observations, the jury were Marquis oft,
named as the probable
about considering their verdict when successorof Earl Delawarr, warr , but this arrangement, of course,
Mr. PAYNE observed t
s%
u
hat he had just had some cir- will Matetially depend upon circumstances.—Tory pp'
cumstances mentioned to him by a gentleman on his left ROYAL NAVAL SCHOOL,—ThO Director% of the Croy-
which he thought would greatly assist the jury in coming/ don Rattly*, Company have, through their secretary, Mr.
R. S. Young, handsomely granted the use of three acres of
to a conclusion, inasmuch as it made the motives ler the
commission of the act on the part of Toomey more clam land, contip.us to this Institution at New-cross, for the re-
He thought, therefore, the jury bad better hear it in ' creation of the pupils.
evidence. NOTIONS OP TEMPERANCE.—" See here, friend, you
A gentleman, one of the guardians of the Cit of are drunk !" "Drunk to be sure I am, and have been these
9 three years. ?ou see, my brother and I are on a temperance
London Union, but whose name did not kuspire, was miaign he %limy Taws I serve as a frightful example •

then sworn. He said—John Toomey was, about four
years ago, in the employ of a wholesale confectioner
in St. John-street-road, where he committed, in con-
junction with a fellow-servant, robberies to a very large
amount. Indeed, when the discovery was made, a
whole roomful of grocery and other things were found,
with which it was his intention to set up business for
himself, he having given his companion 151. as his share
of the plunder. Ile was transported for seven years,
but his good conduct caused him to be liberated at the
expiration of four years. Shortly after committal,
Toomey's wife discover 4 that he had 1001. in the
savings' bank, and she got the Rev. Dr. Russell and
others to write to the Secretary of State about it. After
considerable trouble the Secretary of State wrote to the
then Sheriff, I believe Mr. Alderman Magnay, and the
woman ultimately got all the money but 101., which she
expended in her support. On the relt-ase of Toomey he
exileeted to have found his wife had still the 1001., but
when he found she had not he became so enraged and
disappointed that he appeared to detest her, and fre-
quently threatered to destroy her.
The jury, after hearing this statement, again con-
sulted for about a quarter of an hour, when they re-
turned a verdict, " That the deceased, John Toomey,
destroyed his wife and then himself, being at the time
in a state of temporary insanity."

THE HYDROPATIIIC SYSTEM.
IMPORTANT CORONER'S INQUEST.
On Friday afternoon an inquest was held before Mr. W.
Payne, the City C,,roner, st the King's Head, Eastcheap, on
the body of Mr. Richard Dresser, of No. 9, in the same street.
The greeted interest was manifested on the occasion, because
it had been generally reported that the deceased had died
owing to improper treatment received at the hvdropathic es-
tablishment of Dr. Ellis, at Sudbrook Park, near Petersham.
Dr. Elli: was:present, attended by Mr. Hance, solicitor, who
watched the proceedings on his behalf.
After the jury had been sworn, the Coroner said that he
was entirely ignorant of the circumstances immediately con-
nected with the death of the deceased; but as it had been
represented to him that Mr. Dresser had lately gone into an
establishment in the country, with a view of procuring me-
dical advice, where he had died, and that since the body had
been brought home some suspicious circumstances had been
discover,d, he thought it advisable that ran inquest should
be held, for which investigation the jury were then as-
sembled.
Thomas Hubert, of the Great Hall, Hungerford-market,
lighterman, had known deceased for 30 years, who was an
accountant, and lived on the opposite side of the way. He
complained of being ill during the last 12 months, his illness
arising, as he thought, from rheumatism or sciatica, causing
shooting pains through the e. hole of his limbs, which at
times were quite powerless. On Friday last he saw deceased
at his own residence, when he said he was very poorly, and
that ho was going to place himself under the care of Dr.
Ellis, near Richmond. While witness was conversing, D.
Ellis arrived, when, in the most familiar manner, the
doctor said that he should go down with him in his cab that
afternoon, and appointed to meet him at half-past three,
in Sackville-street. They did not, however, meet, but
Mrs. Dresser accompanied her husband to the doctor's esta-
blishment.
Mrs. Eliza Muriel, of 32, Elm-grove, Hammersmith, had
known deceased for three years. He frequently complained
of being unwell. About five weeks since he had an attack of
jaundice, but was soon cured. On Thurs-lay or Friday last
she saw deceased at Eastcheap, when he told her that he was
in very good health, only that he suffered from severe rheu-
matic pains. On Sunday last she saw him at Dr. Ellis's es-
tablishment at Sudbrook Park, near Petersham; be then
seemed rather poorly, and complained of sickness. He was
in bed when she salty him. When he was afflicted with
jaundice he was attended by Mr. Waterworth, surgeon, of
the Old Kent-road.
W. D. Dresser, of 11, Rotherfield-street, Islington, is
cousin to deceased. Besides the jaundice, lie complained of
severe pain about the hip, which he called rheumatism. He
had had a similar attack four or five years ago, when he was
laid up for three months. The last time I saw deceased
alive was on the 28th of May, when he complained of pain
in the groin. His expression was, that he was suffering
from rheumatism. He was fomented with warm water, and
witness then left him. On last Tuesday morning he learned
that Mr. Dresser was dead, when he accompanied Mrs.
Dresser to Richmond, together with Mr. G. Arnold. When
he saw deceased his body was lying on a bed in room No. 4.
There was a great change in his face. He was nearly black
about the neck. He was a dark man when in health ; but
his face, when a corpse, was particularly so. The body ap-
peared to be much swollen, and froth was issuing from his
nostrils, covering a large portion of his face. They had seen
Dr. Ellis previous to their examining the corpse ; when,
after asking the doctor the cause of death, he placed a paper
in his hands, which contained the diagnosis. This paper
was as follows :
" Mr. Richard Dresser came here on Eriday last, to seek
relief from what he termed rheumatism in the hip (properly
sciatica), giving no other particulars; the case was thought
admissible. But it soon appeared that he had been suffering
from hepatitis of the sub-acute character, giving rise to sup-
puration; occasioning exudations of lymph and a rapid ex-
tension of the disease to the adjoining viscera. The symp-
toms were tympanitis, total inaction of the bowels, and
sluggishness of the urinary organs, very severe pain in the
left leg from the groin along the thigh to the ancle, coldness
of the extremities, and less of power. He was treated as is
usual to subdue the symptoms; the pain was soon suspended;
the bowels, though stubborr, acted freely, after the means
had been tried, and continued to do so; and the urine either
passed of itself, or was drawn off. The appetite allowed of
his taking a little farinaceous nourishment, but disease pro-
ceeded insidiously; sub-acute inflammation advanced gra-
dually, though then was no sign of active progress; the
organ became generally the seat of suppuration, the pulse
became quicker and softer, with much perspiration ; the
countenance became pale and sallow. Thera was tumefac-
tion of the liver, with a doughy, oedematous, or boggy feel
of the hepatic region generally. The enlargement, or bulg-
ing, was very great about the false ribs. Oppression, with
dyspncea, or short breathing, immediately preceded his de-
cease, which took place at twenty minutes before eight
o'clock this morning, June 2, without either a sigh or a
struggle.
" In three or four hours after his decease the fluids filled
the chest and throat, and oosed copiously out of the ears,
nose, and mouth. " J. E."
The witness continued Having asked the doctor the
cause of death), he said it was not rheumatism but hepatitis,
and that, had he known he was labouring under that com-
plaint, he would not have admitted him into the establish-
ment.

Mrs. Dresser. widow of the deceased, was then led into
the room, and it was with the greatest difficulty that she
answered the necessary questions. She saw her husband at
the establishment on Sunday afternoon last, when she un-
derstood that her husband had been placed in some warm
baths, and he said that his pain had left him. He was sitting
up in bed, covered with blankets, and with wet wrappers
around him. lie said that they had kept him very humble,
not what he bad been accustomed to. When she saw him
sitting in bed, she said to him, " What a strange position 1"
He replied that his two legs were useless, and were as cold
as marble. She took tea with him, and wished him to take
some, but he refused, because he said that it was not allowed.
Dr. Ellis came home in the evening, when she told the
doctor that she thcught her husband was very bad, because
he was so very cold. The doctor then took a large cloth,
placed it in a wash-hand bason containing water, and then
put. it on her husband's stomach, because, he said, he was
afraid of inflammation, which he wished to stop; because,
he said, he could not suffer so valuable a life as his to be lost.
Deceased was shortly .fterwards placed in a bath. She saw
him in half an hour, when there was so remarkable a change
in his appearance that she thought her husband was struck
with death. He was so very dark under the eyes that Mr.
Ellis acknowledged he was much al•ered. My husband said
that he felt no pain. His perspiration had stopped, which
one of the bath men told her was in favour of the patient.
The doctor asked her if she wished to have further advice, or
if she desired to remove her husband? She then left her
husband, the doctor promising to send her a letter in the
morning, which she was to receive by eleven o'clock; but at
nine the secretary of the establishment called upon her to
acquaint her with her husband's death. She went down to
Petersham, and, after a great deal of persuasion, was allowed
to see the corpse. She did not know whether the bandages
which had been appqed were
ofdipped in warm or cold water. The baths were Constituted three pails of cold water with a small portion of hot taken from a small can which the
bath-man held in his hand.
Mr. James Hicks, surgeon, said that he was in partner-
ship with Mr. Waterworth, of the Old Kent-road. The de-
ceased had teen visited by his partner, but who was pre-
vented front attending the inquest in consequence of his
being engaged in a labour case. The witness had assisted
in a post racrtem examination of the deceased, in connexion
with Mr. Waterwortu, his partner, on Thursday morning.
The body externally presented the appearance ofa man who
had died from suffocation, the face being bloated and of a
livid colour, with bloody froth and serum issuing from his
mouth and nose; the whole of the posterior part of the
trunk also bore evidence of extreme congestion. In the chest
the lungs were healthy, but enormously congested, as also
the heart, which was large and flabby, but otherwise healthy
In the abdomen, the bowels were greatly distented with
flatus, but otherwise empty; the liver was healthy, but con-
gested, and 'bearing no evidence of any previous disease; the
kidneys were slightly diseased, and also congested. He consi-
dered the imnediate cause ot death to have been extreme con-
gestion of the internal organs--namely, the lungs and
heart, whics existed to such an extent as to produce
all the effects of suffocation, in not allowing air to get into
the lungs. This congestion was likely to be produced by the
application of cold externally, whether by cold air or by
cold fluids, to the body; cold applications have the effect of
repeting the blood from the surface of the body to the in-
ternal organee, and from which, in many cases, arising from
a weak condition of the constitution, the system was unable
to relieve itself. He had read the paper written by Dr.
Ellis previous to making the post mortem examination,
which he then read again to the jury, endeavouring to
divest it of is technical character. He did not think that
the paper written by Dr. Ellis at all gave the true cause of
death—quite the contrary. He did not think that there was
the least appmrance of disease in the liver. There had evi-
dently been congestion of the lungs when the wet cloths
were applied and if the water were cold it would generally
produce deata. In these cases there should be the
apiA
tion of hot flennels and stimulants, so as to restore
circula-
tion. It appeared to him that
Dresser could
ceased had 'seen wetted with hot water,
Mart. he was. Had
if the cloths
not so soon lave been cold as it was said
couldth not have been
there been rheumatism or sciatica,
there
ement of the urinary
applied to de-
' sluggishness of the bowels, or derangement
Mr. G. Arnold, hatter. of 07, .
organs; thee was no suppuration of a
that he had often
of previous witnesses, adding,
tastimonv
m upon which subjectmostfavouhreabbleelietevremdshoefi4thde
hhrdrrdoptalitheic.d4c,eBaste-d, speak in
written a small work.
The Cowman then said that it was highly necessary that
hear the evidence of Mr. Waterworth, as also
that ot Dr. Nils, together with some
Persons/2nm the este-
the jury should
blishinent, in order that they might detail the means
threefl m o
l' clock, binding Dr. Ellis to
L, n rally resorted to. He should, therefore, adjourn the
n
-ate caseten rally
T tulles dr: ye
o rig
enxi sta, a
cte o