The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-04 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON FI►IDAY EYE!

A TRADESMAN SUPPOSED TO BE POI-
SONED BY -HIS WIFE AT BOLTON.

LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY,

Considerable excitement was created in Bolton, on
Wednesday morning, by a report that Mr. Daniel
AVM-Olen, fl our dealer, of Moor-lane, had died at two
o'clock that morning, and that his wife was in custody
on suspicion of having poisoned him. On inquiry we
founa that the rumour was well founded, and that the
case was likely to turn out a serious one. The motive
a signed was an insurance policy for 1001., effected 18
months ago, in the Prince of Wales Insurance Office, on
the joint lives of the deceased and his wife, the money
being payable on the death of either of them.
It appears that Mr. M`Mullen was taken ill eigbt or
ten days ago, and that he called in Mr. Dorrian, sur-
geon, Blackburn street. In attending him Mr. Dor-
rian was astoni,hed at the symptoms manifested by his
patient ; and on watching them attentively he became
convinced that he was labouring under the effects of
poison. Mr. Dorrian then obtained from the servant
a portion of some tea made by Mrs. M'Mullen, and
given to her husband on Thursday last. He also got
a portion of his urine, Az., discharged that day, and
being analysed by Mr. H. H. Watson, analytical che-
mist, were found to contain tartarised antimony. This
result was obtained on Saturday, and then Mr. Dorrian
called in Dr. Chadwick to his assistance. After a con-
sultation, these gentlemen placed the deceased under the
care of a nurse, in order that they might be certain that
nothing was given to him but what they ordered.
On Tuesday the medical gentlemen became convinced
that their patient could not recover, and Mr. Dorrian,
therefore, felt it his duty to communicate the facts to
Mr. Harris the superintendent of the borough police.
Mrs. M'Mullen was, therefore, apprehended on Tuesday
afternoon on suspicion of having administered poison
to her husband. On her being removed to the police-
office she at once admitted that there was a powder sold
by some druggists called " quietness," which was said
to have the quality of breaking husbands of drunkenness
and other bad habits ; and that she Lad given her hus-
band some of this, but not since the last week but one.
The powder, she stated, was obtained of Mr. J. It.
Simpson, druggist, Deansgate. Mr. Simpson admits
that he sells such powders, and one of them was fur
nished to the police, containing 5 grains of tartarised
antimony and 15 grains of cream of tartar, whioh he
said were always sold with strict injunctions that the
quantity furnished must be given in fuur doses.
A post mortem examination of the body of the de-
ceased was held on Wednesday afternoon by Mr. Dor-
rian and Dr. Chadwick, Mr. Snape being in attendance
on behalf of the acciped. The contents of the stomach
will be analysed by Mr. H. 11. Watson, analytical che-
mist, Boston.

Mrs. M' Mullen is the daughter of a highly-respectable
tradesman, whose family are thrown into the deepest
distress by this melancholy event.

TEN TONS OF IVI HAT WASTED.

The following letter has been addressed by Mr. Wm.
Cobbett to a contemporary :
Sir,—Where there is great waste there should be
great plenty, and I, therefore, beg to congratulate you
and the public at large on the said waste, which, as I
hear, occurred at Newgate-market last Monday, when
and where no less than 10 vanloads of prime meat stunk
for want of buyers But how for want of buyers, sir,
when we know in upon market such goods must always
fetch something ! The explanation given is in the
price, 'f7z , ss. 41. per 81b., being one-fourth, if not a
third, higher than it ever was before up to the rise within
the last few years.
Well, but price is an effect depending on supply and
demand, and is not a cause ; and how could high prices
have such a tendency to waste Nevertheless, so it is ;
and, however, in the fir-t place, one serious apprehen-
sion is removed, viz —scarcity, which has been the
cause assigned for these high prices.
It appears, sir, that the sellers rule the market. Last
week the price was ss. Bd. The way they appear to
deal is thus :—You, the consumer, cannot pay our price
to-day, therefore go without your dinner, and pave up
your money until to-morrow, against which time we will
hold our meat for you, and then you will be able to pay
for a dinner. But it so happened that Monday followed
a very warm Sunday and night, and the meat would not
then bear this put-off. The sellers had reckoned without
their host, and Dame Nature, having in this instance to
do with perishables, revealed all the secret of the scar-
city and of the war making the high prices. If it had
not been for this accidental revelation, the public would
have gone on in the most implicit faith in those alleged
causes of the starvation prices to which it was becoming
habituated. It is well for us, therefore, that these 10
vanloads (enough to dine about 100,000 of us) were
thrown away as a good antidote to the fallacy of scar-
city ; and therefore it is also well for us that the article
was perishable, or it would have been held back in safe
clutohes until such time as we paid the price or more, or
absolutely starved, and we should never have been any
wiser as to the cause.

I understand that the way those principally concerned
in the supply are now coping with all circumstances, and
so as to guard against a recurrence of such waste, is, not
by lowering the price ; no, no, but by being still more
reserved in the supply. How the general mass of sellers
can act as one incorporated or combining body might be
supposed to act, in a way which it could not be supposed
discontented individuals would act, may be almost in-
scrutable ; but the fact evidently is that they do so, and
no doubt upon the truest principles for their own pecu-
niary profi% The only questions are, why are all their
ears left on, and when will some of them be cropped I

THE LAST OF "TIM GARDEN."

The sale of the instrumental and vocal scores, band
parts, and of the opera., pantomimes, melodramas, and
other musical pieces, produced at the late Covent-garden
Theatre, which took place yesterday at the auction-room
of Messrs. Robins, Piazza, Covent-garden, will astonish
and annoy the musical world in general. There was but
very little competition, and the consequence was that
the prices realised were fabulou,dy low ; but the most
extraordinary fact is, the works of Sir Henry Bishop
were more at a disc. unt than any other composer, his
productions never realising above a few shillinzs—
"Clari," with the prompt-book, going for 7s. ; "The
Comedy of Errors," and prompt-book, 25. ; "Fortu-
natus," 2s. ; " Henri Quatre," 57. ; "The Land of
Zada," and prompt-hook, 2s. 61. ; "Maid Marian,"
and prompt-book, 3s. 6d. ; " The Miller and his Men,"
103. ; cum multis aliis. Rooke's opera, " Henrique,"
brought 1/. ss. ; Rossini's "Cinderella," 21. 4s. ; " Fra
Diavolo," 41. Bs. ; " Der Freischutz," 15s. ; and
" Oberon," together with the original score, 4/. and
some few shillings.
The pantomimes, including " Mother Goose," " Mo-
ther Shipton," " Harlequin Padtuanaba," and the re-
mainder of the Grimaldi school, obtained a few shillings
each ; in fact, had the sale taken place as one of waste
paper the amounts realised could not be more ridicu-
lously small. Among the persons present we recognised
Messrs. Lacy, (of Wellington-street), Boleno, Tanner,
Shepherd, Creswick, J. B. Johnson, J. Johnson Towers,
W. H. Payne, Henry Manley, A. Harris, Moore (late
of the Era), and Charles Sloman, the English improvisa-
tore. The second day's sale__takesiplace this day (Fri-
day), when the journals, account-books, receipts with
autographs of celebrated actors and actresses, scarce
play-bills, &c., will be brought beneath the hammer.

MARKET NEWS.—(This Day.

CORN EXCHANGE.

Notwithstanding that the show of English wheat in to-
day's market was limited, we have to report a very dull
sale for all kind., and we had no buyers except at reduced
prices.
Only 3,750 quarters of foreign wheat have come to hand
this week ; nevertheless the trade was heavy, at almost
nominal currencies. Floating cargoes of grain commanded
less attention.

Barley and malt wore in short supply, and heavy re•
quest, at barely late rates.
The supply of foreign oats was larger, and the oat trade
was dull, on rather lower terms.

In beans, peas, and flour very little was doing, at barely
stationary prices. -

Wheat.
1,749

ARRIVALS THIS WISE.
Barley. I Malt.
2,960

Oats.
120 _
2,270 1
2,580
25,440 sacks

Your.
810