The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-14 00:00:00

ANOTHER CASE OF POISONING.

NOTTINGHAM. SAT URDA Y.—An adjourned inquest
wai held at the Sun Inn, Eastwood, yesterday, ou the
body of Joseph Barber, who died under suspicious cir-
cumstances three weeks ago. It appears that the de-
ceased had been labouring for some time under a disease
which caused sickness, and that after death a post
mortem examination of the body was made.
The individuals charged with this diabolical deed are
the wife of the deceased, and a man named Robert Ing-
gram, with whom it is said the woman bas been on
terms of improper intimacy. The following evidence
was adduced at the inquest:—
Robert Gosset Brown, surgeon, stated that he
took a portion of the duodenum to Dr. Tay-
lor, at Guy's Hospital, ,London, who made an analy-
sis of some of the maces Of the stomach which
proved beyond all doubt the presence of poison.
Robert Stanson Bowker, surgeon, of Ralwell (a vil-
lage four miles from Eastwood), said that the deceased
rode over to see him on Sunday morning, the 10th ult..
in company with another man. Deceased told him he
wanted to consult him, as he was suffering from some
disease. Witness prescribed Intdicine for him. De-
ceased stated that he had pains in his legs and joints.
Walter Charles Buckell deposed, that he was a drug-
gist, residing at Bulwell. Remembered a man coming
to his shop on a Sunday, three week ago. He pur-
chased a pennyworth of arsenic. The prisoner Ingram
was just the description of men. On asking fur what
purpose he wanted the arsenic, he answered, " To poison
rats in a barn." I observed that it was a curious thing
to come tor on a Sunday. He said, "We cannot get
any in our place." I said, " Where is that?" He
answered, " Eisticood."

Berjtmin Cullen, grocer, Eastwood, deposed that he
sold mugs, and remembered selling tome arsenic on the
Wednesday pr evil us to the death of the deceased. A
man named George Riley came to his shop about
seven o'clock in the evening, and asked for a penny-
worth of arsenic. On inquiring who be wanted it for,
be replied, for Mrs. Barber (the fete prisoner.) Wit-
ness asked for what purpose, and he said fur destroying
mice. Witness asked him why Mrs. Barber did not
come on th- Monday, as hr, nod: rstood that she had
sort another person for it. He enured, aryl made no
reply, and witness teen gave him the arsenic. Oil the
forenoon of the same day an old woman, flawed Betty
Lee, came also end asked for s .we arsenic, which she
said was for Mrs. Barber. On the Friday previoui to
the deceased's death he sold a pennyworth of arsenic to
Robert Ingram, the male prisdner, who said he wanted it
for the purpose of destroying mice.
George Robert Simpson, alias Riley, said that on Wed-
nesday night, the 10th ult., he purchased come arsenic
at the shop of Benjamin Cullen. It was tor Mrs. Barber,
who was his sister. The female prisoner took the poison,
and held it in her hand. Be torn left wi•ness, and he
did not see her again that night. On the Tuesday before
dem/seed's death, the latter was drinking ale in company
with witness at a public-house. Told him that he should
not be drinking ale as he was under the doctor's
treatment. Did not 59 him egain till eleven o'clock on
Thursday night, at which time he was dying. He was
sensible to the last.

An adjournment here took place to next Tuesday.
The female prisoner appeared greatly cast down, but
Ingram seemed perfectly indifferent during the whop of
the proceedings. Both prisoners were cunveyed back to
the county gaol at Nottingham.

HOW TO REDUCE the ARMY ESTIMATES.

Fourteen millions a year expended on fighting ap-
paratus, besides twenty-eight millions of Interest on
public debt, also mostly for fighting! It a large
sum, and we do not wonder that Mr. Hume and the
osaonomists generally object to it. Forty million?,
a year, mostly for fighting, past and future! And
the case is made the worse, when we remember that
the Aghting was in the cause of Absolutism, which the
people of this country detest. We are paying some forty
millions sterling, annually, for fighting that has been
dune, or may be done, on behalf of Austrianism. The
people of England should understand that. There is,
indeed, another use in the expenditure—we pay part of
that towards maintaining " order" at home and in the
colonies.

Mr. Hume and the Financial Reformers in Parliament
would not be coughed down and worn out if they dealt
with the question at the right end—the vote of money is
but the ultimate symptom, the causes of the expenditure
are political. The Peace party makes the same mistake.
It is not by cutting down votes that you will reduce
that evil, but by radically altering the relation of the
army to society. Mercenaries must be used, in modern
times. for foreign war; but for the domestic war, or for
preserving "order" at home—arbitrating in doubtful cases
between the possessors and the claimants of paramount
power in thecuuntry—the People should supply the force.
Devoted to trade, we have lost the habit of arms;
which an effeminated policy has still further disconte-
Danced. A militia is a mockery of an army. But
about three years back, Frederick Hill, Inspector of
Factories, suggested the mode of establishing a
National Reserve Force, which should not have
the two grand objections to a Standing Army,
—cost. and alienation from the people,—and yet should
be sufficient.
,In the details of the ingenious plan we
do not concur; in the principle we do. It was to enrol
residents, selected for fitness and character, in a
military force ; to leave them free et most times,
but to place them under military regulations so
fee as regards drill times and active service, and
paying them for the time thus consumed. He
reckoned that a force of a hundred thousand men, well
picked, well drilled, and well equipped, might be provt.led
at a cost of 900 00u/. Say that it were Wee as much,
and you must still save by reducing the numbers of the
army at home; moreover, yuu would then ale gether
redeem the country from its subjection to a standing
army of mercenaries, the tools and slaves of arbitrary
officialism. That is the end of the matter to which the
Reformers should address themselves—that is the mode
of dealing with the army estimates, instead of the annual
farce row per'ormed in the Commons' House of Parlia-
ment.—The Leader.

OWLS.—" Could you procure me two white owls?"
said a lady, "as I wish to maintain them, in order to keep
down the mice, which are rather troublesome." Accordingly
I applied to a stuffier of birds, who said he had no doubt his
son could obtain a pair. "They are," said he, very prolific.
They lay in the old nests of the magpie and crow, and have
young ones in the nest whilst they keep laying afresh; so
that the young owls help to hatch their brothers and sisters,
whilst the old ones are prowling about for food." His son
procured a pair of young owls, which promised to be good
mousers, but the careless boy left them in the attic, with
only a small supply of liver to feed them. They did eat
what was left for them, but. being very hungry, the stronger
bird killed his brother, eat him up, and afterwards died him-
self; so ;hat I was disappointed in supplying the lady with a
pair of-owla.—A lady in London had an owl, whioh being
brought into the parlour, she said, " He looks very grave,
poor fellow, he is like a judge." So she called him Lord
Eldon. A day or two after the servant came into the par-
lour, saying to her mistress, before the company, "Please,
ma'am, Lord Eldon has laid an egg." There had been, no
doubt, a slight mistake in the sex of the owl.
The Prefect of Police bas sent a circular to the
commissaries of police, directing them tq pay frequent visits
to the pork-shops, to prevent the sale of bad meat, the em-
ployment of copper and other vessels dangerous to health,
and the adulteration of sausages, &c.—Paris Paper.
A PROMISE.—A promise should be given with
caution and kept with care. A promise should be made by
the heart and remembered by the head. A promise is the
offspring of intention, and should be nurtured by recollec-
tion. A promise and its performance should, like the
scales of a true balance, always present a mutual adjust-
ment- A promise delayed is justice deferred. A promise
neglected is an untruth told. A promise attended to is a
debt paid.

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