The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-12 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

AN ADMINISTRATION CASE. —The House of Lords, on
Friday, gave judgment on an appeal from a decision of
the Court of Exchequer Chamber, a special case having
been stated for the opinion of this court. Mrs. Shard,
widow, died intestate, in 1819, leaving personal property
which no person claimed, and the-Solicitor to the Treasury
took out administration to the estate, which realised £20,000.
In 1858 its value, with accumulated interest, was £31,000.
The next of kin was Isabel Cook, the wife of Ellis Cook,
who was domiciled in America. She put in a claim in
1823, which was not recognised by the Crown,
and she died two years later. Iler husband died in
1830, without having substantiated the claim.
After his death their children applied to the appellant,
Partington, to recover from the Solicitor to the Treasury
the proceeds of Mrs. Shard's estate, and under a power
of attorney he took out letters of administration to the
estates of Ellis and Isabel Cook, and instituted proceed-
ings against the Treasury Solicitor, and in the
course of the suit the court declared the solicitor
to be chargeable with the accretions by way of interest.
The Commissioners of Inland Revenue claimed an amount
of stamp duty on the letters of administration, which
should include all such accretions. Partington
having objected to make such payments, the present
proceedings were instituted for the purpose of recovering
the duty. The Court of Exchequer, where the case was
first tried, decided that probate duty was payable on the
full value of the estate, and the accretions on the letters
of administration to Isabel Cook's estate, but not to those
for her husband's. The Court of Exchequer Chamber
affirmed the judgment of the court below on the first
point, and reversed it on the second. Their lordships
were of the same opinion, and dismissed the appeal.

MISS SHEDDEN'S CASE.—OU Friday Miss Sledden had
recovered sufficiently from her indisposition to resume
her address to the Lords, but her arguments were not
concluded when their lordships adjourned.
NORFOLK POISONING CASE.—William Davy and his
wife, charged with attempting to poison John Davy;
at Swaffingham, have been committed for trial.
SAD CASE.—A distressing case was brought before the
magistrates at Manchester a day or two since. The
daughter of respectable parents, about 17 years of age,
was charged with stealing a quantity of jewellery and
other articles from her parents. It was said that she was
incurable, and nothing could check her propensity for
stealing and obtaining money by false pretences. She
pleaded guilty, and was committed to gaol for four
months.
TIIE DIAMOND ROBBERY.—At the Central Criminal
Court, on Friday, Clifford, who had been convicted of
stealing a valuable diamond bracelet from Hunt and
Roskell's, was sentenced to twelve years' penal servitude.

The Earl of Radnor's personalty (the Illustrated
News states) Las been sworn under £l6O 000.
A local journal states that Mr. Whalley is rapidly
recovering from the effects of his late accident. He is, how,
eve:, rather lame, and suffering from an injured knee.
CHARGE OF POISONING A HUSBAND. —On
Friday, Fanny Frances Maria Oliver, widow of Joseph
Oliver, boiler-maker, of Hertshill, Dudley, was again
arraigned before the magistrates in that town, charged
with the wilful murder of her husband by administering
poison. Oliver died on Whit-Sunday, and was buried on the
following Wednesday, after a certificate had been given by
Mr. Simmons,. surgeon, who bad attended him, that the
cause of death was " hepatic congestion." Information
which reached the police, however, principally through
the medium of the neighbours, and relating chiefly to the
conduct of Mrs. Oliver before her husband's death, aroused
their suspicions that Oliver had been wilfully poisoned ;
and the inquiries they made resulted in the ascertaining
of facts which they conceived justified them in arresting
her on the terrible charge of wilful murder. The facts,
as they were brought out at the previous two sittings of
the magistrates, after the body had been exhumed,
were briefly the following :—The parties were in a
comfortable position in life, and the accused is the
daughter of a respectable citizen living at Handsworth,
Birmingham. The ileceased was a shareholder in a
building and investment society in Wolverhampton, and
his wife drew out in the pant twelvemonths about 1:100 in
eight different sums, after having had letters giving
notice for the withdrawal of the money written in
her husband's name, but by a youth whom she strictly
charged never to tell her husband. Deceased became ill,
and the prisoner nursed him, always preparing his food.
About the time of the illness the prisoner obtained
arsenic from a druggist's professedly. for bonnet cleaning.
Deceased was often very sick and vomited greatly. Once,
when be was taking milk, he complained that it was hot
with pepper, vomited very much, and so, too, did his
mother and another person who tasted it. The body, on
an order from the Home Secretary, was exhumed the
second time, chiefly for the examination of the brain.
Evidence was given to shew the presence of arsenic in the
hods. and the accuse 4 was comzuittO jg.. 410.
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