The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-05 00:00:00

TIIB POISONINGS AT BRADFORD.

BRADFORD, WEEINESD. AFTERNOON.
The excitement and . consternation in the town
and neighbourhood arising from the wholesale poi-
soning of thepopulation by the sale of lozenges in
which 121 b. of arsenic had been. accidentally mixed,
instead of an adulterating compound,called terra
alba, or Derbyshire spar, extensively used in the
manufacture of cheap confectionery, have been in-
creased rather than abated by the, further investiga-
tion' into the circumstances. and by the additions
that are almost hourly reported. to the list of suf-

ferers. , • • • . .
Yesterday 'morning the prisoner Wm. Goddard,
Mr. Hodgson'e assistant, who made the mistake in
,supplyins the arsenic, was again brought before
the magistrateS.-
Inspector Burnistan, 'of the police force, detailed
the circumstances under which he discovered on
Sunday night that „the accident had occurred.
After tracing the lozenges from the seller, William
Hardaker, to Joseph Neal, the • manufacturer, he
called on the latter,-and with him proceeded to
Shipley; where Goddard told them that .his, master,
who was ill in bed when Neal's man called for the
" daff," or terra alba, had informed hini it was in a
cask in the cellar, -frOin -which he weighed 121 b.
He then took
_them to .the cellar and showed thein
the cask, but when Mr. Neal looked at it he said at
once it was not " daff." As they were conjecturing
what it might be Mr."Hodgson came in and told
them at once it was arsenic. Witness stated that

there was no label on the cask, or anything to in-
dicate that it containedpoison. The lid was broken
in three places, and it was as unprotected as any
other article in the cellar.

James Archer, the man who brought the arsenic
from Shipley, proved having received. it from God-
dard, and its delivery at Mr. Neal's premises, but
in cross-examination he admitted that Goddard
told him Mr. liodg,son said it would be better for
him to let it alone till he could come down himself,
and it was only when he asked him to oblige him
with 121 b. weight that he gave it.
Mr. Bell, surgeon, who attended some of the per-
sons who died from eating the lozenges, stated that
their deaths were caused by poison, and that he
had analysed onenf the lozenges and found that it
contained poison.
Mr. F. M. Rimmington, an analytical chemist in
Bradford, was next called, and deposed that he had
analysed some of the lezencres he had received from
the previous witness. Each of them contained
arsenic in large bulk, but he did not ascertain the
exact quantity in each. Taking the quantities of
sugar, " daff,' and gum vhich had been stated by
the, chief- constable and Mr. Neal to have been
used in the composition of the lozenges to be
correct, each lozenge would contain 9)- grains, half
of which was amply sufficient to destroy life. He
had examined a sample of the - " daff." It was
simply plaster of Paris, or sulphate of lime, and was
not injurious to health in the small quantity in
which it was given in the lozenges. •
James Appleton, a working confectioner, who
made the poisoned lozenges, said, that after work-
ing at them from 6 in the morning till 11 or 12,
he was taken so' ill with vomiting and pains in the
face and arms that he had to go home,• and was ill
for some days, but he had no suspicion it arose from
the lozenges. _
Mr. Joseph Neal was examined at some length,
and spoke to the extensive use made lof -" daff" in

the adulteration of cheap spices, ::He stated that,
after supplying Hardaker with the 401 b. of lozenges,
all that.was left, including the " scrips," were put
into Scotch mixturesin his own shop : but his wife
and himself had been engaged; since in picking
them out. Jri this way lie had recovered four or fit e.
pounds' weight of poisoned lozenges, and burnt
them. He stated that he had a. considerable quan-
tity of the mixture in his shop yet ; upon which
The. magistrates directed the police to take pos-
session of-the whole of it, which was done, Mr. Neal
delivering np the key of his shop for the purpose.
- After hearing- some other evidence, the magis-
trates directed Mr. Hodgson, chemist, of ShOey,
to be taken into custody, and he was immediately
apprehended and placed in the dock.: -
The case was then remanded till to•-day.
This morning .the prisoners Goddard and Hodg-
son were again brought up, when some of the for-
mer evidence' was recapitulated. •
Mr. Leveratt, chief constable, stated that the link
wanting in the chain of evidence to.connect the pri-
soners with the poison in the lozenges could now be
supplied, a death' having occurred' that Morning,
and they would. be able to prove th4t the lozenges
that caused it were purchased at Hardaker's stall.
He also; stated that,in accordance with instructions
from thc-beneh; detective officer ShUttleworth ac-
companied Neal on the previous evening to his shop
in the market, where he found 211 b. of Scotch- mix-

tures. They were brought to the police office and
emptied on to a table, where he (Mr Leveratt) com-
menced to pick out lozenges and scraps similar to
those containing poison.. Whileso engaged; he was
•:eized with illness, felt an oppressive sensation on
the chest,
:anti acute7painin the nostrils and eyes.
Shuttleworth stated that after he-had seized.
the mixtures at Nears shop on the previous after-
noon Neal ran away from him in the direction' of
his workshop. The officer folloWe4l, and when he
got into' the house Neal was sitting by the fire: Tlie
officer went•
.np stairs, and found on the, tables,
boards, and. slabs many pieces of the .poisoned
lozenges. ........
• The Mayor, after consulting with the magistrates
directed Neal to be taken into custody,. which was
done, and he was' placed in the dock with the other
two prisoners-.
The evidence of Mr.- Leveratt and Mr. Shuttle-
worth having
.been again gone through, with the
view of allawmgNeol's attorney to cross-examine
them;- the magistratearetired, 'and after an absenCe
of half-an-hour the:MaOr said they had agreed to
remand all the three prisoners .on the charge of man-
slaughter, till Friday. .
.Nlr. Lees, on behalf of Mr. Hodgson, applied that
he might be admitted to bail, but 'it-:was'-refused by
the magistrates. j. ,
Mr. Watson made a similar application on behalf
of Neal,'Which was granted, himself in £lOO and
'two sureties of £5O each.
The inquest on several of the bodies of the Ae-
ceased in Bradford was opened before Mr. Jevfison,
coroner, at the Pack Horse Inn, Westgate, yeSter-
day afternoon, and after hearing the witnesses who
had been examined before the magistrates the in-
quiry-was-adjourned till next Tuesday, to allow a
post mortem examination of one of the bodies to be
made and .the completed:
o folio"
i early.is
au
aclnquests at Heaton and Low Moor, were opened
yesterday by Mr. Dyson, -coroner, and Were-ad-
jou:
The ed.
f6ti
curate list of the sufferers-

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