The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-04 00:00:00

SERIOUS CHARGE OF POISONING IN

NORFOLK.

Yesterday (Thursday) before the Docking bench °
of magistrates, four persons, named John Grief, 51,
Susan Grief, 51, Mary Grief, 27, and Sarah Grief,
23, were brought up on a charge of poisoning two,
if not three, illegitimate children at Shemborne, an
adjacent village.
The prisoners John Grief and Susan Grief are
husband and wife, and Mary Grief and Sarah Grief
are their daughters. The legitimate family of the
Griefs consists altogether of 12 children, of whom
eight are living at home. The names of the children
supposed to have been poisoned are Alfred Grief,
who was five years and six months old at the time
of his death, and who died Nov. 6, 1866 ; Ann
Maria Grief, the child of Sarah Grief, who was 15
weeks old at the time of her death, and who died
April 13, 1866 ; and Jemima Grief, the child of
Mary Grief, who died in 1860.
The bodies of the children Alfred Grief and Ann
Maria Grief have been exhumed, and an abundance
of arsenic has been found in them. As regards the
third child, Jemima Grief, the result of the chemi-
cal analysis which is being made by Mr. Sutton, of
Norwich, is not yet known. The children, although
illegitimate, appear to have never been affiliated ;
and it may be added, as an illustration of the im-
morality prevailing in the family of the Griefs, that
Sarah Grief has had another illegitimate child, which
is still living, while she is understood to be now
again enciente. The death of the child Ann Maria
Grief appears to have excited no suspicions ; but
the case was different when the boy, Alfred Grief,
sickened and died in November. This child was
taken ill on Saturday, Nov. 3. On the Sunday he
was better, an,l on the Monday he went to school,
but he was sent home in consequence of being very
ill, and he continued to grow worse until about one
a.m. on the Tuesday, when he died. The peor little
fellow seems to have vomited green matter, and a
green foam was also observed about his mouth.
These symptoms of arsenical poisoning, of course,
provoked remark, more especially as no medical
man had been called in, although the parish doctor
might have been sent for without any expense to
the family. Subsequent inquiries showed that the
child Ann Maria Grief had presented similar
symptoms, and had also died without the attend-
ance of a medical man. John Grief, the male
prisoner, carries on the occupation of a sheep-
dresser, a business requiring occasionally the use
of arsenic, but when he was interrogated on the
subject, he denied at first that he had had any
arsenic in his possession. He made this statement
on Nov. 9, but arsenic was found in his house not-
withstanding. The male prisoner also stated that
whenever he had any arsenic he was careful to keep
it locked up in his coffer, but the arsenic discovered
was not found there, but on the top of the bed in
which the prisoner and his wife slept. The wife,
Susan Grief, had also denied having had any arsenic
in the house. The male prisoner is understood to
have endeavoured to make it appear that he had
left some bottles about, containing a mixture which
he had used in his business, but these bottles when
found, were under the stairs, and quite out of the
reach of any one. There were a few drops in the
bottles containing a mixture of tar, soft soap, and
arsenic, but the poison was not in the state in which
it was detected
_in the bodies of the children, in
which it was found pure and simple. The male pri-
soner was arrested Nov. 26, and has since been in
custody in Norwich Castle. Susan and Mary Grief
were arrested Nov. 22, and Sarah Grief Dec. 6.
The female prisoners have been in Wymondham
Bridewell, and were brought up from there yester-
day, while John Grief was brought up from Nor-
wich. The prisoners all denied, when arrested, that
they knew anything about the matter. It is per-
haps right to add that the narrative of the case now
given may embrace some details not yet deposed to
on oath, but it is derived from official sources.
The only witness examined yesterday was Super-
intendent Rose, of the Docking division of the
Norfolk county police, who applied that the pri-
soners might be further remanded for a week, when
he expected that the case against them would be
co mpleted.
Major Hollway asked Superintendent Rose
whether he applied for the remand on the ground
that the interests of justice would be promoted by
the proposed delay.
Superintendent Rose—Yes.
Major Hollway asked whether Mr. Rose required
the remand in both cases.
Superintendent Rose—Yes.
The Magistrates' Clerk (Mr. Blyth) said one re-
mand would be sufficient as the prisoners were all
charged in both cases.
Major Hollway asked the prisoners whether they
wished to urge anything against the proposed re-
mand.
All the prisoners replied in the negative.
Major llollway—Then you will have to appear
here this day week, on which day the case will be
concluded as far as we know and hope. You expect,
Mr. Rose, that the case will be completed on that
day ?

Superintendent Rose—Yes, Sir.
Major Hollway—Because it is time it was com-
pleted.
The prisoners were then removed, John Grief
being taken in the course of the day back to Nor-
wich Castle, and the females to Wymondharn Bride-
well. The case for the prosecution has been placed
in the hands of Mr. \Yilkin, solicitor, of Lynn,
while Mr. Spanton, of Hunstanton, will probably
appear at the next sitting for the prisoners.

Liverpool Cotton Market—This Day,

----a - --

The market opens with a moderate demand
Sales probably 10,000 or 12,000 bales.

PROFESSOR FAWCETT, M.P.—ln reference to the
approaching marriage of Mr. Fawcett, the Brighton
Guardian says :—"" In consideration of the learned pro-
fessor's eminent talents and of the high esteem in which
ho is held at Cambridge, and especially in his own
college, Trinity Hall, the master and fellows have (on his
resignation) re-elected him to his fellowship under the
new statute, which enables a Benedict to hold a fo.low_
ship."