The Sun.
London, England, 1832-02-07 00:00:00

CORONER's INQUEST.

An inquest was held on Saturday, before Mr. BA K ER, at
the Bricklayers' Arms public-house, New York-road, on the
body of Robert Vevers, a child nearly eight years of age.
Emily Margaret Vevers, 63, Bridport-place, sister of the de-
ceased, stated that her brother was taken poorly on the preced-
ing Saturday, and was covered with a rash, supposed to be
the measles. In consequence of this eruption, on Monday she
purchased, by desire of her mother, some saffron, which brought
the rash out snore generally. On Tuesday, by her mother's di-
rections, she procured a pennyworth of ipecacuanha, at Mr.
Neale's shop, for the purpose of snaking deceased sick. A
young woman, Mr. Neale's sister, served her, no shopman be-
ing present, and Mr. Neale not being in the shop. She asked
what it was for, and witness told her. She reached down a
bottle, which contained a powder of a coffee colour, a portion of
which she put in a paper, and gave it to witness, directing her
to give her brother a little first, and if that did not snake him
sick, to give him some more, and if that failed, to give him
the remainder. She took it home and laid it on the shelf;
when the deceased, though covered with a rash, was cheerful
and in good health. The next morning, about ten, deceased had
about a third of the powder in milk and water administered to him
by his mother. This did not produce sickness, when he took
another third of the powder mixed in sugar. This made him
rather sick in about a quarter of an hour. The remainder there-
upon was given to the child. The time that elapsed from ad—
ministrating the first dose to the last was at the most three.
quarters of ass hour. Miss Neale did not tell witness at what
intervals the medicine was to be taken. The deceased then be.
came a little sick, but not so much as the mother expected, who
gave him some warm water, which again caused sickness,
and he vomited the hot water, but not the powder. He laid
down on his mother's lap as going to sleep ; she roused him up,
and occasionally gave him some more warm water, which pro-
duced slight sickness; deceased lay down, and seemed as if he
were sleeping; he remained so for upwards of an hour, and be-
came very pale, and then his mother advised his father to go
and procure some more ipecacuanha ; his mother had given
him a teaspoonful of brandy before his father returned; the
paper containing the ipecacuanha was opened, when it was dis-
covered that the latter powder differed in colour from that pro-
cured from Mr. Neale. Upon this discovery Mrs. Vevers sent her
husband to ask Mr. Baker, the surgeon, to come, and also sent wit-
ness to Mr. Neale's to procure another pennyworth of ipecacu.
anha ; witness went and saw Mr. Neale, and asked for a penny_
worth of ipecacuanha, which he took from a bottle which stood by
the side of the one from which Miss Neale had previously supplied
witness, and after weighing it, gave it to witness. The powder
was of the same colour which the father had procured from
Mr. Baker's. She opened the powder, and said it was not like
that which she had the preceding night, and pointed to the
bottle out of which Miss Neale had helped her; Mr. Neale then
asked how was the child, to which witness replied, that Mr.
Baker had been called in, anti had said that he was dying.
He then said, why did they send for any other surgeon ? Why
did they not send for him ? She gave Mr. Neale her name and
address, and he promised to come immediately, and he seemed
very much alarmed. She told this to her mother, who directed
her to go to Mr. Baker, which she did, and he came shortly after
Mr. Neale. Mr. Baker told her not to let Mr. Neale interfere with
her when he came. Mr. Neale, when he saw the child, called for
some brandy, when Mrs. Vevers told Mr. Neale he was not to
interfere with Mr. Baker's treatment of the child; upon which
he took up his hat and departed. Shortly afterwards he returned,
accompanied by Mr. Baker. Witness stopped at Mr. Neale's and
asked another young woman to allow her to look at the name on
the bottle, which she declined to do. The young woman said, that
Mr. Neale was very sorry for the accident, and showed a
stomach pump to witness, which Mr. Neale was to send for if
occasion required. She looked up, and found that the bottle
had been removed, on which witness said " its gone," and the
young woman, who was a servant, turned towards the window,
and said nothing. She told witness that the bottles were
marked with the Latin name in front, and the English behind,
Witness returned home, where he saw Mr. Neale and Mr.
Baker. Deceased then appeared to be in a deep stupor. Mr.
Neale then sent home for a book to consult, and also sent for a
stomach pump. The stomach pump was applied to the de.
ceased, and the contents were brought from his stomach, but
did not give him any effectual relief. He died about a quarter
before six 011 the same evening, but did not complain of any
suffering.

Miss Neale was examined, but the Coroner stated to her
that she was not bound to give any evidence which might cri-
minate herself, and that the statement she was about to snake
wa6 perfectly voluntary.

Witness was not in the habit of serving in her brother's
shop; but she occasionally served things, such as doses made
up and weighed, and marked with English names. She de-
posed to having served Miss Vevers with a pennyworth of ipeca.
cuanha to the best of her knowledge. The ipecacuanha weighed
15 grains, but she had never weighed 15 grains before. She
weighed it on her own authority, and it was against her bro-
ther's will that she should weigh any article.
After hearing the evidence, the CORONER considered it a
cause of manslaughter, and quoted the authority of Mr. Jus-
tice Bailey in corroboration of his opinion.
Here Mrs. Vevers interrupted, and said to Miss Neale,
" You've poisoned my boy, and you've broken my heart."
Upon this Miss Neale nearly went into hysterics, and was
removed out of the room.

Mr. Baker, surgeon, of Brudenell-place, New North-road,
said from an examination of the body after it had been opened,
he was of opinion that the child had perished through having
taken some narcotic poison, but he could not tell what that
poison was.

Mr. Neale said that the bottle to which Miss Vevers pointed,
and identified to him, as that out of which Miss Neale had given
her the poison, contained a cathartic powder for children ; was
composed of mercury, jalap, rhubarb, scammony, and some other
ingredients. Upon the bottle the right name was not put, but
the abbreviation of compound ipecacuanha powder. His opinion
was, that the child had died of congestion of the brain.
After half an hour's consultation, the Jury returned a verdict
" That the deceased died a natural death by the visitation of
God ; but that previously to his death, a medicine was adminis-
tered to him which had been ignorantly sold by Ann Neale,
from a bottle belonging to her brother, Joseph Cockayn Neale,
a surgeon, bearing upon it certain characters indicating a diffe-
rent description of medicine from that which it really contained."
The Jury expressed their reprehension of the conduct of Miss
Neale and her brother, but they did not think any thing in the
shape of criminality attached to either party.

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Salmon fishing commenced on Wednesday in
the Tay and its tributaries. Ten fine fish were taken that
day at Mr. BELL'S fishings, and six to-day ; the other sta-
tions were nut muceessful.,Perthshire Courier.