The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-24 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

•
Sir,—ln the recent trial of Dr. Smethurst errors
of the greatest importance, and more or less ap-
parent, have gained publicity. In consequence of
the weight attached to them by the Lord- Chief
Baron Pollock in his charge to the jury their cor-
rection has become a matter of the utmost necessity.
The most prominent of these errors is the
statement given in evidence by Professor Brande,
that it is a new fact in chemistry that chlorate of
potash (meaning the mixture of hydrochloric acid
and chlorate of potash) dissolves copper, and that
he should have committed the same blunder as that
acknowledged by Professor Taylor. This state-
ment is untrue, and requires correction, the more
so as the learned judge urged this as a strong
point on the consideration of the jury ; and, again,
I emphatically repeat not true, for this mixture
has long been known as one of the most
powerful solvents, actually used to dissolve
and , separate copper from its ores, and,
so far from, presenting obstacles to the
detection of arsenic, it affords. the means, as was
discovered by Drs. Fresenius and Von Babo of se-
parating arsenic from the blood organs and tissues
of the body (vide Lancet vol. 1 for the year 1844).
Indeed, by a slight' modification, of their process, I
have been enabled in a great nuinber of instances
to separate the minutest trace of many metallic ,
poisons in numerous cases which I have been. called
upon by coroners to investigate.
It should also be known that the presence of
chlorate of potash interferes in no way with the
action of the tests by which the presence of arsenic
in an -aqueous solution can be most incontestably
proved, and that Reinsch's process in itself is not a
test but is only a method by which arsenic can be
separated from matters that do not admit of the
conclusive application of the proper tests.
Again, Reinsch's process was representegl as the
most efficient known, but it is ill-adapted where
the blood organs and tissues form the subjects of
analysis, and is totally inapplicable in all cases un-
less copper, perfectly free from arsenic, be em-
ployed. I draw particular attention to the import-
ance of using perfectly pure copper, as Dr. Taylor
in evidence emphatically expressed his determina-
tion to use the same copper gauze (which he has
himself.found to. contain arsenic in any future
analysis he may be called upon to make *here
chlorate of potash is not present. •
With the conviction of Dr. Smethurst a new era
in our jurisprudence commences; for it is certain
that cases similar to that of Isabella Bankes have
occurred in the practice of our most celebrated ac-
coucheurs from natural causes, that while the mor-
bid appearances observed in her case were not such
as our present experience warrants us to expect in
a case of antimonial or arsenical poisoning, they
were such as might arise from natural disease ; that
in no other case has poison been found in the blood
without, on examination, its presence being most sa-
tisfactorily demonstrated also in the various- organs
and tissues,—a fact on which my own long ex-
perience in toxicological analyses entitle me to ex-
press a most mitive opinion.
I will observe, in conclusion, that in all eises of
medico-legal inquiry it would be well to adopt the
course pursued,by Mr. Wakley, i.e, that the analyst
employed should take only half the suspected mat-
tener
s,
atfhe ecusiti adiyn
iiicr being
case h
isse arleesdniut
sbhyn
uhliam
bea ncd4llleefat
iin question. •

I am, Sir, your obedient servant.
J. E. D. RODGERS,
Formerly Lecturer on Chymistry at the St. George's
School of Anatomy and Medicine.
41, Denbigh-street, Belgrave road, S.W., Aug. 20.

TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—ln order to remove any impression that
may exist in the minds of the public with respect
of the summing up of the judge having a tendency
to influence the minds of the jury, I beg to inform
you that at the close of the defence, and before the
judge commenced his summing up, 11 of the jury
were convinced upon the evidence adduced of the
prisoner's guilt, and the remarks of the judge con-
firmed their opinions.—I am. Sir, yours.
Aug 23. ONE OF THE JURY.

THE MURDER NEAR LEEDS.

Last Friday two men, one named Wm. Appleby
and the other Walter Beardow, were committed for
trial by the Dewsbury magistrates, on a charge of
burgiariously entering the house of Mrs. Benjamin
Blakely, of Batley, near Dewsbury, a few nights
ago. Appleby, a young man of 27, is a native of
Bolton, in Lancashire, but has resided for the last
ten years in Bradford ; and Beardow, who is a year
older, has been previously convicted of burglarly.
As is usual with West Riding prisoners, these men
were committed to the Wakefield House of Correc-
tion, there to await their trial. When they arrived
in the prison-yard, on Friday, suspicion attached to
them in consequence of their answering to some ex-
tent the description furnished by the witnesses in
the Leeds 'murder case ; and Mr. English, chief con-
stable of Leeds, was also communicated with. Mr.
English took over the witnesses (two in number)
to Wakefield prison on Sunday, and although
Appleby and Beardow were then attired in the
uniform of the gaol, they were readily picked out
by the witnesses as the two men who were seen
loungi-ng about the fields at Roun dhey a short period
previous to the hour at which the murder must have
been committed. On Monday Mr. Barr, clerk to •
the Leeds justices, wrote to the Secretary of State
for the Home Department, asking that the men
might be brought over to Leeds by habeas corpus
on Thursday next, in order that the evidence against
them might be taken.
_ _

At a meeting of the Leeds magistrates, largely
attended, held on Saturday, the circumstances at-
tending the murder were fully considered, and the
steps taken by the police were entirely approved.
At this meeting it was stated by Mr. English that
the watch had been found pledged at a pawnbroker's
shop in Dyer-street, Leeds, and had been so pledged
about two hours after the murder, but the fact had
not hitherto been allowed to transpire, in order
that the ends of justice might not be frustrated.
The cudgel, bludgeon, or hedge-stake, with which
the fatal blows are supposed to have been struck,
had also been found in the field, about 50 yards
from the scene of the murder, by the police. It is
a common hedge-stake, about four feet in length,
the end used fbr the blows being studded with
knots, from which the bark had been peeled by the
severity of the strokes ; and portions of the old
man's hair were found adhering to it for a space of
about six or eight inches.