The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-09 00:00:00

7HE SUSPECTED CASE OF POISONING
AT RICHIIOND.

AN APPARENT SECOND " PALMER."—
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
RICHMOND, SATURDAY.
On Saturday, being the court day of the Rich-
mond Petty Sessions, a great number of persons
assembled at the Court-house, with the view of ob-
taining admission for the purpose of hearing the
expected re-examination of Dr. Smethurst, a tem-
porary resident of Richmond, who stands charged
with the wilful murder of a lady, named Isabella
Bankes, with whom he was living, by the adminis-
tration of arsenic in small quantities. Owing,
however, to the analyses not being completed, the
case was further adjourned.
Since the decease of the unfortunate lady addi-
tional facts have come to light warranting very
strong suspicion of the guilt of the accused. It
appears that about a week since, a solicitor in the
town completed the will of the deceased in favour
of the accused, and which, it is believed, will be pro-
duced in evidence at the next examination ; and the
result of the post mortem proved that the deceased
was enceinte.
The following are the entire facts of this extra-
ordinary case, which have not yet appeared :
The deceased wits a single lady of 36 years of
age, and Dr. Thomas Smethurst, nine years her
senior, and both possessed of considerable property.
Dr. Smethurst. and his wife were residing at a
boarding-house in Bayswater, as was also the de-
ceased. An intimacy sprang up between Dr.
Smethurst and the deceased, leading to an elope-
ment, and after visiting Brighton and various other
fashionable places, they at length came to Rich-
mond about nine weeks since, residing first at
Richmond-green, and latterly at No. 10, Alma-
villas, Richmond-hill, where the deceased now lies.
On the 3d of April Dr. F. G. Julius was called in
to attend the deceased, who was suffering from
diarrhoea and vomiting. He believed it was bilious
diarrhoea, there being nothing to lead to suspicion.
He administered various treatments in conjunction
with Dr. Smethurst, and with his sanction. He
gave nothing of a metal kind. On the 18th he be-
came puzzled, and requested his partner, Mr. Bird,
to go in, the result being an opinion that some-
thing was being given to keep up the irritation.
The lady got worse, with constant vomiting and
diarrhoea. Dr. Smethurst removed the vomitings
and evacuations from the room. Nothing appa-
rently could exceed his care and attention. Dr.
Todd, with Dr. Smethurst's sanction, came down
from King's College and prescribed; the prescrip-
tions were in accordance with the treatment already
pursued, and were calculated to allay the irritation,
but the symptoms became aggravated. On the fol-
lowing Friday, during Dr. Smethurst's temporary ab-
sence, a portion of an evacuation just passed was placed
in two bottles and sent to London for analysation ;
and on Reinsch's preliminary test being applied,
viz., the introduction of fine copper wire into the
liquid, the wire became crusted with some metallic
substance, proving the presence of some metal. The
bottles subsequently fell under the notice of Pro-
fessor Taylor, who upon testing, finding the pre-
sence of arsenic, sought the magisterial authority
for a full analysation, which being obtained the
following letter to Dr. Julius was the result :
" 15, St. James's-terrace, Regent's-park, May 2.
" Sir,—ln accordance with the instructions contained in
your letter of yesterday's date I have made a further exami-
nation of the liquid, No. 2, delivered to me by Mr. Buzzard
yesterday evening, and I have to report to y-outhat this liquid
contained a small quantity of Irsenic. The liquid consists
of watery mucus, bile, albumen (from serum), and a small
quantity of the colouring matter of blood. The arsenic is
1114 combination with these matters. It is such a liquid
as accompanies arsenic when this substance is a cause of
poisoning. Considering the symptoms from which Mrs.
Smethurst has suffered (as described to me by Mr. Buzzard),
and the discovery of arsenic in the evacuations of the
bowels, I am of opmion that this lady is suffering from the
effects of arsenical. poison taken in small doses ; and, ac-
cording to the advice which I have had occasion to give
in similar cases, I would suggest that she be immediately
placed under the care of some trustworthy person, by whom
alone all articles of food and medicine should be ad-
ministered. I believe that her life will depend upon the
immediate and strict adoption of these preventions, as
arsenic is in her body, and is now passing from her in the
discharges from her bowels.—l am, sir, &c.,
" ALFRED S. TAYLOR, M.D. F.R.S., Professor
of Chemistry and Medical Jurisprudence in
Guy's Hospital."
Immediately on the receipt of this opinion, deem-
ing the lady's life in danger, Dr. Julius felt it in-
cumbent on him to lay the case before a magistrate,
and upon his, testimony E. Penryhn, Esq., granted
a warrant against Dr. Smethurst, and he was appre-
hended by Police-constable Jukes, V division, on a
charge of attempt to poison, when upon the evidence
of Dr. Julius, Mr. Bird, and Mr. Buzzard, Bachelor
of Medicine, and M.C.S., of 41, Great Marlborough-
street, the case was remanded, Dr. Smethurst being
admitted to bail. The following morning the lady
died, and from what had subsequently transpired
it was :deemed expedient to issue a warrant and
apprehend Dr. Smethurst on a charge of wilful
murder, which was accordingly done. A post-
mortem examination was then ordered by Mr. W.
Carter, the coroner, and Mr. Julius thereupon in-
structed Mr. Richard Barwell, of Charing-cross
Hospital, and Mr. Palmer, a surgeon of Mortlake,
to examine the body, which they did in his presence.
Externally the body exhibited no particular appear-
ances other than those of ordinary death. There
was great rigour of the lower extremities. The
brain, lungs, and heart were perfectly healthy. The
intestinal canal and stomach were placed in a jar
sealed, and forwarded to Dr. Taylor. The womb
showed an early condition of pregnancy. The cause
of death was believed to be chronic inflammation of
the stomach and bowels. Professor Taylor having
received authority to proceed with the analysation,
examined the bottle No. 2, in which there were four
ounces of fluid, the result confirming his previous
conclusion that there was decidedly arsenic in the
liquid. There was no antimony, mercury, or bismuth.
He found mucus, bile, and fibrous matter, and under
the microscope those facts were presented which, in
a case of poisoning by arsenic, were always to be
detected. The quantity of arsenic was very small,
less than a quarter of a grain in the four ounces.
The effect of small doses continually administered,
would be to cause great irritation of the bowels,
vomiting, and purging of mucus and blood, with
biliary matter. The symptoms under which the lady
had suffered were precisely such as would be pro-
duced by such treatment, while the medicine which
had been given would have the opposite effect:
Susannah Angelina Wheatley,. wife of a butler in a
Dr and Mrs. Smethurst,
gloen, tAlelmmaany'silflaams,ilyee,
eainvdedoccu.pier of the house, No.
as lodgers, letting them a sitting-room and bedroom
came on Fri-
frooroml6ws.aaa wdaewekn,atianicrlau.d.wingheanttethnedalandcye. The sitting,
day, the 15th of April, she was in delicate health,
and went-
ed o
bedad
lady and
i raeocdt
hy .e
gave Dr.
her Smethurstwhate‘,eraloanhee
took in the way of food or medicine. He was con-
stantly in attendance. The dinner and other meals
were prepared downstairs, Dr. Smethurst either
taking it upstairs or relieving the landlady of it at
the room door. Whether retchings or otherwise
the landlady never entered the room to fetch them,
they were always placed on the landing. They ap•
peared to live on very affectionate terms.
Thethe , aptvseenatrestthaegewhooflethofe
proceedings.to thefacts
adduced up
The
rorsemGaol, Smethurst,may who
be
present
has signified his intention to communicate
with the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-
ment,em remand in
in ordern that
oo Dr.ge rert
the adjourned stage of the inquisition.
Mr. Sergeant Ballantine, instructed by Mr. Tees-
is
under