The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-17 00:00:00

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(4-
THEtoldsON WEDNESDAY _ -AUGUST 17, 1859,
813 N, - -

AQUATICS.

ROYAL THAMES NATIONAL REGATTA.
SECOND DAL

The Royal Thames National Regatta at Putney con-
cluded yesterday, and was witnessed, although there was
only one race, by nearly as many spectators as assembled
on Monday, between three and four thousand lining Put-
ney and Hammersmith bridges, and the towing paths.
The river was also covered with boats, and Citizen B had
been kindly placed at the disposal of the committee by Mr.
Burney, the superintendent of the boats. This being the
greatest race perhaps that occupies the attention of the
rowing world, the interest created was very great, and
each had his particular fancy as to who would be the
winners. The Claspers, owing to their previous perform-
ances, and many victories, and having won their heat
on Monday, were the favourites at 2to 1. The odds, how-
ever, were eagerly taken by many who thought that the
Hammersmith crew might gain a victory. Kelly's crew
also were backed to a large extent, the Westerns having
very few supporters. Mr. T. S. Egan, of the University
of Cambridge, having consented to act as umpire, and Mr.
Frank Playford, of the London Rowing Club, as starter,
the crews moved to their stations shortly after four. The
Hammersmith men getting the best station, Claspers the
next, and Kelly's crew the worst station.
Lord Kilmorey's crew (Newcastle) (Blue) 1
The Adelaide crew (Fulham and Richmond).... (Green) 2
The Hammersmith crew
The Western crew

The distance was from Putney to Chiswick Ait: At the
actual moment of starting the Adelaide 'crew were in ad-
vance of the Western, who headed the 'other two, Ham-
mersmith being last in getting off. The Adelaide crew in-
creased their lead to Searle's boat-house, followed by the
Western, but when the Newcastle men had fairly set down
to their work they rowed by both at Finch's, increased their
lead all the way, and won by nearly 100 yards, easily. The
Hammersmith crew passed the Western at Finch's, and
had a fine race with the Adelaide for a quarter of a mile,
when the Adelaide went ahead and beat Hammersmith for
the second money by several lengths. The Western crew
came in close up to the Hammersmith men. The rov"lng
of the winners was very fine, and universally admired. The
crews were :

Lord Kilmorey's Crew.
J. H. Clasper C. Winship
R. Chambers I H. Clasper
R. Clasper, coxswain.
The Adelaide Crew.
F. Kelly J. Mackinney
T. Mackinney ' I H. Kelly
J. Driver, coxswain.
The Hammersmith Crew.
J. Holder
T. Hoare

R. Piner
G. Green
W. Hoare, coxswain.
The Western Crew.

G. Bullen
T. Rust

• I H. Gibson
T. Wolsoncroft
W. Norton, coxswain.
The Claspers therefore won £75 ; Kelly's crew, £l5 ; the
Hammersmith, £10; and the Western £5, which prizes
were afterwards presented by Sir James Duke.

REGATTA.

regatta, under the patronage
E. Milner, and others of the
was rowed on Monday for a
The sport was good, and ex-

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COU_RT, Aug. 16.

DR. SMETHURST'S TRIAL—(SEccoND
(Continued from The Sun of yesterday.)
Dr. Wilkes said he was present when Dr. Taylor
made an examination of the intestines of the de-
ceased. In his opinion the death of the deceased
was most probably to be accounted for by some irri-
tant, and he was not familiar with any form of
disease that would have produced the symptoms
that bad been spoken to by the different witnesses.
Cross-examined—Witness was a physician, and
demonstrator of anatomy at Guy's Hospital.
Severe dysentery would produce great inflammation
of the intestines, and also ulceration. Dark spots
on the stomach and effusion of blood were also in-
dications of severe dysentery.
Re-examined—Excluding dysentery, witness
was not acquainted with any form of disease that
would present similar symptoms. He had attended
two cases in his professional experience in which
he could not come to any satisfactory conclusion as
to the precise nature of the disease or the cause of
death, and they had, therefore, been ascribed to
dysentery.
Dr. Todd deposed that he was physician to King's
College Hospital, and he had been in practice a
great many years. Dr. Julius told him the nature
of the case before he saw the deceased, but he did
not tell him his suspicion that irritants were being
administered to her. When he saw the deceased
he noticed a peculiar expression of countenance, an
expression of terror, as though she was under the
influence of some one. That was not in accordance
with the appearance of a patient suffering from an
ordinary disease. The abdomen was very hard,
which was an indication of the existence of exten-
sive inflammation in the stomach, and he was at
once under the impression that she was suffering
from the influence of some irritant poison. By
witness's desire an evacuation was obtained, and
he directed Dr. Julius to make up the sulphate of
copper and opium pills, with a view to allay the
irritation. Witness had never known any bad
effect produced by this medicine, and he did not
think it was possible it could produce a burning
sensation in the throat or the stomach. If the
disease had been diarrhoea and bowel complaint,
the medicines administered by Dr. Julius were the
proper 011es•to be administered in such a case.
Sergeant Ballantine—From all you have heard
of this case, what, in your opinion, was the cause
of this lady's death P
Dr. Todd—l believe that her death was occa-
sioned by the administraticn of some irritant
poison, such as arsenic, antimony, or corrosive
sublimate.
Cross-examined—Witness had never been 'Pre':
sent at the post mortem examination of a body
where the death arose from slow irritant poisoning.
A death of that sort was one of rare occurrence.
Vomitting and diarrhoea might occur in early stages
of pregnancy, but he did not believe that in any
stage of pregnancy there could be such an exten-
sive ulceration of the intestines as existed in this
case. The fact of the deceased being of bilious
habits, and suffering severely occasionally from
that cause, would not in any way affect the opinion
he had formed as to the cause of her death. The
fact of the vomit being of a greenish colour up to
the 18th of April would also not affect his opinion,
but it would merely direct his attention to another
form of poison—antimony. Witness never saw
such an expression of countenance as was exhibited
by the deceased in all his experience of disease.
There was a terrified look, such as he had never
before observed in a patient. He asked her very
few questions, and she said very little to him.
By Sergeant Ballantine—Tho only disease that
could in any way account for the symptoms of the
deceased would be what is called acute dysentery.
Mr. H. S. Palmer deposed that he was a sur-
geon, at Mortlake. He placed portions of the body
and some blood of the deceased in a jar and a
bottle, to be taken to Dr. Taylor.
Inspect or M'lntyre deposed that he was stationed
at Richmond. He apprehended the prisoner on a
warrant on the 2d of May, upon the charge of
feloniously administering poison to the deceased,
who was at that time alive. The prisoner was taken
before a magistrate, and he said that the poor lady
might die during his absence, and that it was very
essential he should be with her. The magistrate
allowed him to go at large upon his own recognis-
ance. Witness took from the prisoner some keys
and two letters, and he accompanied him and Mr.
Bird to the prisoner's lodging, and Mr. Bird gave
him several bottles and other things, which he
afterwards gave to Dr. Taylor. The prisoner was
at large the whole of Monday night ; but upon
witness hearing on the following morning that Miss
Bankes was dead, he took the prisoner into custody
upon the charge of wilful murder. After the pri-
soner was in custody he searched his lodging and
found some other bottles, which he also gave to Dr.
Taylor. He subsequently went to Rifle-terrace,
where he found a lady who was called Mrs. Sme-
thurst, and in ttonsequence of what she told him he
made certain' inquiries at Kennington Church.
Cross-examined—The whole of the bottles he took
away he afterwards handed to Dr. Taylor. When
the magistrates admitted the defendant to bail it
was possible that they suggested that he should not
interfere with the lady any more.
The letter found upon the prisoner, which was
addressed to his wife, and in which the prisoner
said he would send her some meney, and that he
would be with her as soon as possible, was then
put in and read. It was dated the 2nd of May,
1859.
Evidence was then given that during the month
of April the prisoner had about a hundred or a
hundred and fifty pounds to his credit at the Lon-
don and Westminster Bank, where he kept an ac-
count. On the 16th of April a sum of .£7l 55., the
amount of the dividend of the deceased, was paid in '
to his credit.
Mr. Buzzard was then recalled—He said he
acted as staff-surgeon to the army during the
Crimean war, and a great many cases of bowel
complaint came under his observation at that period.
He had heard the description given of the de-
ceased's symptoms, and the appearance of the body
upon the post nzortenz, and he knew of no form of
bowel complaint reconcileable with those symptoms
and appearances. He should refer the symptoms
to some irritant substance being taken into the
stomach, either by the mouth or by injection.
Witness was present when Dr. Taylor began to
analyse a portion of the contents of the bottle. He
did so by what was called Reintsch's test, and Dr.
Taylor showed him some crystals of arsenious acid,
and the copper that was used for the test was
coated with a dark grey substance. Upon these
discoveries being Made witness at once proceeded
to Richmond, and made communication to Dr.
Julius and Dr. Bird.
Cross-examined—Witness had never in his life
attended a patient who died from slow arsenical
poisoning. The only test Dr. Taylor used was that
known as Reintsch's, by which where arsenic is
present in any substance, it is attracted to copper
wire or gauze by the process of boiling.
Dr. C. Metcalfe Babington deposed that during
his practice he had seen many cases of acute dysen-
tery of an epidemic character. In his opinion none
of the symptoms exhibited by the deceased were a
proof that she died of acute dysentery, and that her
death was the result of some irritant poison having
been administered to her.
Cross-examined—ln cases of pregnancy there
was sometimes very violent purging and sickness.
Dr. Lewis Bowerbank deposed that he was for
more than 20 years engaged as a medical man in
the island of Jamaica, where the disease of acute
dysentery was prevalent, and he was well acquainted
with it. The symptoms of the deceased were not
reconcileable in any way with that form of disease,
and according to his opinion they were symptoms
of the administration of irritant poison.
Dr. Copland gave similar evidence. He said he
had seen many cases of acute dysentery during a
residence in Africa and on the Continent, and he
agreed with the other medical witnesses in opinion
that the death of the deceased was not attributable
to that disease, but to the partaking of irritant
poisons,_ in small quantities and very frequently,
either by the mouth or otherwise.
At this stage of the case the court adjourned
until nine o'clock this morning.