The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-07 00:00:00

Dr. Julius, of Richmond, our dear Bella's daily medidal
attendant. He not only acquiesced in what is being done,
but recommends a perseverance in the treatment with some
slight addition of his own prescribing, and entertains pro-
bable hopes, like the rest of us. The bilious vomitings are
entirely arrested, but sickness still prevails to a great ex-
tent, with occasional violent retchings, which almost shake
her very life out of her, and the' bowels continue to act'
eight or ten times in the 24 hours, spite of all we can do.'
This action is very different from what is usually called
diarrhoea, and is the result of impaired bowels and congested
liver, which must have existed for a very long period. lam
sorry to say there is no appetite, the only thing which
raises a fear in my mind, for how nutrition is to be obtained
equal to the loss of strength under the circumstances does,
I confess somewhat puzzle me. Nevertheless, there are
still good and improving points from which we trust to
build our hopes upon. I regret the state of the case
will not yet admit of even your seeing her for the present,
since any or the least anxiety only tends to debilitate her
nervous system. We both anticipate very shortly seeing
you here. Dearest Bella sends her kind love and best.
wishes, in which I beg to join, and believe me yours very
faithfully, " T. SMETHWRST.
" April 29, 1859
The next letter I received was as follows :
" Dearest Miss Bankes,—ln reply to your favour of yes-
terday's date, I am exceedingly sorry to say dear Bell has
passed a wretchedly bad night; passed 15 motions in the
24 hours, and of a very bad description. There is now so
much blood in the stools, and besides which there is an
entire want of appetite, consequently I have a great dread
for the result. She read your kind letter, and agrees with,
me that it will be better that you should be near to us, so
that if you will run down as early as convenient you can,
then take a room or rooms near at hand. It will indeed be,
a source of comfort to me to have you with us. I much re-,
gret there is no accommodation in this house for you, as we,
occupy all there is to let, and have not room enough for
ourselves. Dearest Bella sends her kindest love, and, with
every good wish, believe me yours faithfully,
"April, 30, 1859." T. SMETHURST.
I received that letter on Saturday and went down on Sunday.
I found my sister very weak indeed much weaker than I
had previously seen her, and scarcely able to speak. I re-
mained with her ten minutes and then went downstairs. Dr.
Smethurst was present the whole time. I brought some
soup with me, and he said it was 'too strong. He took
some of it and put some hot water to it, and then took it
outside the door and said he would cool it. He brought it
in again in about a minute, and gave the deceased a small
quantity of it in a teaspoon. She took it but brought it
up directly. I took her some arrowroot after the soup, and
Dr. Smethurst gave it to her. He got it from outside the
door, the same place he had taken the soup to. She took
a spoonful of arrowroot, and became sick again and retched
very violently when she threw it up. A second attempt
was made to induce her to take the soup, and with the same
result. Dr. Smethurst would not let me remain with my
sister as she was too ill to boar it. He said she was much
worse since taking Dr. Todd's pills. The next day he sent
me to town to get some medicine, and when I brought it
down he said he had changed the treatment and would not
give it to her. He did not know the police had been com-
municated with, but they were in the house. Smethurst
was greatly agitated, and said that Dr. Julius had accused
him of poisoning my sister. After this I gave her some
arrowroot, and she did not vomit it. A nurse had been
sent for, and was with her at that time. I gave her arrow-
root several times, and she never did on any one occasion
vomit it. She took food and arrowroot from me during the
night, and was,perfectly sensible, and she had no return of
the retching. She appeared better, and on tho Tuesday I
gave her some brandy and water, and after that she sank
into a state of unconscionsness,-and I never saw her again
alive. She died that day.
Cross-examined by Sergeant Parry—On his return from
arrest Dr. Smethurst was much agitated; he said Dr.
Julius had been saying he had poisoned my sister. He
kissed my sister when he went into her room. When he
was away some medicine came. I never saw the nurse give
my sister any medicine. I heard my sister retching when
the nurse was with her. Dr. Smethurst never afterwards
interfered with the administration of medicine. In my
first visit I don't recollect my sister saying he, meaning
Dr. Smethurst, is so kind to me that it is quite a treasure
to be his. I don't recollect her using the latter words. I
heard her say he was very kind, My sister had occasional
bilious attacks. I recollect her going to Dr. Bartlett for a
bilious attack. I recollect her being &Wk on several occa-
sions when riding in a carriage. She was sick whilst riding
in Dr. Jackson's carriage. I remember telling Dr. Smet-
hurst that I thought my sister very fragile, Dr. Hoffman
also attended my sister at Ramsgate. It is, about three or
four years since my sister resided with me. My father did
die of diarroiha. I cannot say it was diarroiha it was said
to be a complication of diseases. 'When I first went to
Richmond I dined with Dr, Smethurst. Many members of
our family suffer from hequent bilious attacks.' My uncle
died from dropsy. He never suffered from jaundice.
One of my sisters died of consumption. There is
a contingency that my sister would come into a large sum
of money had she lived. It was to the survivor of myself
and sister,

Re-examined ty Sergeant Ballantine—The billions
attacks I have spoken' to were only occasional—merely for
a day or so.
By the Lord Chief Baron—l never had any conversation
with my sister relative to her position with Dr. Smethurst.
Mr. Frederick Senior examined by Mr. Bodkin—l am a
solicitor, residing at. Richmond. The prisoner called at my
office in April. He was a stranger to me. He called on me,
he said, to see whether I would come up the hill, and draw
up a will for a lady, I said, "Yes, I'll come directly,"
He said, " No, not to-day, to-morrow. The lady was too
ill that afternoon." He showed me the paper now put into
my hand. He said, "This is what the will will be. On
the Sunday morning, he called on me and said he must
trouble me to come, as the lady had passed a very bad
night. He told me to come about ten in the morning. The
medical man came at half-past and he wished all over by
that. I said I should like a medical man to be present as
the lady was so ill. He said, there's no necessity for that,
as the lady was suffering from vomiting and diarrhma, but
was perfectly sensible. I was showninto the parlour. He said
he thought he ought to tell roe before I went up stairs, that
although he was living with the lady they were not man
and wife. I then went upstairs into the bed-room.
Smethurst wont in first. Miss Bankes was in bed. He
said, pointing to me, " My dear, this is the gentleman who
has come to make your will." Shehowcd, and then handed
me the same pa er the prisoner had shown me on the
Saturday. I asked if the paper contained her wishes, and,
she replied " Yes." I read it over to her, and asked her if
It was correct. She said, " Yes ; but she wished to leave
a brooch to a friend " I then left • the room with the in-
structions. The paper now put into my hand is the will.
The prisoner was with me all the time I was drawing it up
in the room below. I asked him to get a witness, and he
said he would get the landlady's daughter, if she'would do.
He said he supposed she need not be told it was a will. I
said, " Yes, she must ;" and he replied, " Oh, very well."
He then left the room, and in a short time returned with
the young woman. I said to her, "This lady wishes you
and Ito witness her sign this paper." Dr. Smethurst said
you have not told her it is a will. I then held up the paper and
said to the lady, "this is your will ?" She replied, "It
is," and it was then executed. I then left the room, and
Dr. Smethurst accompanied me down to the parlour. I
ordered him to have it executed again on the Monday, but
I never was sent for again.
The will was then read by which the deceased left all her .
property to her dear and beloved friend, Thomas Smet-
hurst, for his own use absolutely.
Cross-examined--I am certain the lady had a thorough
knowledge of all that was done. I read the will over to
her slowly, and then asked 'if all was correct, and she
replied, ".Yes, it is."
Miss Bankes was recalled, and proved the draft of the
will to be in her sister's handwriting.
Dr. Julius was then called and gave similar evidence to
what has already appeared in Vic Sun.
The trial was proceeding when we went to press. It has
been arranged that the Court shall sit until eight o'clock
this evening, and then adjourn until 10 o'clock to-morrow.
The case is not expected to conclude before Monday or
Tuesday.

THE PICCADILLY COLUMN.

A LAMENT.

When Thomas Moore—deceased—a sparkling poet,
Dreamed a great horror in his Lalla Rookie, •
He made Mokanna's face (when he would show it)
Leave heroines fainting from a single look.
When Coleridge (also in the line poetic)
Wrote the misfortunes of his Christabel,
He left his readers to a guess wsthetic
SOMETHING she saw—but what, ho would not tell.

But we,.in our generation wiser,
Need no romance to give our maids a fright ;
The Piccadilly " Daily Advertiser"
Is quite enough to scarce the bravest sight.
Was THIS the thing 'neath canvas hatches hatching,
So long concealed from every eager eye ;
For utiis was Marochetti's angel watching
With dark wings stretched above the passers-by ?
This pillar, charged with consonants and vowels
" Of divers colours," like poor Joseph's coat—
This jelly-fish of glass, with tind bowels,
Still notifying things of little note ?
Why is it here ? What is its latent meaning ?
If any meaning, great or little, lurks
Translated by a charitable leaning, •
In the improvements of the Board of Works ?
Was the Board tired of hearing men declaring
In all their various lines of sauntering mai ch,
Nothing so vile e'er met their eyes upstaring
As the Cocked Hat upon the neighbouring arch ?
And did they slily set this phantom horrid
In contradiction of the critic throng
Right in the crossing, where in weather torid
The tangled cabs and 'buses creep along ?
Or does the horror pay some heavy rental ?
And we, the Merchants of " the World's great Mart,"
Weary of being meanly monumental,
Give up our awkward strivings for high art ;
Our dirty Fountains' temporary playing,
Our shabby statues and our buildings bare ;
And advertise—to fit the old French saying
That England is a nation boutiquiere ?
Oh, Board of Works, whose works work such confusion,
Remove this eyesore from the public way,
And let us linger in the fond delusion
We can have statues if we choose to pay !
We " bear our crosses ;" custom aids the bearing ;
Our King's Cross (whence our King we have removed)
And sweet Queen Eleanor's old Cross of Charing,
Whose neighbourhood we have so much " improved."
Where modean shop-fronts glitter,—cheek by jowling
The Percy's Lion of Northuumberland,
Stretching his great stone tail, and vainly prowling,
To seek our merchant princes" in the Strand ;
Where—sheltering pictures gathered for the nation,
Each hualTelled over like a dainty bone—
A cruet roof holds up to admiration
Twin pepperboxes made of fretted stone.
We bear our crosses ; must we bear our crossings ?
Oh I give us something fitter to be seen,
Nor leave our minds to wild conjectural tossings
What upon earth this novelty may mean
Give us a column blank as our amazement, •
Tempting no lingering crowd to jostling strife;
Raise, opposite the Great Duke's iron casement,
An effigy of Lot's too curious wife.
But, hark I the Board of Works with some compunction,
Declares its innocence of all design ;
'Tis Mr, Ponsonby who makes a junction
With every parish for its crossing line.
Then all is lost ! for wrongs, however crying,
A corporate conscience never will redress ;
And parish officers, there's no denying,
Are Medes and Persians—"rather more than less."
I'll not leave England by the next train tidal I
I'll end my woes in Piccadilly's street 1
Encouraging to notions suicidal;
Are ghastly monuments "where four ways meet."