The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-27 00:00:00

Naval and hmttary intelligence.

from the Thames, to have her compasses adjusted.
An accident, attended with disastrous results, oc-
curred when the ship's company were about to
heave anchor from Chapman 's head, where she lay
for the night on her course from Greenwich to
Sheerness. It appears that the caution to lay on
the check, termed the " pawl," had been disre-
garded. The steam having been turned on the
vessel went ahead to ease the anchor, when the
capstan overpowered the men at the bars and
they were dashed about the deck, and 16 of
them sustained severe injuries. Cots were primaptly
provided, in which five of the most severe cases
were conveyed on board her Majesty's steamer
Widgpou (ender to the flagship Waterloo), and
were despatchei to Woolwich. On being admitted
to the Royal Marine Infirmary there some of the
sufferers were found in an alm.qit lifele,s condition,
having been maimed in the skull; ribs, arms, and
legs. One poor fellow had suffered a fracture of an
arm, and a double fracture of a leg. The Agamem-
non completed adjusting her compasses yesterday,
and will leave this day at three-quarter flood, so as
t ) clear the Sheerness Middle Ground. She is in
pilot charge of Mr. Barnes, Queen's pilot.
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :
Lieut. A. H. W. Battiscombe, to the Pelorus ;
Lieut. J. C. Purvis, to the Pylades ; C. J. Brown-
rigz, mate, to the Chesapeake; S. Bowden, surgeon,
to the Pelorus ; W. Ross, surgeon, to the Assur-
ance; F. Leonard, assistant-surgeon, to the Ganges;
A. H. Woodifield, assistant-surgeon, to the Ajax;
J. Heath, clerk, to the Pelorus ; J. E. Evans, clerk,
to the Royal William ; and G. Wooldridge, assis-
tant-clerk, to the Pelorus.

during the clay. She died at 11 o'clock on Tues-
day night. The prisoner was there, but not Ifit
wife. On the Monday brfore her death the prisoner
told me he hid taken the rt-nt book. He t,ld me
that he had taken it "a 3 it would be his right "
In the course of Tuesday William Bauon asked for
the book, and I said Thomas had got it. Whilst
we were talking Thomas came in, and William told
him he should not have taken the book, when
Thomas replied "I have taken it." The vomits
were thrown away. After her death I laid her
out and placed her in the coffin. In the spring of
this year I attended at Gi eat Casterton church-
yard. and saw Ann Bacon's Body exhumed. The
coroner, Dr. Taylor, and Mr. Jackson were pre-
sent.

Cr-es-examined—l thought the attack of which
she died was very much like the one she had in
March. The prisoner appeared very kind and at-
tentive to his mother.
By the Court—l never saw the bottle that Mrs.
Bacon spoke of.
Ann Bacon recalled and cross-examined by Mr.
Stevens—First mentioned about the bottles when
she heard a suspicion of Mrs. Bacon's death.
By the Court—On the night of his fire, he was
accused of having caused it, and also with having
poisoned his mother. That was the first she heard
of it. The prisoner appeared extremely kind and
attentive.
Elizabeth Blacker—l am a widow, residing in
Stamford. I went to nurse Ann Bacon on the
Monday before her death. I found her in bed.
She complained of pains, and said she had been
very ill from the day before. She was very ill. I
got into bed with her, at her requett. After I had
been in bed two hours she began to twitch all over,
and she said she felt as if she was paralysed from
head to foot. About two o'clock the prisoner came
and stayed one hour, and went away. He came
again about five, when he went to Dr. Barber's.
I only gave her tea (luring the night. I remained
till 11 o'clock on the Tuesday morning. She was
worse when I left than when I went first. She was
convulsed all over.
Mr. Edward Barber—l am a surgeon at Stam-
ford. I knew the deceased, and attended her in
March, 1855. She was suffering very severe 'pain.
I gave her some medicine, and she recovered. In
May following was called to see her at her son
Thomas's house. She was suffering from cramps
and vomiting. She appeared to be suffering from
a disorder like the secondary sytnpkonas of arsenic.
The symptoms under which she lab mred were con-
sistent with arsenic. Vomiting and purging are
the natural effects of arsenic. The first action is
vomiting. If given in a fluid it would be thrown
up, but if in a sufficient quantity to form a sedi-
ment it would be found iu the stomach. At the
time I thought she had died of disease of the brain,
knowing nothing of the arsenic.
Cr. as-examined by Mr. Stevens—l have attended
cases of arsenical poisoning, and seen inflammation
of the bowels produced by it. . If the whole of the
arsenic were thrown up I do not think there would
be any secondary symptoms.
Mr. Mark Willson Jacks am a surgeon
living at S'amford. I was present at Great Caster-
ton churchyard, in. February last, when Mrs. Bacon
was exhumed. I took charge of the body. I made
a post mortem examination of the holy. Upon
opening the lody the omentutn was loaded with
fat. It was very fii m, and had v. peculiar red-
ness upon it. It was in a high state of preserva-
tion. The rest of the viscera were so firmly united
that they could only be severed by cutting. It was
a very peculiar condition ; but it is such as is de-
scribed as arising froth the effeCts of arsenic. The
contents of the cheSt were examined. The lungs
were in a state of decomposition. Those pins
would not have been submitted to the action of the
arsenic. I removed the whole of the contents of
the abdomen and delivered them to Dr. Taylor.
They were sealed up in jars and taken possession
of by police-constable Mitchell.
By Mr. Stevens—The coffin was in a good state
of preservation. There were no holes in it.
Dr. Alf, ed - Swain Taylor, examined by Mr.
Mellor, deposed that he was present in Great Cas-
terton churchyard when the body of Ann Bacon
,was exhumed, and that he made an analysis of the
contents of the stomach and viscera.
Mr. Mellor—How did you find the stomach ?
Witness--The stomach was reduced to about
one-half its usual size. The coats were thin, but
firm. When laid open the inner coat was found
covered with a thin, black, pasty-looking sub.tance
closely adhering to it, and giving a dark colour to
all its coat.. There was no redness on the mucous
membrane, and no mineral matter could be per-
ceived by the magnifying glass when the surface
was examined. The coats with the black sub-
stance adhering to the inside were examined
kir mineral poisons, and arsenic was extracted
from them. No other poison was extracted, and
there was no trace of food.
• Dr. Mellor—You also examined the spleen I be-.
-nave?
• Dr. Taylor--Yes ; I found the sp!een very small,
and much diminished in size—that also contained
arsenic.
Mr. Mellor—What did you next do ?
Witness—l examined the kidneys; they were of
a reddish brown colour ; they bad shrunk to about
one-third their natural size. I detected arsenic in
them—a larger proportion than in the spleen, but
not so much as in the stomach.
Mr. Mellor—You then examined the heart ?
Wit uess—l did ; and found it collapsed, its cavi-
lislsit
ani
zi
venweeSte.
rhxw ewtTe
themaher exseamqionn
more
ventricleioti
atsnrei
eedgdceeow.
lmotewehdapra
sreet.
sylrbt,i
aTlcaatehrei nrdne dyle:yrnfi
ewtdddpei
distinguished.
isslntfelmuchhrgrevufeaai
sttfh.
preservation.
rTndme
h.
bladder.d
aeulr
vc:nea2e
edini
voiv iezec ner. s
.
were analysed, and arsenic was found in it in about
the same proportion as in tee rest of the stomach.
The gall bladder was also well preserved, and the
inner coat was covered with a thick layer of bile.
There were no gall stones. The gall bladder yielded
arsenic in greater proportion than the stomach. The
intestines also yielded arsenic in greater proportion
than the stomach. From what I discovered I have
no doubt that arsenic was taken by or administered
to Mrs. Bacon shortly before her death.
By the Judge—Arsenic taken in any state, as
long as a person lives a quantity must be thrown
off by the vomiting and purging. The secondary
symptoms affected the brain, the nervous system,
and the spinal ma
marrow produced stiffness, rigidity, and twitching.
numbness.
Ts
I think the symptoms described by Mrs. Riley
never heard of arsenic being
used for iron ; in fact, it could not be.
woreßy producedxEr.
arb mdeel
hardening
oi byi
I nes.
The'
effect
on
the
spinallt would be dissipated, as it is quite volatile at
353 deg.
Evans, Bacon's apprentice, was then called, and
proved having been sent by his master, some time
before his mother's death, for 6 oz. of arsenic, which
the chemistrefused to serve him. He was told if
any questions were asked he was to say it was for
hardening iron.
Mr. Pritchard, chemist, of Stamford, proved the
selling 1 oz. of arsenic to the prisoner on the Bth
of May, 1855. It was sold in the presence of a
with( se, and the prisoner signed the book for it.
He said he wanted it to destroy rats.
Mr. Halkins, of Stamford, said—ln May, 1855,
I occupied one half of the house the prisoner lived
in, and also had the cellar under Bacon's part. I
had lived there five years before Bacon. I never
saw but two rats in seven years.
Mrs. Bacon, was then re-c died and re-examined
by Mr._ Stevens.—Do you remember under what
circumstances the deceaSed partook of that broth
on the Monday?
Witness—Yes; deceased said she should like
some broth, and asked me to make some, when
Mrs. Thomas Bacon said she hid some ready-made.-
The prisoner was not then there. This was about
two o'clock. She did not vomit after that. It re-
mained
on her stomach.
Mr. Stevens—Till you left ?
In answer to a question from Mr. Stevens, Dr.-
Taylor said that the longest time he had known of
arsenic being in the stomach before it took effect
was iiine hours.
The case fur the prosecution having been closed,
Mr. Stevens addressed the Court for upwards of
two hours, and made a forcible appeal to' the jury
on behalf of his client, who, he maintained, was
being prosecuted through prejudice. He main-
tained that there was not the slightest proof of the
administration of arsenic by the prisoner. That
was not the first time his client had been charged
with murder. He had jest been found not guiley
of the muder of his children ; and his wife, who
committed the crime, had been. acquitted on the
ground of insanity. The learned council then en-
d.eavoured to show that the arsenic was adminis-
tere I to the deceased by Martha Bacon, the pri-
soner's wife.
Mr. Mellor having replied for the Crown,
The learned judge
summed up the whole of the
evidence in the most careful manner, pointing out
to the jury all the bearings of the evidence.
The jury retired forfive minutes, a
return into court they returned a
.verdictncl
ute;9ce,
The learned judge, in passing se . said he u
of
fon guilty..t heir
entirely coucurred in the
verdict, for he ...'`elieved
that the prisoner's guilt had been brought home to
him without any reasonable doubt, and he should.
order judgmen t of death to be recorded againsthim.
Judgment of death will recorded. accordingly.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

MIDLAND CIRCUIT.--LINCOLN, July 25.
TRIAL AND CONVICTION OF BACON.
A message having been received from Dr. Taylor
that he would be in this city to-day, the Court ap-
pointed 11 o'clock to proceed with the trial. The
learned judged took his seat at that hour. Every
part of the court was densely crowded, but no pro-
ceedings took place till half-past 12 o'clock, when
the grand jury came into court and handed in a
true bill for murder, and a true bill for felony. The
prisoner was then put at the bar. -
Mr. Mellor, Q.C., and Mr. Brewer appeared for
the Crown.
Mr. Stevens, by direction of the judge, defended
the prisoner.
During the whole of the trial the prisoner was
weeping.
Before the trial was proceeded with Mr. Mellor
said, with his lordship's permission, he would pro-
ceed with the second count first, as be thought the
ends of justice would be better consulted.
The prisoner pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Mellor opened the case by stating that the'
charge was for causing to be administered to the
deceased a large quantity of arsenic. His moher
was an ag d woman, and resided in Stamford—she
was possessed of some property. On the 13th of
May, 1855, she dined with her son. and was taken
very ill, was purged, and vomited a great deal. She
was taken home ; she recovered, and was well on
the Monday, but on the Tuesday she was again ill
and died. All the symptoms were those of arsenic,
but the medical men would not pledge themselves
that her death was caused by it, although there was
no doubt it had been administered. Professor
Taylor, on his analysis, found about three-quarters
of a grain of arsenic. It was the opinion of Dr.
Taylor that the poison had been administered
shortly before her death. Although nearly three-
quarters of a grain was found, it must not be for-
got'en that she had shortly before her death been
suffering from purging and vomiting, which of
course would carry off a large quantity, and it was
two years after her death before it was detected,
when the body was exhumed from Casterton
churchyard. The prisoner's mother was possessed of
several houses, which he believed would c me into
his possession at her death, and immediately after
that event he took away the rent book; but it did not
turn out that the property was left in that wax, as
his mother divided it amongst the children. He
should prove that the prisoner had purchassd
arsenic only 8 days before his mother's death. He
had some time before endeavoured to procure that
poison. He sent his lad for it, saying that he re-
quired it for hardening iron, but the chemist re-
fused to sell it. The next time he procured it by
stating that it was to poison rats.
The first witness called was
Ann Bacon, who deposed as follows—l am the
wife of Wm. Bacon, of Stamford. He is brother of
the prisoner. Iu May, 1855, we lived at Peter-hill,
Stamford. The deceased Ann Bacon resided about
five minutes' walk from us. I saw her en the Sa-
turday before her death. She appeared quite well.
She was 63 years of age. On Sunday evening. May
13, 1855, I was sent for to go to *Mrs. Bacon's
house. I found the prisoner there. He was in the
front room. I asked him how his mother was, and
he said she was seriously ill. He further stated that
she was taken ill at his house. I went up stairsand
saw Ann Bacon ; the prisoner did not go up with
me, but followed shortly afterwards. In the pri-
soner's presence I asked Mrs. Bacon how she was
taken ill. She said she was taken ill whilst having
some broth. She was taken with violent sicknoss
and pprging—that it lasted till she got home. I
remsined with her till ten o'clock that night ; she
was sick twice in my presence. I did not notice
whet she threw up; she complained ofpain and thirst.
Before I left her a draught came from Mr. Palmer's.
I went home end sent her some barley water.
By the Judge—Did it appear in the conversation
what time the dinner was ?—Yes, immediately after
cowing from church.
Judge—That would be about 1 o'clock ?—Yes.
Witness continued—The prisoner's wife was pre-
sent when I was there. On the Monday morning,
between 6 and 7 o'clock, I went again to the house
of the deceased. I found the prisoner in the room
and Mrs. Riley. The deceased was very ill—in the
same state I left her the previons night, or not so
well. She sat up in bed and took some tea. She
then got better ; the purging and vomiting had
ceased, and she was very cheerful. In the
course of the day the prisoner and his wife came in
to see the deceased. The prisoner was there fre-
quently durine the day. Medicines were adminis-
tered to her during the day. Sometimes I gave
them, and sometimes the prisoner. When I left on
the Monday night the prisoner was there with Mr.
Blake. lam not sure whether his wife was there.
Ou the Tuesday morning I was going down to see
the deceased, when I met Mrs. Riley. When I
got to the house, the deceased's limbs were very
stiff, and she was in great pain ; the prisoner was
in the house. I asked deceased how she was, and
she said she was very ill, that she could not think
what was the mat er with her. At eight o'clock on
Tuesday morning she remained unconscious, and
remained so during the day. I stayed with her
during the day ; she died at 11 o'clock that night ;
she was quite stiff and rigid all day. I sent for Mr.
Barber, the surgeon, in the morning ; he came.
I had some conversation with the prisoner on the
Monday, as I was leaving the bed-room of the de-
ceased. The prisoner referred his wife to a -bottle
that was on the dressing table, saying he thought
his mother had better have some out of that bottle.
Immediately after Mrs. Bacon's death I saw a
bottle in the prisoner's hands. He said, " This is
no use now ; I may as well take it away." He took
away a bottle ; it was a square one, not an ordi-
nary medicine bottle. It was whitish stuff in it.
I cannot say whether it was thicker than water.
There were other bottles and glasses on the table
when he took the one away.
Cross-examined by Mr. Stevens—The prisoner
is a whitesmith. Bacon's wife was backward and
forward several times whilst. I was there. Mrs.
Bacon has been long absent from Stamford, and,
as far as I know, is confined in a lunatic asylum.
I hid not noticed the bottle on the table before
Bacon took it away.
Mrs. Riley said—l knew the deceased. I was
one of her tenants. On the death of Mrs. Bacon
the prisoner collected the rents. He did so be-
cause he became heir to them. I remember her
death ; for some days before I had seen her every
day. She was very cheerful a few days before her
death. I saw her on the Saturday night before her
dealt. Whilst I was talking to her the prisonerceme
iii. I next saw her on the Sunday evening. I was
fetched to her by Thomas Bacon. He said the
old 1 tdy was taken very ill, and he thought elle
would die. I went to her. She was in bed. She
was very ill indeed. She was very sisk, but did
not throw up much matter. She complained of
her feet being cold and her limbs stiff. I made
her barley water. She said she had dined at her
son Thomas's, and was taken ill afterwards. She
got better after the barley water, and had several
hours' rest. The sickness ceased between 10 and
11 o'clock. The prisoner left about 10 o'clock, and
took the key with him. He returned about one
o'clock. He asked me hoveshe was, and I told him
she was a little Letter. He "then left, and came
again between three and four O'clock, and stayed
about half an hour. He came again between five
and six o'clock. I remained with her all'clay. Oa I
Monday she was mutt better. I left her about 1
nine o'clock and went to my own house. Between
five and six on Tuesday morning the prisoner came
to my house and said, " his mother" was worse, and
he thought she would die -now."'• I went to her
house, and prisoner went to Mr. Barber's. Mrs.
Bacon had a great desire to know what Mr. Barber
thought of her, and whether she would- die. She OXFORD CIRCUIT.—STAFFORD, July ,25.
was very feverish and delirious. At 11 o'clock that I (Before Mr. Baron Bramwell.)
morning we put her into a warm bath.- She was , EKTRAORDINARY CASE.
very stiff. She appeared better whilst in the bath ; Chas. Parish wasaciihdaiarzed.
_wscitoht:ivi.npgrossteouluenteld2 1
we put her to bed a,aia ; she was so stiff; we could cows, the property of W. Gunlock and J. °oxen.
not dress her. The prisoner, was Ake house Mr. wmahan

11HE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JULY 27, 1857

and Mr. Huddleston, Q.C., and Mr. Powell, de-
fended.the prisoner.

The circumstances of this case and the mode in
which it waa treated by the learned judge were out
of the ordinary course.

Parish had been in the habit of going about from
fair to fair and selecting beasts at such plac-s and
giving information to the various butchers, with
the view to their purchasing them. On the 18th
inst. Coxon and Curnock, butchers of Birmingham,
the prosecutors, agreed to go to Oak!am fair and
divide it—that is to Pay, all the beasts they bought
at that fair should become common property, and a
partnership should exist as to the cattle so pur-
chased. Parish was anxious to go to Oakham, and
borrowed 10s. from Coxon to enable him to pay his
fare. At the fair Parish saw 11 of 12 beas s, which
he recommended to Coxon, and which were after-
wards b tught by him. C .xon and Curuock pur-
chased in the whole 36 beasts, 27 of which they
sent by the railway to Wolverhampton. Coxon
then went to Leicester with Parish, and while
t-ere it was agreed that they should go to Mellon
market, but when Coxon was ready Parish
made some excuse, altered the marks on twelve
of the beasts, and started off for Wolver-
hampton. He then took the twelve beasts out of
the field in which they were lying, and drove them
to Dudley, sold teem all at an uuder price, and
when taken into custody he was asked what m mey
he had in his possession, and he denied having more
than half-a-crown. On being searched, 1121., the
produce of the sale of the beasts, was found upon
him.

Mr. Huddleston, for the defence, contended that
there was a partnership existing between the pri-
soner and Coxon, and that whatever he did was in
assertion of a right. He proc eded to cut witnesses
with a view to prove a partnership between the
prisoner and Coxon.

Mr. M'M .b.on replied, and commenced by stat-
ing that if he felt the facts of the ca-e did not war-
rant him in pressing the jury fur a c inviction, he
should deem it his duty at once to retire from the
case.

Baron Bramwell—Then you would do wrong. I
should deem it your duty—and I hold it to be the
duty of every member of the bar—to try to prove,
if requisite, that black is white • that he is bound,
where any comment is capable Of being made upon
the evidence, to make such comment fearlessly and
without reference to his own conviction.
Mr. M`Mahon—My lord, I should deem it my
duty to withdraw from a prosecution if I saw there
was no evidence.

Baron Bramwell—No doubt that is proceeding
on a very high principle, for which Mr. M‘Mahon
is noted ; and he may be right, or he may be wrong.
He may have, studied the subject more than I have,
although I hive given the greatest attention to the
question under discussion of late ; and I must ad-
mit that the gieatist ornaments of the bar who are
no v upon the bench- have carried out the principle
I have now stated to the fullest extent ; for what
injury can be done in starting a proposition that
cannot carry conviction ; whereas, if a subject is
open to doubt, it is also open to argument.
Mr. M‘Mahon—My lord, I still think that I am
right; but I submit respectfully to your lordship's
rule, and bow to it.

Baron Bramwell then made some lengthy com-
ments on the duty of the bar in respect to the
particular course he had alluded to.
His lordship afterwards summed up, his observa-
tions going decidedly advers 3to the prisone-. In
one part of his address to the jury, however, he
requested them to acquit the prisoner in the event
of their believing that he had acted in the assertion
of his right ; yet, while the jury were deliberating
in retirement, he ordered them to return into court,
and intimated to the foreman that he had consulted
with his learned brother (Baron Martin), who
thought that he had propounded the law wrongly,
and he now wished to say that every man was sup-
posed to know the law, and unless the prisoner had
some right or interest in the property trey were
bound to find him guilty.
The jury, after remaining locked up for two
hours, returned into court with a verdict of
guilty. _ _

His Lordship sentenced the prisoner to three
months' imprisonment with hard labour.
It is said that- bets were pending to the amount
of several thousands of pounds in the Birmingham
market upon the probable result of this extra-
ordinary trial.