The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-11 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—Maroh 9.

LAMBETH.—THE SUSPICIOUS CASE OF POISON-
ING AT WALWORTH.-Mr. John Spain, a tall, portly
man, upwards of 60 years of age, and of gentle•
manly appearance, was placed at the bar before the
Hon. G. C. Norton, charged on suspicion with hav-
ing caused the death of his daughter-in-law, Mrs.
Joseph Spain, byadministering some narcotic poison
to her.

Mr. Frederick Nott, a surgeon, residing in Lucas-
road, Kennington-park, said on Thursday evening
he was sent for, and on going to the house or cot-
tage, No. 6, Victoria-terrace, Royal-road, he found
a female lying on her back on a sofa in a state of
perfectinsensibility, with a bottle of hot water
placed at her feet. Ori examining her he at once
discovered that she was labouring under the
effects of some narcotic poison. Her pulse was
scarcely discernible, her countenance pallid, her
eyes closed, and the pupils dilated ; in fact, all the
symptoms of narcotism, and he did not perceive the
slightest smell of spirits of any sort. He adminis-
tered emetics, and used the usual remedies of rub-
bing and friction to restore consciousness, and
attended her frequently up to 8 o'clock without
producing the desired effect, and on calling again,
shortly after 8 o'clock, he found her head. Death,
he had no hesitation in saying, was caused by some
narcotic poison.
Mary Ann Matilda Smith, niece of the deceased,
was next called, and the greater part of her evidence
was a repetition of that given by her the day be-
fore. She further identified the prisoner as the gen-
tleman who had called en and went oat with her
aunt on the Thursday after, and repeated that their
meeting seemed friendly, and that no expressions of
an angry character that she could hear passed be-
tween them. Her aunt, she said, complained some-
times of gout in the feet, but appeared perfectly
healthy. On leaving the house with the prisoner on
Thursday evening, she told witness she should not
be long out, and to have the kettle boiling for tea
by the time she returned.
Mr. Inspector Dann deposed to the fact of having
apprehended the prisoner on a warrant that morn-
ing, at the house of his brother, a respectable farmer
in Kent, where he was on a visit. On telling him
of the death of his daughter-in-law, and that he was
suspected of having caused it by administering
narcotic poison to her, the prisoner became very
much affected, shed tears, and thanked God that
his conscience acquitted him of any such offence.
He said the purport of his calling was to get his
daughter-in-law to accompany him to the shop of
Mr. Vincent, pawnbroker, at Brompton, respecting
some jewels belonging to her husband, that were
pledged there for £l2O. He also said that on leav-
ing her residence his daughter-in-law complained
of illness, and placed her band to the region of her
heart, and from this circumstance he (the prisoner)
thought her death arose from heart disease.
On coming from the station-house to that court,
the prisoner further said his daughter-in-law com-
plained of great distress of mind, and told him she
felt as if disposed to make away with herself.
This being the whole of the evidence at present,
Mr. Norton gave the prisoner the usual caution,
telling him the charge was one of a very grave and
serious character, and that what he said might be
taken down and used against him.
The prisoner replied that he was quite aware of
the serious character of the accusation, but he was
perfectly innocent of it, and had nothing on his
conscience to reproach him. The accused here be-
came much affected, shed tears, and on recovering
said he had no hesitation whatever in stating the
whole facts. He had, he said, brought up a large
family in respectability, and amongst them his son
Joseph, who for some years held a situation in the
house' of Mr. Lusk (one of the present sheriffs).
For several years his salary had been £BOO a year,
and for the last two years it had been £l,OOO, and
this for a single man, as his family believed him
till recently to be, should have been ample for his
maintenance, but such did not appear to be the fact,
and he was deeply grieved to feel that his folly and
extravagance was the sole cause of his father being
placed in his present humiliating position. The
prisoner became again much affected and wept, and
on recovering proceeded to say that at Christmas
last this son Joseph, having previously intimated
his intention by letter, made his appearance at his
house in Canterbury with a lady whom he intro-
duced, and was received by him (prisoner) and
his family, as his wife, and they had no reason
whatever to doubt that she was not his wife. Soon
after, however, his son's mind became affected, and
it was found necessary to place him first in a private
lunatic asylum, and subsequently by the assistance
of Mr. Lusk in Bethlem Hospital, where he at pre-
sent is. The consequence of his affliction was the
discovery that the lady whom he introduced as his
wife was only his kept mistress, and also the disclo-
sure of his marriage with the deceased. The latter
information he (the prisoner) arrived at by receiv-
ing a letter from a solicitor, enclosing the marriage
certificate, and demanding to know where his son
was, as well as a necessary support for his daugh
ter-in-law. The latter he was not in circumstances
to comply with, and the consequence was that he
was visited by his daughter-in-law (the deceased),
whom he received at his house in Canterbury in a
friendly manner, giving her the refreshments which
she required, and seeing her to the railway station
in the evening, she having a return ticket. From
her he learned the fact'that she had lived with his
son from 1848 to 1854, when he married her, but in
a fortnight after he deserted her to live with the
woman he had introduced to his family as his wife
in Manchester street, Manchester-square. She fur-
ther stated that his son had made an allowance of
£1 a week, and that not having been paid from the
commencement of his illness, she had been obliged
to part with her things for her support. His son
had not only dissipated the whole. of his large
salary, but had also spent £4OO which he (his father)
had given him to place at interest at 5 per cent.,
which he represented to have done, and £2OO be.
sides, obtained on bills ; and, in addition, had
pledged his diamond rings and studs for £l2O at the
shop of Mr. Vincent, at Brompton. It was consi-
dered by himself and his family that his wife was
entitled to the ticket for those jewels, that she might
make something of it, and on Thursday last he came
to town for the purpose of handing it her. Their
meeting at her house was of the most friendly
character, and he asked her to accompany him to
the shop of Mr. Vincent, at Brompton, to introduce
her as the person to whom he was to deliver the
jewels. Before leaving the house she complained of
internal pain, and placed her hand on the region of
the heart, and they then proceeded to, and after-
wards returned from, Brompton, in an omnibus;
that while coming along the park she complained
of illness, and got out of the vehicle. He got out
with her, and she became so ill that a crowd
gathered round them, and he called a cab, assisted
her, went with ber himself as far as her residence,
though his intention had been to part with her at
Charing-cross, and proceeded as far as Fencburch-
street, and by railway into Kent. He considered
her illness was temporary, and that the cause of
his hurrying away was to reach the 4.40 train, and
have the advantage of the omnibus that. met that
train, for after that he would have to walk seven
miles, and not 20, as had been stated. In conclu-
sion, he said the deceased complained of being low
spirited, and said she felt as if she could make away
with herself, and he therefore wished that a par-
ticular search might be made in the cottage for
poison, or any drug of a deleterious character.
Mr. Norton observed that he was in the hands of
an experienced and intelligent officer, Mr. Dann,
who, he felt satisfied, would do everything neces-
sary in the case.

The prisoner said he felt satisfied of that, and
begged to return his best thanks to the Inspector
for the kind and courteous manner in which he had
discharged his duty, and the consideration he had
shown to his family.
Mr. Norton remarked that from the very candid
and straightforward manner in which he had given
his statement he was led to hope in his innocence of
the charge, and should accept bail for his appear-
ance on a future day.
The prisoner said he had hoped Mr. Lusk would
have been in attendance.

Mr. Lusk, the sheriff, made his appearance, and
stated that the prisoner called on him on Thursday
morning and told him what he intended doing for
his daughter-in law respecting the jewels, and
further said that but for his position he should
have no objection to bail Lim.
Mr. Norton, under the circumstances, took the
prisoner's own bail, and he was liberated.

The King of Prussia addresses his Generals in Berlin one
day, and his words are in print in London the next. '1 he
latest improvement on magnetic action have rendered this
and many other results undeviating. For instance, Herring's
magnetic brushes, in rest°, ing grey hair to its natural colour,
and in eradicating the agony of tic doloreux and nervous
headache. N.B.—Counterfeits are being made. Offices, 32,
Basinghall-street, London.

[ADVERTISEMENT.] Pius and medicine invariably ag-
gtavate and perpetuate diseases ; their annoyance, dis-
appointment, and expense may be avoided by persons
in indifferent health sending only their address to E.
S. Barry, Esq., 77, Regent-street, W., London, and they
will receive gratis and free by post the "INVALIDS' OwN
fi uiDE," or Natural Restorer, without medicine or ex
rnse, of perfect digestion, strong nerves, sound lungs, and
rc freshing sleep, to the most enfeebled, insuring the removal
of indigestion (dyspepsia), constipation, liver complaints
nausea, epilepsy, paralysis, debility, nervousness, palpitation ,
cough, asthma, consumption, dropsy, flatulency, diarrhoea,
dysentery, biliousness, fevers, sore throats, catarrhs, colds,
noises in the ears, rheumatism, gout, impurities, eruptions,
hysteria, neuralgia, irritability, sleeplessness, acidity, palpi.
tation, heartburn, headache, despondency, cramps, spasms,
sinking, fits, bronohitie.—"Ungueattonably the osiferit Quid*
heAltl4!)