The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-26 00:00:00

POISONING BY MISTAX E.

CANTERBURY, FRIDAY EVENING.
On Sunday last a young man, named Thomas
Benjamin Cole, living in St. Dunstan's-street,
Canterbury, died within 12 hours after swallowing
a black draught, purchased at the shop of Mr. John
Reeve, chemist and druggist, in that city. The
illness of the deceased previous to taking the
draught appeared to be of a trifling character, and
the suddenness of death gave rise to unfavourable
rumours, in consequence of which a coroner's in-
quest was held on the body on Tuesday, a post
mortem examination being previously made by Mr.
A. B. Andrews and Mr. Reid, surgeons, under the
direction of the Coroner, Mr. T. T. Delasaux. At
the inquest Mr. Andrews expressed the opinion
that the deceased died from epilepsy, and the jury
accordingly returned a verdict of" Natural death."
In consequence, however, of circumstances which
afterwards transpired, the case was made the sub•
ject of inquiry before the mayor and magistrates of
Canterbury this morning. The court was crowded.
Mr. Wilkinson, solicitor, appeared for the family
of the deceased ; and Mr. Callaway for Mr. Reeve.
The following is a condensed report of the evi-
dence, the hearing of which occupied four hours :
Inspector Spratt, of the Canterbury borough
police, stated that on Tuesday morning last, in con-
sequence of suspicions he entertained, lie bought at
Mr. Reeve's shop a draught and a box of pills.
The shopman who served him took the bottle from
a drawer in which there were others already made
up. On the evening of the same day he attended
the inquest on the body of the deceased, and when
returning Mr. Reeve met him and caught hold of
his arm, seeming very much excited. Witness
mentioned the result of the inquest and told him to

calm himself, as there could be nothing wrong. Mr.
Reeve said, "Oh yes there is," adding, " You have
got a draught. if you will give it me I will give
you a sovereign for it, and I wilt make you up one
which will look exactly like it." Witness refused
to give up the draught, but at Mr. Reeve's request,
he went with him tohis house, and there Mr. Reeve
said, " The draught you have got is not a proper
draught." Witness asked, " What about the one
that Cole had ?" Mr. Reeve replied, "It was not
a proper draught, it was the same as yours." Mr.
Reeve again pressed him to give up the draught,
stating that he would have an agreement drawn up
to keep the witness and his family if he got into
any trouble through him. Witness, however, re-
fused, and reported the case to his superintendent.
In cross-examination the witness said he did not
promise Mr. Reeve that anything he (Reeve) might
tell him, should not be repeated. Mr. Reeve spoke
positively_. about the draught purchased by witness
being similar to the one which was given to the de-
ceased.
Re-examined—Mr. Reeve said there had been a
mistake with the bottle. The label had come off
from damp.
Jame Sophia Cole, sister of the deceased, said that
on Saturday last she bought a black draught at
Mr. Reeve's shop. Mr. Reeve himself served her.
She gave the• bottle containing the draught to her
brother, the deceased. It was similar to the empty
bottle produced.
Henry C. Cole, a little boy, 11 years old, brother
of the deceased, said that on Saturday he saw the

last witness give his brother a bottle, which he
(witness) took down stairs. On Sunday morning,
about half-past 8, he fetched the bottle, at his
brother's request, and the latter drank the contents.
About a quarter of an hour afterwards witness said
that his brother looked very pale and was snoring
very hard. He told his mother, who sent directly
for a doctor. His brother died at 20 minutes to 6
o'clock that evening.
Mr. A.B. Andrews deposed that he was a surgeon
practising at Canterbury. On Sunday morning,
about half-past 8 o'clock, he was called to the de-
ceased, Thomas B. Cole. He found him quite in-
sensible, and almost black, he might say. He was

told that the young man had been taken ill immedi-
ately after taking a black draught. From the ap-
pearances, and what was told him,witness believed it
to be a case of epilepsy. He treated it for epilepsy.
There was great obstruction to the breathing. Wit-
ness went away in half an hour, and saw the de-
ceased at 10 o'clock, when he ordered leeches. He
examined the eye to see whether he was labouring
under the effects of opium, but found nothing to in-
duce that opinion. Witness saw the deceased
again at four o'clock, and saw leeches again ap-
plied, the deceased having remained all day in the
same state of insensibility. That was the last time
he saw him alive, and at six o'clock he was informed
of his death. On Tuesday witness made a post
mortem examination of the body with the aid of
Mr. Reid. He found very great congestion of all
the larger vessels of the head. The brain showed
no apoplectic clot. There were remains of old in-
flammation in the chest, and the lungs were con-
gested, but there was no evidence of tubercle. The
heart was much distendei, but the valves were
healthy. The liver and kidneys were empty.
There was a small quantity of liquid in the sto-
mach, which was examined, but no smell of opium
could be detected. The result of the examination
led witness to believe that the deceased died from
epilepsy. :The symptoms differed from any case of
opium he had seen. He still believed the deceased
had had an epileptic fit. On Thursday he removed
the deceased's stomach, sealed it, and gave it into
the custody of the police.
The witness went on to state certain admissions
made to him by Mr. Reeve after the inquest similar
to those made to Inspector Spratt. Mr. Reeve told
witness that the draught which the deceased had
taken contained one-third of liquor opii, a prepara-
tion of opium which was not easily detected by the
smell. The quantity named was amply sufficient to
cause deaths The mistake arose from the label of
the bottle dropping off.
Mr. Reid, surgeon, corroborated the evidence of
Mr. Andrews as to the appearance of the body at
the post marten: examination, but differed from him
as to the cause of death. lle said that death might
have been caused by either apoplexy, opium, or
epilepsy. There was nothing at the post mortem
examination to indicate death from epilepsy.
Mr. Linford, chemist, deposed to having analysed
a twelfth part of the draught brought by Inspector
Spratt. He found that part to contain two grains
of extractive matter—morphia and meconic acid,
which are the constituents of opium.
The Bench said they did not for a moment im-
pute to Mr. Reeve any intentional poisoning, but
they felt that they had no alternative but to com-
mit him for trial at the Maidstone Assizes on a
charge of manslaughter. They would take bail,
the defendant in £lOO and two sureties in £5O each.
Bail was immediately tendered, and the defend-
ant left the court with his friends.