The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-25 00:00:00

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In a few days will be published,
FIIHt BRITISH AND FOREIGN REVIEW,
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1- _

1. The Italian Drama.—Allieri.
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4. Sclavonic'History and Literature.—Mickiewicx.
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CAPTAIN PIDDING'S CHINESE OLIO
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Col:am:Ts :—Life of Candida Hiu, a Christian Chinese Lady of
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China for Family Meetings—Chinese Maxims and Proverbs—The
Life of Tsing-che-hoang-Jo, Emperor .of China, Builder of the Great
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—The Emperor Krum-He's Table-talk (continued)—The Port of
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ALLEGED POISONING AT STEP-

NEY.

- -
Yesterday the inquisition touching the death of Mrs. Rachel
Belaney, whose husband, Mr. James Cockburn Belaney, is
at present in custody, charged on suspicion of having caused
her death, by administering to her a quantity of prussic acid
on Saturday, the Bth instant, was resumed before Mr. Baker,
at the Fountain Tavern, Stracey-street, Stepney.
With the facts of the case so recently and fully before the
public, it is only necessary to say, that Mr. Belaney and his
wife arrived in town on Tuesday, the 4th instant, and took
lodgings at Green-street, Stepney. Their only acquaintance
being a Captain Clark, a retired master mariner, his
daughter (Mrs. M'Eachern), and Mr. Hobson, a bookseller
in the Commercial-road. According to the evidence of these
parties, as well as of a Mrs. Heppingstall, in whose house
they lodged, the prisoner and his wife, who, it appears,
was a very handsome woman, lived on the fondest terms.
On Saturday, the Bth instant, the prisoner called Mrs. Hep-
pingstall to his wife's assistance, and in about ten minutes
afterwards she died in that person's arms; the prisoner at
the same time observing that her mother died of a somewhat
similar attack nine months previously. A post mortem exa-
mination was subsequently held upon the body, and after
that the prisoner admitted to Captain Clark, Sir. Hobson,
and afterwards to a surgeon named Garrett, that he was in
the habit of taking prussic acid to correct his stomach, and
owing to an accident he left some exposed in a tumbler in
his wife's bedroom, into which he presumed she poured
some water and drank it off in a mistake, having previously
taken some salts. The prisoner explained Isis not making
this statement before, by saying that he was ashamed to
admit such neglect respecting so deadly a poison en the part
of a medical man.
The first witness examined yesterday was Mr. Thomas
Donoghue, the surgeon from whom the prisoner had pur-
chased the prussic acid, as well as some acetate of morphine,
a most deadly poison, together with salts, senna, and carbo-
nate of soda. In his evidence before the magistrate at the
Thames Police-court, on Thursday, the witness stated that,
on the Monday after the death of the deceased lady, Mr.
Belaney and Captain Clark called upon him, about half-past
eight in the morning, when the prisoner said he had had a mis-
fortune with the acid, as the neck of the bottle had come off,
and he wished witness to attend the inquest. Being more
closely examined upon this point yesterday, the witness en-
tered more fully into detail, and stated that Belaney, in the
presence of Captain Clark, told him that the phial being
tightly. stopped, in trying to open it, he broke off the neck,
and being desirous of saving the acid, he put the contents
into a tumbler in Mrs. Belaney's room. Having left the
room for a while he heard a scream, and coming hack he
found that his wife, who had taken some medicine, had, as
he presumed, by mistake poured water into the glass which
contained the prussic acid, and drunk off the contents. He,
at the same time, requested witness to attend the inquest
which was to be held that day.
This evidence excited considerable surprise in the inquest-
room. It will be recollected that Captain Clark deposed that
the prisoner never mentioned anything to him about the
prussic acid until the evening of Monday, and yet Mr. Do-
noghue was quite as positive that the whole facts were de-
tailed by Mr. Belaney, in Captain Clark's hearing, as early as
half-past eight o'clock on Monday morning.
The CORONER; who seemed to think that there must be
some great mistake as to dates, questioned Mr. Donoghue
closely as to whether that conversation did not take place on
the Tuesday morning subsequently to the death, but the
witness persisted in saying that it was on the Monday, and
he was confirmed in his memory of the date by the fact of
his having been summoned to attend on that day at the Cen-
tral Criminal Court in a stabbing case.
Mr. Donoghue's servant-boy was then sent for. He re-
membered Captain Clark and another person calling at his
master's house; but could not possibly tell on what day of

the week it happened.
Captain Clark was then again called, and asserted mos,
positively that it was on the T uesday morning that Mr. Be-
laney made the statement to Mr. Donoghue.
Mr. BAKER said that was a fact whick it would be very
important to have ascertained correctly.
Mr. Donoghue said, that on hearing the statement he
thought it odd Mr. Belaney had not called on him on Sunday.
Captain Clark said he thought Doctor Garrett could throw
a light on the doubt, and that gentleman being called,
said he understood the interview had taken place upon the
Tuesday.
Mrs. Army Stobbs, a widow lady, and aunt of Mrs.Belaney,
was then called. She trembled a good deal, and appeared
greatly affected when first sworn. She said she resided at
North Sunderland, in Durham, and rented a farm from her
late sister, Mrs. Rachel Skelly, mother of the deceased, at
1001. a year. She went twice to see her sister before her
death. Her sister was then living at the prisoner's house ;
but she did not see him there on those occasions. On the
Saturday she saw Mr. Belaney, who told her Mrs. Skelly was
asleep, having had a little laudanum, and expressed a hope
that she would be better when she awoke. Witness under-
stood Mrs. Skelly died that day ; but her niece did not ask
her in. Mrs. Skelly generally enjoyed good health, and was
not subject to fits.
Mr. Clarkson here interposed, and asked whether it was
intended to try a double inquest. He had no olljection to the
production of every possible evidence; but, if the case went
to another place, good reason would be shown why the wit-
ness should not have been with h'er sister.
The CORONER said he had no bias whatever in the case,
his only object being to do justice and elicit the truth.
Mrs. Stobbs then proceeded to state, that she understood
the property which she rented from her sister passed on that
lady's death to Mrs. Belaney, and from her to her husband.
Witness received notice to quit from Mr. Belaney, whose
wife, on Mrs. Skelly's death, she. looked upon as her land-
lady. Witness told Mr. Belaney she did, not expect a notice
to quit ; but he replied it was Mrs. Skelly's express wish.
Witness, however, had reason to think otherwise. She did
not know on what terms the prisoner and his wife lived, as
she bad not seen them above twice together. Mrs. Skelly
had five houses, and had no child but Rachel. Witness,
before Rachel's marriage, placed some money to her account
in the Newcastle Bank. The prisoner, besides the work on
Falconry, wrote a little poem called the " Steeple Chase."
*Mr. Clarkson here again interfered, and requested,

this evidence was considered material, that it should be
taken down ; if not, he could not conceive why it should be
gone into.
Mr. BAKER said, that he perhaps had a clearer view of the
Gasp than the Learned Gentleman, having been furnished
with more materials than the Learned Gentleman, who, it
might be, had not seen this book,
handed
Mr. Clarkson—Oh yes, I have. I have neglected nothing
necessary to my client's case.
The "Steeple Chase," a small phamphlet in rhyme, was then
abort among the jurors. Our reporter had no op-
portunity of seeing t ; but be understood it to be a local
pasquinade,i abounding in personal invective. It was pub-
liBb3itBe,din and Mr. Baker Bclaekveier.
wsaoirdkheown Fasaigleoadntryo, published
spiritd exhibited
In 1841._ _

Mrs. Stobbsi beinf cross• examined by Mr, Clarkson, said,
A