The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-21 00:00:00

APPOINTMENTS.

Commanders—Alexander Little, to be an inspect-
ing Commander of the Lyme Coast-guard District,
vice Thomas Carpenter, resigned from -ill-health;
Henry St. John Georges, to the Harwich District,
vice Alfred N. Fairman, removed to the Clyde Dis-
trict, vice John Elliot Bingham, from the Clyde to
the Hastings District, vice J. M. Mottley, service
expired.
Lieutenant—George Bourchier Dawes, to com-
mand the Coast-guard station at St. Lawrence, vice
Crang, appointed first of the Geyser steam-sloop,
Woolwich.
Mates—W. H. Truscott (passed his examination
last week), to the Victory flag-ship, Portsmouth ;
Thomas Stackhouse (June 5, 1850, passed last week),
to the Excellent gunnery-ship, Portsmouth ; Lewis
l3arston (April 22, 1850), and F. M. Noel (June 16,
1850), who passed their examinations last week, to
the Royal William, for rank.
Second-Master John Hales (13), to command the
Coastguard station at Prussia Cove, vice Lieutenant
Sulivan, R.N., D.D.
COAST-GUARD SEIZURES.—On the 12th instant
the revenue cruiser Petrel chased and seized the vessel
Le Petit Jeules, with four English and four French-
men on board, having cut away her cargo during
chase. On the 14th inst. the Harpy, revenue cruiser,
seized the Melinday, with the notorious smuggler
Kellaway on board, having cut away her cargo. On
the 15th instant the officers and crew of the Rams-
gate station detained the steamer Queen of the
French, having 82163. tobacco and 17 packages of
cigars, &c., on board.
African steam-tender arrived at Devonport on
Friday morning, from Sheerness, with supernumera-
ries for the Portland. She took in some boats from
the dockyard and sailed for Sheerness the same
evening.
Aid lighter, Smalltnan master, arrived at Devon-
port on Thursday evening, with stores from Chatham.
Birkenhead iron steam-frigate, Master-Commander
Aylen, has been loaded with provisions and stores for
Ascension ; she will haul off from Portsmouth do:1-
yard to-day. As she has landed her guns her com-
passes will require to be re-adjusted, which will be
done to-morrow She has received 50 riggers, 17
marines, and 20 boys from the Victory, and has en-
tered about 40 other seamen, making a complement
of about 150.

Sampson steam-frigate was taken out round the
Eldystone on Thursday, to exercise her engines.
Tyne store-sbip, Master-Commander Wellington,
having- had her bottom coppered, was taken out of
No. 5 dock, at Devonport, on Thursday, and placed
along-side the sheer-hulk, when she had her masts
and bowsprit put in, and was again taken to the dock-
yard.
Trident steam-vessel, Lieut.-Commander Risk, has
been ordered to visit the ports on the south coast of
Ireland to raise volunteers for the Albion, 90, at De-
vonport.
POUTSMOUTH, SUNDAY.-Mr. 13. D. P. Cunning-
ham, R.N., late secretary to Rear-Admiral Rey-
nolds and Moresby, has invented a contrivance for
reefing topsails from the deck, without sending men
aloft. The plan has been fitted on board of the Pe-
ninsular and Oriental Company's vessel Iberia, and
has been found to answer admirably. The sail reefs
itself, and from the time the yard is lowered it is
closed-reefed in two seconds. The reefs may he again
shaken out and the topsail at the mast •head in twenty
seconds. Tne invention is not expensive, because
the present sails and topsail yards can easily be al-
tered at an expense not exceeding 151. per yard and
sail.
The vacant captain's good service pension will be
bestowed upon Captain Aaron Tozer.
The Lightning steam-vessel, Master-Commander
Petley, arrived this morning from the eastward.
Captain the Right llon. the Earl of Egmont (1813)
will be the naval A.D.C. to the Queen, vice Loch,
promoted.
PLYMOUTH, OCT. 19.—Her Majesty's steam-vessel
Sprightly arrived yesterday from Portsmouth, with
supernumeraries for the guard-ship, and returned
the same day.
The Portsmouth steam-tug arrived yesterday, with
seamen for the Portland.

The transport Tyne, having been masted, was yes-
terday placed at the jetty to be rigged.
The surveying-vessel Pandora is ordered to be com-
missioned.
Woo'mica, OCT. 19.—Commander Edmund A.
Glynn (1848), Lieutenant Henry Warren (1840),
Lieutenant the Hon. Robert Francis Boyle (1843),
Lieutenant James Boucher Ballard (1843), and Lieu-
tenant Thomas Brandreth (1845), have been appointed
to study steam at the factory at Woolwich Dockyard.
The Lightning steam-vessel, _ Master-Commander
Petley, left Woolwich on Friday afternoon to convey
supernumeraries from Sheerness and Portsmouth to
Devonport, for service in the Portland, making ready
to proceed to the Pacific station as the flag-ship of
Rear-Admiral Fairfax Moresby, C. 8., who is to re-
lieve Rear-Admiral Phipps Hornby, on the command
at that station since August, 1847. The Portland
will be ready for leaving Devonport in the course of
next week.
Master-Commander Henry William Allen, of the
Black Eagle steam-vessel, is under orders to proceed
in the Advice steam vessel to Greenhithe, on Tuesday
next, to tow the Hercules, 12, store-ship, Master-
Commander Robert Fulton, to the Downs, on her
voyage to Gibraltar, with troops and stores for that
garrison.
The Wasp steam-sloop, Commander Crozier, bas
engaged as part qi her crew three Kroomen, who had
previously serve in the Wilberforce steam-vessel on
the coast of Africa, and were entitled to a sum of
prize-money.
The Earl of Durham barque, laden with pine timber •
and masts from Canada, and the Amalie Laura, a
Prussian barque, with timber from the Baltic, were
taken into the basin yesterday to dis Charge their car-
goes for the use of the dockyard.
The investigation conducted by Commodore Henry
Eden, superintendent of Woolwich Dockyard, and
Captain Peter Richards, C. 8., superintendent of
Chatham Dockyard, held at Deptford Dockyard, to
inquire into the fairness of a trial of an improved flour
mill submitted by Messrs. Bovill, continued during
the greater part of the present week. The invention
bueki,7ts thesinliiar common
to
is said to consist of a plan for saving all the fine im-
palpable dust which escapes, and is in a great measure
lost Tmhiaseihseffes movingectedby
thoseflourin dredgingmilh:. machines
on an endlE ss chain, catching
the fine dust of the
flour, and causing it to fall amongst the more heavy
particles and retaining it for use, leaving no waste
whatever.

THE LATE OUTRAGE IN BIRMINGHAM.—We are
happy in being able to state that Mr. Marston is pro-
gressing favourably towards recovery from the dreadful
attack made upon him by burglars on the morning of Mon-
day, the 17th inst. He will probably be able to attend at the
public office on Wednesday, the day to which the ruffians
are remanded for examination. On Saturday night another
fellow, named Marshall, was taken int.) custody at Hands-
worth, and the hat found in the house of Mr. Marston has
been identified as belonging to him.

Y.
John David deposed—l saw Betsy Gibbs after Mrs.
Severne's death. She began crying, and said that
she had lost her mistress. I asked her how long she
had been ill. Betsy Gibbs said that she had not been
ill long, but she was unable to go to church with
master because she (Mrs. Severne) had drunk a pint
of whisky that morning before her master went to
church. I did not believe her, and thought she was
telling me lies. Betsy Gibbs said that she herself had
given the whisky to Mrs. Severne. She told me that
Mrs. Severne got up about eleven o'clock, but almost
immediately was compelled to go to bed again.
Betsy Gibbs then said that her mistress told her to
get her a basin of broth, and to make it of good fat
mutton, to make it very thick. Betsy Gibbs then
told me that she herself gave her mistress the broth
about one o'clock, and a very short period before her
master returned from church. On the day of the fu-
neral I had some further conversation with her,
and she then told me that on Thursday before her
mistress died she (Mrs. Severne) drank two pints of
whisky.
Mr. Severne here became exceedingly agitated
and, addressing the coroner, denied in the most em-
phatic manner that Mrs. Severne had drunk any
whisky on the day of her death. As to drinking
any whisky on the Sunday morning, it was an utter
impossibility for her to have done so without his
knowledge, as be had seen her a very short period
previous to his going to church. He hoped such a
report would not go forth to the public without a
contradiction, and he felt bound, out of respect to the
memory of his dear wife, to deny that she had drunk
any whisky on the Sunday morning.
The CORONER replied, that Mr. Severne's own
evidence contradicted the statement of Betsy Gibbs,
and that it would only show that she was exceedingly
anxious to account for the sudden death of Mrs. Se-
verne. There was always a great deal of idle talk
among servants, to which it was useless to pay at-
tention. _ _ _

Mrs. David, wife of Mr. David, druggist, of
Laugharne, said she wished to state, that since the
la3t examination she did recollect the witness Marga-
ret Lewis coming to her shop and purchasing the
powders to which she had sworn. She wished this
part of her evidence to be amended.
By the Jury—l am not clear whether the person
to whom I sold the arsenic was the same person to
whom I sold the powders. I am almost certain I
sold the arsenic to Margaret Lewis, who is called
" Benny, the blacksmith's widow." I think she is
the same person.
William Connick was then sworn. He said—l
now remember that on the Sunday Mrs. Severna died
Betsy Gibbs (the prisoner) told me, about five o'clock,
that Mrs. Severne would not "be long now." I wa%
in the kitchen before twelve.o'clock at noon, when
she told one her mistress was' very poorly, but said
nothing else then. I then went out, and in the
afternoon I went to chapel. On my return I went
into the kitchen, and Betsy Gibbs and myself were
alone. I believe she came down stairs from her mis-
tress's room. I asked her "How is mistress now?'
She replied that she was very poorly, and added,
"She will not be long now." At another time, when
I had some conversation with Betsy Gibbs, she told
roe, before Rebecca Uphill's death (for whose murder
the prisoner stands committed), that she smelt the
smell of a corpse in the room, and told me that Re-
becca would not live. On the night of Rebecca's
death Betsy Gibbs said to me, after slats was dead, " I
am very glad that Mary Harvey is here, as her father
may say that I gave her something." She meant
Rebecca's father.

This concluding the evidence, the Coroner ordeied
the room to be cleared of strangers, with the exception
of the gentlemen connected with the press.
The CORONER then said, be understood there was a
man who could give evidence of some threats being
held out by the prisoner against Mrs. Severne, but
that be had gone to the fair at St. Clear, and it was
uncertain when he would return. He would, however,
again adjourn the inquest if the jury thought such a
course advisable.

Several of the jurymen said that they had suffi-
cient evidence before them to enable them to return a
verdict.

. The CORONER then proceeded to sum up the evi-
dence, remarking thatthethe.rner were two questions for
the consideration
of
am 12y „6„t means Mrs. scaly: The first
herrst was,d how
alai
and, secondly, whether any :e am
r conhea d a
haned or;
p
guilty knowledge in causinghesrdeath. The, most
material evidence on this point was the testi-
mony of the medical gentleman and Mr. Hera-
path, who stated that they found arsenic in the
body of Mrs. Severne, and that her death was caused
by arsenic. The Coroner then recapitulated the
more important portions of the evidence, and con-
tinued—With regard to the cause of death by arsenic,
it was very clear it must have been taken some
corpse candles, the jury would find they
time on the Sunday morning. . With regard to the
from the
evidence of the several conversations relative to the
awnedr et
hnot
re-
lated to any person until after there was a suspicion of
foulahon
should
play.
have b
eThereen
rcertainly o
awasny person,
a reason why they
from which they learnt
e con-
versationsjury. The
fTorhmeewdiftanierassucbjoencntisekforgatvhee consideration of
ltahtive to these " death lights,"
conversations
ere superstition
that the prisoner foretoldof tthheedeliagthhtsofgpoeirosgons in the
fore-
telling importance
death,th they
wattachedhether to ot
wasthes
family, for she spoke
" best door." It would be for the jury to say:what
which prevailed among a certain class in'that part of
the country. It certainly was worthy of some consi-
deration when they found a person propbecying deaths
which actually afterwards occurred; it showed as if
something was passing in her mind, and as if she was
compassing and imagining the death of those persons.
With respect to the expression that " she smelt the
smell of a corpse," it was a circumstance to be looked
feature
at with suspicion. One remarkable in the
no evidence
case was that there was of the pre-
sence of any white arsenic in Mr. Severne's house,
9the:inn
neither did they trace any poison ;
in the
possession of Elizabeth Gibbs, nor did it appear that
she ever purchased any poison of Mrs. David. If
Margaret Lewis purchased the arsenic, the possession
of poison by Margaret Lewis was no evidence against
Betsy Gibbs. They must carry the link further, and
show that Margaret Lewis had given the poison to
Elizabeth Gibbs. With respect to one circumstance,
the jury could not but out from their minds the very
important fact that no one was present when Mrs.
Severne took food on Sunday morning except Eli-
beth Gibbs, and it was impossible for the jury to be-
lieve otherwise than that death was caused by arsenic,
which, too, must -certainly have been administered
only a very short period before death. The jury
must also bear in mind that the only food of which
Mrs. Severne partook on the Sunday was prepared by
Elizabeth Gibbs.
The room was then cleared of every person but the
jury, who, after a brief consultation, returned a% their
verdict—" We find that Mary Anne Severne died from
the effects of poison wilfully administered to her by
Elizabeth Gibbs," which, of course, is tantamount to
a verdict of wilful murder against the prisoner.
At the conclusion of the inquest the prisoner was
lodged in the county gaol. The investigation into
these dreadful cases of poisoning has excited the ut-
most interest throughout the county.

THE lONIAN ISLANDS.—On Saturday was issued a
Parliamentary document of considerablo dimensions, con-
taining various" dispatches from Lord Seaton to Lord Grey,
as Colonial Secretary, on the recent changes in the constitu-
tion of the lonian Islands. The return extends to 131 folio
pages.

The neighbourhood of Pontrwydferdegoed has
been thrown into a state of the most painful excite-
ment in consequence of the death of an aged lady
named Mrs. Ann Jones, under circumstances leaving
no doubt of her having been poisoned by arsenic, and
the apprehension of her daughter-in -law, Mrs. Eliza-
beth Jones, as the suspected perpetrator of the crime.
The unfortunate lady was a person of very reTectable
family, and had resided at Bronderbleau for a con-
siderable period with her eldest son, Mr. T. Jones, and
his wife. In 1840, the deceased lady's brother died,
leaving very considerable property, and bequeathing
her, among others, a legacy of 1,0001. which she
placed in her son's hands, requesting him to deposit
it at her banker's, at Aberystwyth; instead, however,
of fulfilling her intentions, it appears that he
paid in the money in his own name, and
,appro-
priated a portion of it to his own purposes. I his
being discovered, Mrs. Jones commenced a suit for its
recovery, and obtained a verdict. The son, then, with-
out saying anything to his family, went off to Ame-
rica, and his wife and family went to live with his
mother, and, as it is said, treated the old lady very
unkindly. The old lady having afterwards died
under circumstances of great suspicion, an inquest
has been commenced on the body before the county
coroner, Mr. R. Williams, M.D. The following is a
brief summary of the evidence given at this inquest :
—Mr. Evans, surgeon, of Aberystwyth, deposed to
having made a post mortem examination of the body.
The inner coat of the stomach, upon being opened,
had an unusual appearance of inflammation, to such
an extent as to awaken his suspicions, and to induce
him to send to Bristol to Mr. Herapath, the analy-
tical chemist. In witness's opinion death was caused
by some unusual inflammation produced by the pre-
sence of some irritating substance. The appear-
ances were very different from those of or-
dinary inflammation.—Mr. R. Rowland, surgeon,
also assisted in making the post mortem ex-
amination, but could not , undertake to say
whether the deceased was poisoned or not.—Thomas
Beard, police-constable, No. 24, deposed to his
having conveyed the stomach and its contents to Mr.
Herapath, at Bristol. He (witness) knew John
Jones, of Caenmawr, and had heard him say that
about two months ago he purchased twopenny worth
of arsenic at Mr. Humphries' shop at Aberystwyth.
He told witness that the deceased; Mrs. Ann Jones,
had directed him to purchase it, saying that she
wanted a bit of arsenic to kill some rats. Evan Evans
deposed to his having caused the inquest to be holden.
He sent for a policeman after Mrs. Jones's death,
because he knew that she had been ill treated. In
July, 1849, the deceased came from Pengraig, be-
cause she said she could get no peace there. She
said that her daughter-in-law (the prisoner) had
thrown her down stairs, and she had marks of vio-
lence on her arms and head. She said she would
never go hack to her daughter-in-law again.—Mr.
William Herapath, analytical chemist, of Bristol,
deposed that he had examined the viscera of the de-
ceased, which had been submitted to him. He dis-
covered arsenic in the substance of the liver, and
:a the contents of the stomach and abdomen,
which no doubt bad caused the death of the deceased.

—Charles Jones, of Caenmawr, was then called, and
asked if he had anything to say respecting the death
of Mrs. Ann Jones. He replied that he had, and
being sworn, deposed that on the Monday before she
died the prisoner had asked him to buy two penny-
worth of arsenic for her at Aberystwyth. She said
she wanted it to kill rats. He went to Mr. Hum-
phries' shop, and was served with it by the tallest ap-
prentice, who folded it in white paper, and wrote
something on it, which he could not read. He (wit-
ness) then took it and gave it to the prisoner. When
he gave it to her he told her he was afraid that she
had some mischief in her head, and she replied,
" Nonsense, it is for rats." The witness, on being
questioned, admitted that he had told a different story,
but said that he had done so because he had been
bribed ; the prisoner had bribed him, and had promised
to give him a pony, and her mother was to give him a
cheese. What he now deposed to was the truth.
The CORONER, here adjourned the inquiry, and re-
manded the prisoner.
There was a very considerable feeling in favour of
the prisoner on the part of the crowd, and at one time
considerable danger of a riot to effect her rescue.—
North Wales Chronicle.