The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-26 00:00:00

WORSHIP-STREET.

ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO POlSON.—Martha Sharpe, a
respectable-looking person, about 30 years of age, and
attired in deep mourning, was placed at the bar before
Mr. Co ,mbe, charged with having attempted to admi-
nister a deleterious drug to Mr. James Walker Elphin-
stone, an actor at the Pavilion Theatre, with intent to do
him some grievous bodily harm.
William Davis, a waiter at the King's Heed public-
house in Baker's-row,Whitechapel,stated that about eight
o'clock on the preceding evening the prisoner, whom ho
had for some time before seen loitering about the stage-
entrance of the theatre, suddenly accosted him as he was
entering the house with refreshments, and, handing him
a small packet requested him to deliver it into the hands
of Mr. Elphinstone. On reaching the dressing-room he
delivered the parcel to one of the attendants, with in-
structions to convey it to Mr. Elphinstone according to
the directions ho had received, and the man wont into
the room with it.

Thomas King, one of the dressers, stated that upon
receiving a parcel from the last witness ho presented it
to the actor before-mentioned, who opened it in his pre-
sence, and finding it contained a small tart returned it to
him, telling him that he might eat it hiraself, or,do,what-
ever he liked with it. On returning home from the
theatre he gave the tart to his wife, who ate a small
portion of it, and soon after she had done so became so
seriously ill that they both became greatly alarmed, and
feeling satisfied that some deleterious ingredient had been
mxied up with the contents of the tart, he hastened with
the remainder of it to Mr. Elphinstone, in order that it
might undergo a chemical analysis.
Charlotte King, the wife of the last withess, confirmed
the testimony of her husband, and deposed to the inju-
rious effects produced upon her system by the small
quantity of the tart of which she had partaken, which
occasioned excessive sickness and a high state of fever,
and from the influence of which she had scarcely yet
recovered.

Mr. Henry Cornelius, a surgeon, in the Whitechapel-
road, stated that he received from Mr. Elphinstone the
greater part of the jam tart now produced, for the pur-
pose of being analysed, and that upon subjecting it to
examination he found in if- a large quantity of cantha-
rides. In answer to a question from the Magistrate,
the witness added that the effect of the drug, taken in
moderate quantities, was to produce excitement of the
nervous system, but that the amount which he had de-
tected in that portion of the tart which had been
placed in his hands was so abundant that it might be
sufficient, in his opinion, to be attended with fatal
cons, quences.
Mr. Elphinstone was then called into the witness-box,
and deposed to the nature of • the acquaintance that had
subsisted between himself and the prisoner, from which
it appeared that she had been for some time past in the
habit of pestering him with her importunities, and en-
deavouring to force an intimacy upon him, but that he
had invariably rejected all her overtures. She had also
written him several letters with the same object, but ho
had never replied to them, and had not given her the
slightest encouragement to persist in her system of
annoyance. On receiving the tart from the dresser he
told him to dispose of it in any manner he pleased, but
what afterwards became of it he did not know until he
received back the portion of it now produced, with a de-
scription of its pernicious effects, and he was totally at a
loss to assign any motive for the conduct of the prisoner
in sending him such a noxious preparation.
When called upon for her defence,
.the prisoner, who
exhibited the coolest indifference throughout, said that
having been informed by one of her female acquaintances
that she hart forwarded a similar tart to another actor of
the same establishment, she was therefore induced to
confer the same attention upon Mr. Elphinstone, but
without the remotest intention of doing him any per-
sonal injury.
Mr. COMBE said it was a most serious offence, and
ordered the prisoner to be remanded for a week for the
completion of the depositions.

FIRST NEWS FROM THE ARCTIC

EXPLORING EXPEDITION.
(From the New York Tribune.)
We hare been kindly furnished with the following
extract from a private letter, written by an officer of the
Arctic Expedition in search of Sir John Franklin:—
" United States' Brig Advance, off St. John's
.. _

Newfoundland, June 7.

"Dear Sir,—Our progress thus far has been mach
slower than I anticipated in consequence of head winds
and heavy weather. In a gale on the 29th ult., we
parted from our consort. This is not a subject of regret,
as we shall probably reach our place of rendezvous sooner
than in company.
The sailing qualities of this vessel are admirable.
We have had several opportunities of trying her speed
with coasters ai.d fishermen, and beat them all with
ease ; she will no doubt improve, too, as she becomes
lighter.
" Yesterday we made the southern cape of Newfound-
land, and at the same time fell in with several icebergs;
we have continued to meet them since, and now have at
least twenty in sight around us.
" The officers and men are all in good health and
spirits, and, with myself, are sanguine as to the success
of the enterprise.
" There is a vessel now near us, by which I hope to be
able to forward to you these few lines, probably the last
that you will receive from as until the fall."

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
BRISTOL, JULY 23.
STOCK EXCILLNOIL—The market was dull and inactive
to-day, and the principal business done was in Midland
Stock (50/.), which remains unaltered from yesterday's quo-
tation.
LIVERPOOL, JULY 25.
STOCK ExcisAxuE.—There was very little business doing
to-day but prices were steady. The transactions were as
follow : Lancashire and Yorkshire, Consol., 3514—Ditto,
Fifths, 91A dis.—Ditto, 32/. Shares, 91/, dis.—London
and North-Western, New Quarters, 9-16 p.—Manchester,
Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, Preference, 8-11Iidland, 381
Ditto,
Halves, 21% dis.—South-Eastern and Dover, 14 3-16
--Ditto (No. 4), Registered, 4 11-16.
MANCHESTER, JULY 25.
STOCK EXCTIANGE.—There was a very flat market to-day,
and prices were lower.
BIRMINGHAM, JULY 25.
STOCK EXCHANGE--The share market was steady to-day
at last quotations, but business is flat, aid, from present
appearances, seems likely to remain so until more is known
of the next half-yearly dividends.
YORK, JULY 21.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The transactions to-day were as
follow:—Great Northern, B%—York, Newcastle, and Ber-
wick, 141A3—York and North Midland, Preference, 71,4.

VALUE OF FREEHOLD PROPERTY IN FLEET-STREET.
—On Wednesday last: the dwelling-house and shop in Fleet-
street, with the warehouse behind the same, let to Mr. Ben-
fling, the law bookseller and publisher, at 400/. per annum,
was sold at Garraway's by Messrs. Farebrother, Clark/ and
Lye, fta 10,0201.