The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-22 00:00:00

THE SUN, LUND ON, THURS DA Y EVENING, AUGUST 22, 1644.

Mr. JAMES address2d the jury for the defence, and
His IiORDSHIP having summed up, the jury, after some
deliberation, returned a verdict of Not Guilty.

OXFORD ClRCUlT.—Gloucester, Aug. 20.
CROWN COURT.—{Before Mr. Surgeant ATCHERLItY.)
Witiam Spenings, aged 21, James Raby, 23, Thomas
Silman 23, and Charles Hibbs, 24, were indicted, the,latter for having ravished and carnally known a woman
of the name of Elizabeth Lewis, and the other three for
having aided and assistei him iii the perpetration of the,
crime.

Mr. Keating appeared for the Crown. The prisoner&
were defended by Mr. Greaves and Mr. Huddleston.
On the 31,th of July last, the prosecutrix, who was a
person of most unprepossessing appearance, had gone a
short distance from her father's cottage, at Winter-
bourne, for the purpose of drawing water, when she met
the four man at the bar, close to a quarry. They came
up to her, and llibbs, with an oath, declared he would
" give it her." According to her statement, the threct
other men then laid hold of her, and kept her firrelAy
upon the ground until Hibbs had accomplished his par-
pose. This being effected, some persons were heard
approaching, when the men all took to their heels and
decamped. She went next day with her mother, before
the Bev. J. Mirehouse, a magistrate, and there made
her depositions.
On cross-examination, the witness admitted that the
act was accomplished in the open quarry, on the out-
side of a shed in which her sister was, and a man of
the name of Lloyd also. She admitted having made a
charge of a somewhat similar description against some
young men, which she compromised by taking half-a-
crown each from them. She appeared also to prevari-
cate considerably, and to make several statements of an
improbable character.
After a trial of some duration, the prisoners were
acquitted.
Besides the above, the Learned Sergeant has, during
the day, disposed of several eases of bestiality, rape, and
concealment of birth, the details of all of which are
equally unfit for publication.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.
OLD COURT.
TRIAL OF BELANEY.-,,STEPNEY POISONING

CASE.

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Thomas Donaghu'—l am a surgeon, living in White-
horse-street, Stepney. I knew the prisoner about four
years ago. On the 6th June lest he came to my shop.
lie wrote upon a slate that he would call again, I not
being at home. He `then came again about seven o'clock.
He asked for some prussic acid, salts, senna, acetate of
morphine, chloric:acid, and carbonate of soda. He said
he wanted the prussic acid, as he was in the habit of
taking it. I got it for him. I got Scheeile's prepara-
tion of prussic acid for him the next day. It was in an
ounce phial. It had a glass stopper. I knew by the
feel of the bottle it was covered. I saw him after his

wife died, and he told me that the neck of the bottle was
broken, and that he poured it into a tumbler, which his
wife took, she having taken salts. He wished me to at-
tend the inquest.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSOII—I knew him four
years ago. I knew then he was in the habit of taking
prussic acid. He told me he would return the bottle. A
morphia is also taken as a sedative for dyspepsia.
Dr. Letherby recalled—The acetate of morphine would
be slow in its effect, and easily known.
George Gall, examined by Mr. CHAMBERS—I was
errand-boy to Mr. Donaglitie. I went to Evans's to
buy some prussic acid. I gave it to Mr. Donaghue. I
bought it of Mr. Evans, of Bartholomew-close.
Richard Willis Powell—l am shopman to Mr. Evans.
I recollect selling some prussic acid on the 6th of June.
I sold it for Mr. Donaghue. It was called Scheeile's
preparation.
Thomas Long, examined by the SOLICITOR-GENERAL
—I am gardener of the City of London Tower Hamlet
Cemetery. I saw the prisoner there, about 12 o'clock,
OH the Bth of June. There were two gentlemen with
him. He told me he wanted to purchase a piece of
ground to bury. Captain Clarke was with him. He
said he wished the burial should take place on the Tues-
day. I told him ho should give four clear days to get a
brick grave done. They said they would have a seven
foot grave till they could have a brick one made. He
went away, and had a handkerchief to his eyes, appa-
rently weeping. Captain Clarke said he would hear no
more of the burial till Monday.
John Haynes, examined by Mr. BODKIN--I am in-
spector of the metropolitan police. I went down to
North Sunderland. I saw Mr. Bell there. I got the
letters handed up by me from him. The two papers I
found in a cupboard in the house of the prisoner.
George Gray Bell examined—l live in North Sunder-
land. I know Mr. Belaney. I was agent of some lime

works, of which the prisoner was a partner. I became
agent in September. Mr. Belaney was living near the
place. Mrs. Belaney was living with him. About July
he was leaving for London with Mrs. Belaney. I re-
ceived the letters marked from No. 1 to 6 from him.
They are in his handwriting, The two papers handed
up I believe to be in his handwriting. There is a letter
addressed to Mr. John Denning. I know the copyhold
property which the late Mrs. Skerrett had. She was
the mother of Mrs. Belaney. It would now sell for about
3,700/. Mr. Robson was a partner in the lime works.
The share of Mrs. Belaney, including a colliery, was
worth about 2,4001. I made an estimate of the property.
It was about 6,0001.
Cross-examined by Mr. ERLE—I heard Mr. Belaney
talking of an excursion in the month of September. He
spoke of going to the south. I heard of the excursion
frequently spoken of between September and the Ist of
June. Mr. Belaney was fond of falconry. He said he
wished to see an exhibition of falconry on the Rhine.
He keeps a great number of birds. I never saw anything
but the greatest kindness subsisting between Mr.
and Mrs. Belaney.. She seemed apparently perfectly
happy. I was put into the agency by Mr. Belaney. He
had full control over the lime works, and managed
as he pleased. There was a house building on the pro-
perty for them.
Re-examined—I did not see much of Mr. and Mrs.
Belaney after their marriage. Mrs. Belaney was twenty-
two years of age.
Alexander Wilson—l am farm steward in the service of
Robson and Skerrett. I knew Mr. Belaney. I remember
his marrying Miss Skerrett. It was on the 23d of
February, 1843. She was an only child. Mr. Belaney
practised as a medical man before his marriage. He gave
up practising after his Marriage, and took the manage-
ment of the lime works. Mrs. Skerrett died on the Ist
of July after the marriage. On the 31st of May this
he was going to the Con-
3trienaer he
Con-
tinent. larhdadMsro.mßeelbauri.:ieYn:essasY to transact with him. He
said to me he wanted a witness to the wills which were
made ; that it was a thing which was generally done
when people went from home. The papers were pro-
duced. Mrs. Belaney was present. lie read one of
them over, and he said the other was to the same effect.
I put my name to the papers. They had been signed
before by Mr. and Mrs. Belaney, but they went over
them again with a dry pen. The next day they left for
London.
Cross-examined by Mr. ERLE—I have been employed
thirty years, but have been farm-steward only since
March last. Mrs. Skerrett was an old woman when she
died. Mrs. Belaney appeared ta me to be happy in her
marriage. Mr. Belau(?y had the management of the pro •
perty. I heard Mrs. Belaney say that she was anxious
to see London. His character was that of a kind man
as far as I knew. _

Ralph Moore—l am a shoemaker, residing at North
Sunderland. I witnessed the wills. I knew Mr. Be-
laney for several years.
John Dinning—l am a farmer residing at Elfurd, near
North Sunderland. I knew the prisoner fur about three
years prior to June. I was from home in June. I re-
turned on the 10th, and found a letter from Mr. Belaney
before me. A letter posted in London on Saturday would
reach me about five o'clock in the afternoon. I got this
letter about ten in the forenoon. I dtstroyed that letter.
It was dated from the Euston Hotel, the 6th of Jane, to
the best of my belief. The contents of that letter were,
to the best of my belief, that I would be sorry to hear
that his wife was taken unwell ; that she was attended
by two physicians. He was about to remove her to pri-
vate lodgings, and he would not be able to take her to
the Rhine. He also said that he was afraid that was
going to happen which had happened before. I under-
stood this to mean a miscarriage.
Cross examined—Mre and Mrs. Belaney appeared to
me ti be living on happy terms. Mr. Belaney was fond of
falconry. I heard of the tour spoken of some time b..fore.
Mrs. l3elaney was anxious fur, and she seemed desirous
of, going to London, and to go to Arlington, where Mr.
Belaney's brother resided. He bore the character of a
man of kindness and humanity.
Thomas Robert Younghusband—l am a farmer re-
siding at Elwick. I know the last witness. I have seen
the prisoner before. On the 11th of June Mr. Dinning
showed me a letter from Mr. Belaney. It was dated the
Euston Hotel. The witness described the contents of
the letter to the same effect as the last witness. I was
not then aware of the death of Mrs. Belaney. I heard
of her death on the Thursday or Friday after. The con-
tents of the letter occurred to me more strongly when I
heard of the death.
Mr. Richard Straker—l am the postmaster of North
Sunderland. At the time in which this transaction
took place, a letter put into the post-office in London,
would reach North Sunderland at eleven o'clock
in the forenoon of Saturdly. Mr. Dinning's letters
were taken to him by a servant. The letter directed to
Mr. Dinning from Mr. Belaney *as in the post-office
on Saturday the Bth, to the best of my belief. It must
have been posted on the,. 6th in London, to arrive in
North Sunderland on the Bth.
Cross-examined—Mr. and Mrs. Belaney appeared to
lire happily together. He had the character of being a
kind man as far as I knew.
Mr. Dinning was recalled, and said that he had
, been from home from Thursday, the 6th.
William Blott, a clerk in the General Post-office—
This letter, No. 2, bears the morning mark of the 10th
of .rune. It must have been, therefore, posted either be-
fore half-past five on the evening of the 9th, or before
eight on the morning of the 10th. The 9th being Sun-
day, it must have been, posted after half-past five on Sa-
turday evening. This letter, No. 3, must have been
posted before eight o'clock on the morning of the
10th, or before half-past five in the evening. It bears
the evening post mark.
Mr. George Scott—l am registrar of births and
deaths in North Sunderland. Registered the death of
Mrs. Skerrett, in January, 1843. I called on Mr. Belaney
for the patticulars. He had called on me to register.
When 1 asked him the cause of death, he stammered,
and said, " Well, you may say, bilious fever."
The entry was put in, and read.
Mr. Dinning recalled, and examined by Mr. ERLE—•
I visited Belaney's house during the illness )f. Mrs.
Skerrett. I believe Mr. Hunt, a medical man, attended
her, but I am not sure.
'Mr. It. Ferguson, clerk to the manor of Bransburgh,
was called, • and proved- that Mr. and Mrs. 13elaney
called upon him, and she handed over the interest in the
copyhold for the use of herself and children,