The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-13 00:00:00

S N, LONDON, THURSDAY `V.EN

THE SUSPICIOUS CASE OF
POISONING AT BROMLEY.

The case of the young woman, Harriet Monckton, who
was poisoned by prussic acid two years back at Bromley,
and the subsequent extracrdinary conduct of the Coroner
with reference to the transaction, continue to create a great
deal of interest in the neighbourhood, and some circum-
stances have recently transpired which render it very de-
sirable that the matter should be brought to some termina-
tion, and that the guilty party—for that the deceased met
her death by foul play there seems to be no doubt enter-
tained either by the jury or the medical men who were exa-
mined—should be discovered, or that those against whom
suspicions have been entertained should be exonerated from
all share in the foul transaction. As so long a period has
elapsed since the commencement of the inquiry, it may be
not amiss to state briefly under what circumstances the de-
ceased was discovered, and the facts upon which the above
opinion is founded. It appeared that Harriet Monckton,
who is described as being a fine, handsome young woman,
was the daughter of poor parents residing in the neighbour-
hood of Bromley, but they had contrived to give her a
rather better education than ordinary, and she had obtained
a situation as a teacher at a school in London, which,
shortly before the period at which she came by her un-
timely end, she had given up, and was about to take an-
other of a similar character at Arundel, in Sussex, but
before proceeding to her new situation, she came to
Bromley to pass a few days with her mother. On the
Monday when she was last seen alive she left home
apparently in good health and spirits, saying that she
should return shortly, and was never more seen
alive. Search was made for her that evening and all the
next day, but without avail, until the evening of Tuesday,
when it was suggested by one of the party who was in search
of the deceased, that they should examine a closet, situated
at the rear of a Dissenting chapel in Widmore-lane, Bromley,
and, upon going there, the deceased was found dead upon the
floor of the closet, in a sitting position, and from the perfectly
placid and composed appearance of her features, it was at first
supposed that she had died a natural death, particularly as
there was no trace of any deadly instrument or ingredient visi-
ble by which the death could have been occasioned. The Coroner
for:this division of Kent held his inquest in due course, and, at
the suggestion of the jury,- a post mortem examination of
the deceased was made by Mr. Kott, a surgeon, residing at
Bromley, and another medical gentleman. It was then dis-
covered, beyond the possibility of a doubt, that the deceased
had come by her death by means of prussic acid, a quantity
being found in her stomach sufficient, in the opinion of the
medical gentlemen, to have killed a dozen people. It also
appeared that the unfortunate girl was very:far advanced in
the family way, and a nearly full-grown child had shared the
fate of its unhappy mother. Upon the re-assembling of the
jury these additional facts were given:in evidence, and very
strong testimony was adduced to show that it was almost
impossible that the deceased could have destroyed herself.
In the first place, it appeared by the medical testimony that the
effects of the poison must have been to destroy life al-
most immediately, so that she must have taken it in the place
where the deceased was found, but no phial or cup was
discovered that could have contained the poison, either there
or anywhere near the place. In the next place, if the de-
ceased had herself taken the poison, she would no doubt have
fallen immediately to the ground, and her dress would, in all
probability, have been in confusion; but, on the contrary, as
above stated, she was found in an easy sitting position, her
clothes apparently smoothed down, with her left hand rest-
ing easily upon her thigh, and with a white handkerchief
under it. The impression produced by the evidence upon
the jury, and upon almost all who heard it, was, that the
the poison had not been taken by the deceased in the closet,
but that it had been administered to her elsewhere, and after
she was dead that she had been carried and placed in die
position in which she was found. Some adjournments were
made by the Coroner's jury, but although upon each occasion
nothing transpired in any way to alter their opinion that the
deceased met her death by foul play, no direct evidence was
adduced tending to fix the guilt upon any individual; and
since the last adjournment, which is now upwards of eighteen
months ago, the Coroner has declined to call the jury to-
gether, although repeated applications have been made to
him to do so. The jury was originally composed of fifteen
individuals, but of this number one is dead, another has gone
abroad, and a third has left this part of the country, still,
however, leaving twelve, a number that would be competent
to come to a decision upon the subject. A short time back
these twelve gentlemen sent a communication to the Coroner
requesting to know when he intended to call them together,
and they received a reply, stating that he should do so very
shortly ; but since then nothing more has been heard upon
the subject. The jury, however, feel so strongly the neces-
sity for public inquiry into this mysterious affair, that it is
understood to be their intention to apply to the Secretary of
State upon the subject.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.

Yesterday a young man, named William Ogiers, was brought
before the Lord Mayor upon a charge of robbery.
James Bowie, a waterman, who resides at Gravesend, stated
that on Monday morning, about ten o'clock, he arrived at
Billingsgate in the hatch-boat named the Sir Edward Cod-
rington, with fresh herrings for sale. He was in partner-
ship with the owner of the boat in the sale of fish, and the
prisoner was a cabin-boy belonging to the boat. About two
o'clock on Monday the prisoner was missed from on board,
and at three o'clock witness went down into the bed-cabin
for the purpose of getting the sum of 19/. 45. 6d., which he
bad placed under the head of the bed-cabin. Upon going to
the spot where he had deposited the cash he found that
it had been stolen, together with two bags, a memorandum-
book, and some papers. Witness had seen the money safe at
eleven or twelve o'clock, and did not leave the boat after
that time until he missed the money, and no one had been
in the cabin but the prisoner and himself. Between six and
seven o'clock witness went with an officer, to whom he com-
plained of the robbery, to the City of London Theatre, where
he found the prisoner, in the company of several girls of the
town, amongst the audience. The prisoner was searched,
and in his possession was found a bag, which the witness
knew at once to be his, and which contained several sove-
reigns, no doubt his property. Upon being questioned, the
prisoner said the bag contained no book, but it did hold a
shilling.
. John Bower (policeman 570) stated that he went to the
City of London Theatre on the evening of the day of the
robnery, suspecting that he should find the prisoner amongst
the loose females, and he was not long there when he found
that he was right in, his guess., The bag which was taken
from the prisoner contained 10/. in gold, and there were three
sovereigns loose in the prisoner's pockets.
The LORD MAYOR—DO you wish to say anything, pri-
soner? Prisoner—Why, I took the money, my Lord, from
the place where it was put, and I went along with a lot
of girls, but whether I spent the money amongst them or
gave it to them, I don't know, I'm sure. Aa for the book
that master talks of, that was in the big bag, and I tore
it up.—The prisoner was committed for trial.
Lewis Benjamin was charged with having picked the
pocket of a gentleman of a handkerchief.
Mr. W. H. Bailey, of No. 4, Shaftesbury-terrace, Pimlico,
stated that on the afternoon of Monday, as he was passing
along the north side of St. Paul's-churchyard, he suddenly
felt his handkerchief removed from his coat 'pocket. Upon
turning round he observed the prisoner wipe his face with
the very handkerchief that had been removed from his pos-
session. Witness said to him, " What are you doing with
my handkerchief?" to which he replied, " I didn't know it
was yours."—(A laugh. )
Shelford (policeman No. 160) said that he apprehended
the prisoner upon the charge of Mr. Bailey, and found two
other handkerchiefs upon his person.
The prisoner said that he had not committed any robbery.
He had been in the habit of carrying three handkerchiefs
for his personal convenience and accommodation, for he did
not know how soon he might lose one or two in the streets of
London.—(A laugh.)
The LORD MAYOR said the prisoner should have an oppor-
tunity of making that defence before those who would be
'capable of appreciating it.
• The prisoner—My Lord, I hope you will order the officer
to give me up my own property. the two handkerchiefs he
took from me are my own. _ _ _

The prisoner was committed for trial.
John Robarts was committed for having picked the pocket
of Mr. J. T. Hyne, Treasurer of the Surrey Theatre. The
robbery was adroitly committed ,at ten o'clock on Monday
morning, in Gresham-street. The witness suddenly missed
his handkerchief, and upon turning round saw his handker-
chief in the front pocket of the prisoner's coat; when, the
prisoner following him, he stooped and slipped out the hand-
kerchief, and dropped it in the street.
His LORDSiTIP acknowledged, with thanks, the receipt of
5/. from Mr. W. West, through the hands of Messrs. Hoare,
the bankers, for the poor-box, and expressed his sincere hope
and belief that the contributions to the poor-box of the
Mansion-house, to which there were so many melancholy
claims, especially in the winter months, would be numerous.
He apprehended that, everything considered, the approach-
ing winter would tell upon the sympathies of the friends of
humanity with more force than was generally expected. He
therefore thought that he could not commence the duties of
the office of Chief Magistrate in a more proper manner than
by calling upon those who were prosperous to remember the
thousands who had to contend with poverty in its most
frightful shapes.
Two gentlemen who were present immediately contributed
'a sovereign each, but would not mention their names.
GUILDHALL.

James Freeman, a cab driver, was brought up on a warrant
before ➢lr. Alderman Hooper, charged with misbehaviour, in
refusing for half-an-hour to leave the passage of the house of
Mr. Toplis, in New Bridge-street, in order to enforce pay-
ment of an excessive charge.
Roe, the City officer, stated that the prisoner had treated
two summonses with contempt before a warrant was issued.
Miss Toplis deposed that on the 30th ult. she hired the
cab in King William-street, Strand, to bring her to Bridge-
street, Blackfriars. She had three ladies with her. On set-
ting them down she gave defendant ls. 6d. He said that was
not his fare. She immediately handed him her card, and
said he might summon her for any other demand he might
have. He walked into the passage, and said he must have
2s Bd., as extra passengers were carried ; but he afterwards
reduced his claim to 2s. 4d. She refused to pay him any
more, and he refused to leave the house. She called in the
policeman, who declined interfering without instructions from
his superior. She sent her servant to the station-house and
a second policeman came, but he also declined interfering,
'except by expostulating with the defendant, which induced
laim to leave. It was between eleven and twelve o'clock at
night, and he kept possession of the passage for half-an-hour.
Mr. Alderman HOOPER presumed there were none but
women in the house at the time.

➢liss Toplis said it was so.
Policeman John Eve, 325, was called to prove that the
defendant demanded first 2s. Bd. and then 2s. 4d.