The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-21 00:00:00

They rose about the usual time on Friday, breakfasted, poison. The proper remedies for prussic acid are
and went out before ten. I saw Mrs. Belaney, but did stimulants. Brandy, whiskey, dashing cold water in the
not speak to her. I had heard no complaints since Wed- face, ammonia or hartshorn applied to the nose, arti-
nesday ; on that night she said she was better. They ficial respiration—these remedies ought to be well known
returned between one and two on Friday, and remained to professional men. Putting the feet in warm water,
about half an hour ; they left again, and returned at and mustard poultices, would be of little use. They
half-past nine. I saw her sitting in the front parlour at would be loss of time, but would not be im-
the table, Mr. Belany was lying on the couch. She ap- proper. Bleeding may be occasionally necessary.
peared in good health. They retired to rest shortly Cross examined by Mr. ERLE—Theso remedies I have
after. Just before seven o'clock, on Saturday morning, learned not from experience, but from study. After
I heard them conversing together in their bed-room. I the death I consulted with Captain Clarke as to the
distinguished the voices of both. At a quarter to eight inquest. A post mortem examination was not proposed
I was called to the room by Mr. Belaney. He called at that time.
out, " Mistress, mistress, come up here, my wife Re examined by the SOLICITOR-GENERAL—Captain
is very ill." I went up, he was at the bed- Clarke was present at the post mortem examination. On
room door, which was open. My servant was smelling the contents of the stomach I made use of the
there. The foot of the bed is to the right hand as word " hydrocyanic." That is the chemical word for
you go in, and a chest of drawers stood to the left. I prussic acid. Captain Clarke was present. He saw the
Behind them are folding doors, opening to the sitting- contents of the stomach put into the bottle.
room. There is a wasliCand-stand in a recess to the right By Mr. Baron GURNEY—A drachm of medicinal
of the chimney, and a small table and chair near the head prussic acid would be sufficient to produce death—that
of the bed. I observed Mrs. Belany lying on the bed, is sixty drops. The dose is from one to two drops.
with the clothes all thrown against the NI all. She had Less than a drachm might produce death.
no cap on, and was in her sleeping dress. I said she is Mr. T. P. Curling examined by Mr. BoDIuN—I as-
bad indeed. She was quite motionless, and seemed not sisted the last witness in the post mortem examination
to breathe from the upper part of the chest. She was of Mrs. Belaney. The heart was healthy. Deceased was
insensible, her eyes shut, her teeth closed, and she was pregnant. The contents of the stomach smelt of prussic
foaming at the mouth a great deal. I raised her, and put acid. I handed them to Mr. Garratt, who said, in a
her head on my shoulder. Prisoner was close beside low tone of voice, " hydrocyanic." I question whether
me. I said, " I have seen my dear girls in fits before, Clarke heard it. The contents of the stomach were
but I never saw fits like this." I asked if she had placed in a tumbler, covered with a bladder, and carried
been subject to fits ? He said she had had fits to the hospital, and delivered to Dr. Leatherby. They were
before, but not like this ; she would not come out examined the following morning, and found to contaia
of it. I said, " What do you mean—do you prussic acid. No attempt was made to ascertain the
mean to say she will not come to ? Do Something— quantity, for while the analysis was going on I received
send for a doctor." He said, "lam a doctor myself. I a communication stating that Mr. Belaney had said she
should have let her blood before, but she had no pulse." had taken prussic acid. As small a quantity as twenty
He had a lancet in Isis hand. Before that I sent my drops of Scheelie's prussic acid has been fatal.
servant for hot water, and I said, "I do not care if you The remedies in cases of poisoning by prussic acid
are a doctor, send for another. Send for Captain Clarke are cold affusion and ammonia, and artificial respiration.
and Mrs. M Geachy." He said, " Send for them ;" and If you have not ammonia, spirits would be good. The
the girl went for them. He said, " She will not come to, poison takes effect immediately upon the brain, destroy-
it is an affection of the heart. Her mother died of it ing sensation. The breathing would be affected subse-
nine months ago." I put my hand upon her heart, but quently. I should say that putting the hands
could not feel it beat. I put my hand upon her stomach, and feet in warm water would do no good ;
it appeared swollen. she was making convulsive mo- neither would a mustard poultice. I never
tions, as if she was trying to get rid of pleghm, opening met with a case of poisoning by prussic acid. I saw the
and shutting her mouth with a convulsive motion. prisoner in the adjoining room after the post mortem
Captain Clarke and Mrs. M'Geachy live seven- examination. He asked what I considered the cause of
teen doors off. Mrs. M'Geachy came shortly after. death. I said we had not concluded our inquiries, when
I was still holding deceased. Prisoner said she we had done so we should be happy to inform him.
was pregnant. Tho girl and Mr. Belaney put Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—Mustard poultice
her feet in hot water. I ordered some vinegar and water. is a stimulant, but nothing but the most energetic sti-
Mr. Belaney took the pail of water from her feet, put it mulants will produce effect. I have often prescribed
on the bed, and put both her hands in it. He also put pussic acid for indigestion Prussic acid produces its
some of the vinegar on her head. I asked why Captain poisonous effects very rapidly. I mean by artificial re-
Clarke did not come ; at last he came, and he got a spiration the same as that which is used on recovering
clothes brush, and began to rub her legs. I ordered a drowned persons. I never made any analysis of the
mustard poultice to be prepared, which was applied to her contents of the stomach, and therefore cannot say who-
chest by direction of Captain Clarke. In about twenty ther there were salts or not.
minutes after I entered the room she died. She gasped By Mr. Baron GURNEY—As long as she lived and
twice after Captain Clarke came in. Prisoner was in breathed I should never have despaired of recovering her.
the room the whole time. When Mrs. M'Geachy came Dr. Letherby, examined by Mr. CHAMBERS—I am as-
in I begged her to fetch the doctor, and she fetched Mr. sistant chemical lecturer at the London Hospital. I have
Garratt, who did not arrive until after death had taken made frequent experiments on the effects of prussic acid.
place. I asked prisoner what she had taken; he said The effect ofan overdose is to produce apeculiar giddiness—
only a little Salts. I saw a tooth glass and a small lam speakingofloweranimals—adispositionitorunround.
tumbler on the table close to the head of the bed ; it The respiration is irregular. There is a scream probably
appeared to be one-third full of liquid, clear, but before the animal drops. There are two or three expi-
whiter than water. On the other side of the ratory efforts producing the scream in convulsions. The
bed was a paper of salts and a spoon. There animal foams at the mouth, and, after a longer or shorter
was nothing in the drawers ; no bottle or turn- time, dies. I have never seen the effect in a human being.
bier. There was no broken glass about the After the scream volition and sensibility cease. A person
room. I perceived no particular kind of smell in who had taken it, would not, after the scream, be able to
the room. Mr. Belaneygave Mrs. M'Geachy a phial full walk or talk. The most usual remedy is to dash cold
of lavender water after Mrs. Belaney's death. Mrs. water over the person. This is taught constantly in
M'Geachy sprinkled the room. I was in the front par- medical schools. I would also administer ammonia,
. . .

lour soon afier she died. I noticed a letter on the table
ready for the post, and another one partly written.
There was no phial in the room. The phial in which
the black draught was contained was brought down on
Thursday. The bed-room is rather a small room. A
person in one of the rooms can hear what is said in the
other.
Cross-eXamined by Mr. ERLE—I bad desired Mr.
Hobson, the bookseller, to procure lodgers for me. He
introduced Mr. and Mrs. Belaney as his friends. He
lives seven minutes walk from me. I first saw them on
Tuesday passing by the door. I saw them in the room.
I heard Mrs. Belaney sick many times in the course of
Wednesday. I cannot say if Mr. Belaney on that even-
ing carried her from the bed to the sofa when
the bed was made ; but I think he must have done so.
Mr. Belaney called to have the bed made. He appeared
very attentive to her. I saw very little of them until I
was called in on Saturday morning. When I saw the
state she was in I was greatly alarmed, and was under
alarm the whole time. When my attention was first
called to this, I remember that I urged Mr. Belaney
to send for a doctor. I was called upon to give an ac-
count of it on the Monday following before the Coroner,
with Mrs. M'Geachy and Captain Clarke. We were
also examined before the- Magistrate. I observed two
tumblers on the Saturday morning, one empty, the other
containing fluid. I sent them down stairs, and do not
know what became of the liquid. The teaspoon was on
the table, and not in either tumbler.
Sarah Williams, examined by Mr. CIIAMBERS—I was
servant to last witness, and waited on Mr. and Mrs. Be-
laney. On the Thursday befure she died, when Captain
Clarke and Mrs. M'Geachy supped there, I waited. Mrs.
Belaney ate some salmon. She played on the piano, and
appeared in good health and spirits. I waited on them
on Friday. They had no supper on Friday, and went to
bed about ten o'clock. On Saturday morning, about
five minutes to seven, Mr. Belaney rang, and ordered a
jug of hot water, a tumbler, and spoon. He was in the
parlour and dressed. He was in the parlour when I
came to dust it. He told me to go out, for he wanted to
write. I saw him get the materials for writing. I left
the room. At about twenty minutes to eight I heard
him call "Mistress, mistress, my wife is very ill." I and
my mistress went up directly, and went into the bed-
room. Mr. Belaney was there. Mrs. Belaney was on,
the bed, her cap off, the bed clothes off, her hair hang-
ing all about, her eyes and mouth were closed, and she
was foaming at the mouth. I and my mistress raised
her up, and had some hot water for her feet. Mr. Be-
laney said he would use the lancet, but he was afraid
her pulse was gone. This was before the hot water was
fetched. The pail was afterwards put on the bed, and
he put her hands in the pail. He also applied
some vinegar to her face. I was then sent
for Captain Clarke and Mrs. M'Geachy, who came.
There was a tumbler on the table in the room. It was
about half full of liquid, rather white and rather thick.
The water-bottle was on the wash stand. It could not

be reached from the bed. I did not take down the small
tumbler. After Mrs. Belaney was dead, she was laid
out, and directly afterwards, I dusted the floor of the
room. I did not see any pieces of glass. I also dusted
the parlour, and under the piano I found the stopper of
a bottle. It was broken. The top of the stopper was
what I found. It was too large for a vial. I put it on
on the piano, and have not seen it since. I placed it
there between twelve and one on Saturday, and it was
gone on Sunday. I saw, on Saturday, some glass on the
step door. It seemed like glass from a vial. There was
no broken window in the room. I smelt no peculiar
smell when I first went into the bed-room on Saturday.
I set the window a little open when I went in in the morn-
ing. I took the bottle in which the black draught had
been brought down stairs. Mr. Belaney told me to take
it in the kitchen. Mr. Belaney went out between twelve
and one on Saturday. It was after he went that I found
the stopper. He never slept in the house after. He
returned once or twice on Sunday.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—I have always
been quite sure that I found the stopper on Saturday.
Mrs. Belaney's corpse remained in the house until the
Wednesday. There was no bed for Mr. Belaney
to sleep in. He appeared very kind to her.
When she was ill on the Wednesday he took
her tea frequently. She vomited, and he ap-
peared attentive to her. He consulted her as to what she
would like to have. I went into her room two or three
times on Wednesday while Mr. Belaney was out, and
she declined to take anything until he returned. Mr.
Belaney called out to me to be quick in making her bed.
Captain Clarke supped with them on Thursday. Clarke
and Belaney went out together on Thursday after sup-
per, and Mrs. M'Geachen, his daughter, was left with
Mr. Belaney. Clarke and Belaney returned at twelve.
On Saturday I should not have gone up if Mr. Belaney
had not called. He was much alarmed ; he was crying
very much, and had his hands before his eyes. Mr.
Belaney asked if I had fetched Captain Clarke, and I said
no ; I did not know I was to fetch him.
Mr. Mark C. Garratt examined by the SOLICITOR-
GENERAL—I am a surgeon. On the morning of Saturday,
the Bth of June, I was in called to attend Mrs. Belaney.
at half-past eight o'clock. Mrs. Belaney was dead when
I arrived. Shortly after my arrival I examined de-
ceased, and said her death was very sudden, and I could
only account for it by supposing that she had died of
disease of the heart. Prisoner said he thought so ; her
mother had died of it some time before. I asked
him if she had taken anything ? He said
only some salts. I said to him and Captain Clarke
that some inquiry would be necessary. He said if I
thought it requisite he desired I would take the proper
steps. The inquest was held on Monday, and adjourned
for a post mortem examination. I made the exa-
mination at four o'clock on Monday, with Mr.
Curling. We found the whole of the organs generally
healthy. In the stomach we found about a pint of fluid
strongly impregnated with the odour of prussic acid.
It was placed in a bottle and sent to the London Hos-
pital for examination. Prisoner and Captain Clarke
called on me at nine o'clock that evening. Captain
Clarke asked if we had ascertained the cause of
Mrs. Belaney's death. I said we had not finished our
consultation. Prisoner came again at ten, with Captain
Clarke and Mr. Hobson. He said that on Saturday
morning he was about to take some prussic acid,
which he was in the habit of taking for an
affection of the stomach. He had some difficulty
in removing the stopper, and had used the handle of a
tooth-brush for the purpose, which had broken the
bottle ; that some of the acid was spilled, and the rest he
had placed in a tumbler. He said I went into the next room
to obtain another bottle, but instead of doing so I began to
to write. I heard a scream, went into the bed-room,
found my wife, who said, " Oh, dear, I have taken some
of the hot drink, get me some cold water," and she be-
came convulsed. That was the substance of his
statement. I asked what he had done

spirits, and stimulants. Hot water to the hands and
feet would not be of any service, nor would a mustard
poultice. It would be too long in producing its effect.
So far as I have heard the account of this lady's death,
I am disposed to think that if those remedies had been
applied she might have recovered. If she lived for 20
minutes there would be better hopes of her recovery, and
I should continue the remedies longer. I ana-
lysed the contents of the stomach on the Tues-
day. I discovered on the first analysis the presence
of prussic acid. On the second analysis, on the Thursday
following, I discovered Epsom salts. A different ana•
lysis is necessary to do this. The prussic acid which
had produced death had been taken into the system,
and that which was found in the stomach was over and
above that which was sufficient to cause death. I can
form no opinion as to the quantity. I only analysed it
for the purpose of ascertaining the presence of prussic
acid. The symptoms I have heard described are those
of poisoning by prussic acid. Mr. Donaghue afterwards
furnished me with some prussic acid. It contained rather
more than 2 per cent. of pure acid. If it is spilt in a room
there would be an odour. Half a tea-spoonful produced
an odour which remained in a large room nearly an
hour. If it is poured in a glass, there is a slight odour.
If half an ounce were poured in a glass and left in a
room, it would produce an odour. I have expe-
rimented with the prussic acid for Mr. Donaghue.
I gave a cat 10 or 20 drops of Scheeile's strength,
and restored the cat by cold allusion and ammonia.
I gave a horse a table-spoonful of acid twelve times the
strength, and restored the horse. He was on the ground
in convulsions, and apparently dead, and all the symp-
toms had occurred before I applied the remedies. He
was restored in twenty minutes. I dashed cold water
ever his head, and put ammonia to his nostrils. Ammonia
is common smelling salt. The mode of producing arti-
ficial respiration should be well known to all medical men.
Cross-examined by Mr. ERLE—I isolated the prussic
acid from the contents of the stomach. There was a
drachtn and a half of water mixed with prussic acid, but
there are no data to determine the quantity. There was a
strong odour of the acid. Prussic acid is one of the poisons
easiest of detection after draught. Acetate of morphine
is poison. There is no smell from it after death. Prussic
acid is detected by the smell. The scream is the indi
cation of volition and sensation having gone. The
swallowing of prussic acid is not attended with a shock.
There is a taste with it. I have tasted it. I
have had it spilt on me, and applied to my
nostrils, so that it has produced giddiness.
This effect is produced in about thirty seconds ; then
faintness comes on. It would depend upon the quantity
taken whether a person would have time to call out and
say anythirg. If prussic acid were taken immediately
after some other fluid, that would have the effect of
diluting it and making its action slower. I am not ac-
quainted with the effect of prussic acid on the human
subject.
Re-examined by the SOLICITOR-GENERAL—There is

no acid taste in Sclecile's prussic acid. There is a bitter
taste. There is no hot taste.
At the conclusion of the examination of this witness,
the Court adjourned for a few minutes for refreshments.
On the re-assembling of the Court,
Dr. Anthony Todd Thompson was called, and exa-
mined by the SOLICITOR-GENERAL—I am Professor of
Medical Jurisprudence at the London University. My
attention has been called to the effects of hydrocyanic
acid upon the system. Hydrocyanic acid would
produce such symptoms as those under
which Mrs. Belaney is described as labouring.
but they would also be produced by any other sedative.
The smell of prussic acid is very peculiar. If any be
spilled in a room the odour remains a considerable time,
unless there is much movement in the air of the room.
If it were in a tumbler the odour would be strong—if it
were lifted to the top the odour would be perceived.
The effects of taking it are those which have been
so clearly explained by the last witness—giddiness,
faintness, convulsions resembling those of tetanus, or
lock-jaw, and screaming. When the symptoms have
advanced to a scream, the powers of volition are gone.
After the scream it would be impossibe for a party to
talk so as to describe what happened. The remedies are
well known in the medical world; they are stimulants of all
kinds, ammonia, effusion of cold water, and artificial re-
spiration, and chlorine applied in the form of vapour.
I have tried experiments on the effects of those reme-
dies on animals. I have tried ammonia, cold effusion,
and artificial respiration. I have known no cases
in which artificial respiration alone has ;succeeded.
Warm water to the feet and bands are of no use. Mustard
poultice would be too slow in its effects. If a person
lived twenty minutes after taking prussic acid, the pro-
bability would be in favour of recovery, if remedies
were applied. Bleeding has been used in cases of strong
plethoric people, but with no good effect.
Cross-examined by Mr. ERLE—I have seen cases in
the human subject, in which large doses have been
taken so as to produce fainting. It might have been
a quarter of an hour after fainting had occurred that
I was called in. The person recovered in consequence
of the remedies. I hare taken it myself in sufficient
quantities to produce uneasiness. A person would
scream from any extraordinary or strong sensation. A
person might immediately on taking the acid feel an un-
comfortable sensation in the mouth and might scream.
The evaporation of the acid is very quick when it is
spilled, but the smell remains for a considerable time.
By Mr. Baron GURNEY—Ammonia is a powerful re-
medy. Chlorine is more powerful, but is not so easy to
be obtained. The first thing I should call for would be
a smelling-bottle, hartshorn and brandy, and I should
also use the cold affusion.
(The trial was proceeding when we went to press.)

with the bottle ; he said he had got rid of
it in some vacant place. I asked him why he had not
mentioned it before. He said he was so confused,

Mr. PRENDERGAST—Why, what is the meaning of
these tricks being played with the Court ?
Mr. PAYNE—What do you mean, Sir, by that ?
Mr. PRENDERGAST—Why, you said at first you would
not go on, and then you say you will not consent to an
acquittal. This I call playing tricks with the Court.
The COMMON SERGEANT here directed the witnesses
to be called, but, as they did not answer, the prisoner was
discharged, and the Learned Counsel quietly sat down.

THE BOMBARDMENT OF
TANGIERS.
The following letter has been received at Lloyd's this
morning :

" Gibraltar, August 8.
" In my last dispatches of Ist inst. you'll have per-
ceived that I did not anticipate in the pacific opinions
expressed continually in the papers, though I believe
they were from a high source. The result has proved
that I was not mistaken, as the French Admiral, Prince
de Joinville, bombarded Tangiers on the 6th inst., from
eight o'clock in the morning till five P.M., at which hour
the Moorish flag was still flying over the walls and has
continued so ever since. The latter defended their
batteries with great bravery and little skill—few
killed and wounded on either side. The fire
on the part of the French appears to have been
chiefly directed to the fortifications, as the town has not
suffered much. Our negotiator, Mr. Hay, returned to
Tangiers at mid-day on the 6th inst., in the Vesuvius,
from his mi=sion to the Emperor atFez, and had the
mortification to find that his mediation had been abor-
tive by the premature commencement of hostilities four
hours previously. Tetuan has been spared, and likely
to continue so, owing to the locality and distance from
the sea. The French squadron, it is said intend to
leave Tangier Bay, and from a source which
I consider worthy of credit, I believe the
Admiral intends to batter down all the defenceless sea-
port towns on the west coast of Morocco, as far south as
Mogadore, inclusive, by which measure private property
alone will suffer. Some of the British subjects here
trading to that part of the coast have applied to Admiral
Owen for the protection of their interest in that quarter,
and which his Excellency would endeavour to comply
with, as far as possible, though the means at his com-
mand are extremely limited, being only one or two dis-
hpatch steamers, and no small sailing vessels of war
suitable for that service. I believe Commodore Lockyer,
of her Majesty's ship Albion, at Tangiers, will be in-
structed to send the Hecla (steamer) to pick up the
British Consuls and subjects along the west coast of
Morocco. (Signed) J. L. CO WELL.
P.S. Aua. 11.—I am enabled to add a few lines to
say, that from the best information received up to the
hour I write it appears that most, if not all, the French
Adv ems
itr
acl oaal sl
ut d oe
df
tBo airnb
tahr
ey ,p
rceacrerdyi inngg.
Morocco by the French will give a
severe
equvtrut
eatirihdeeer oboonlerocdwuaeprrteasot oiouonfnrtititof
the
ese
British commerce, already completely ex-
cluded from Algiers and Oran in consequence of the
heavy duties imposed by the French Government on ar-
ticles of our own manufacture. I have also to bring to
ycaovuarl noticery,
and t h
ae r at sl si
ee
rmy inogof a
about Spanish
t a
40,000
menr m y
ni no fuarn ry,
im-
mediatetack
on n
thee ig
ibooourrsh
iono dc,o an lie
concert
tC( es uo t
report
e,
pdestined
)f owr
itahn
taht e-
French forces. I believe this is to be increased to 20 or
25,000 men. J. L. COWELL.

alarmed, and ashamed, thathe—did not know what to
do, and he was sorry he had not communi-
cate it earlier. Prussic acid was the cause of
death in this case. If prussic acid has been
spilled in the room there would be an odour of bitter
almonds in the room. I did not observe any peculiar
smell of the kind in the room. I do not think the win-
dows were much opened. The smell of the acid would
become weakened by the window being opened and a
person might not perceive it. I ani acquainted
with prussic avid medicinally, but not as a

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 21,