The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-28 00:00:00

THE CASE OF POISONING AT
ASHFORD.

The interest in this extraordinary and mysterious
affair appears unabated, and during the whole of yes-
terday a great number of persons from the adjacent
villages, and for several miles round, came to Ashford
for the purpose of making inquiries into the sad affair.
No public allusion has yet been made, for obvious
reasons, to one of the reports that was very generally
circulated as to the cause of the deaths of the de-
ceased persons, viz., that they were occasioned by
starvation, and that the union had refused to grant
the necessary relief to the deceased and their family ;
but it is satisfactory to state, from the most careful
inquiry, that there is not the slightest foundation for
such a rumour; and it appears that, en the Friday be-
fore the melancholy occurrence, five quartern loaves
were given to them, together with other necessaries.
The village of Ashford forms a portion "of the
Staines Poor-law Union, and although its labouring
population has, in common with that of most other
agricultural parishes, suffered a good deal from want
of employment, yet it has been very favourably
situated by reason of having a most humane and cha-
ritable minister, and several resident gentlemen who
have been most ready to relieve any case of real dis-
tress in their neighbourhood. One gentleman in
particular, Mr. Higlet, has recently behaved in a
most munificent manner, having at his own expense
given a new suit of clothes to every poor boy in the
parish ; and upon a suit being shown to him as a pat-
tern which was made at the workhouse, he is repre-
sented to have said that the poor boys should:have no
workhouse clothes or any of the same pattern, and he
very liberally ordered them a good useful wit, equal,
in fact, in quality to those worn by the children of the
tradesmen and farmers of the parish. In addition to
this act of liberality, it appears that finding the pro-
ceeds of some land appropriated to charitable pur-
poses in Ashford was sufficient to provide a little more
than two sacks of coals for each poor family, he gave
directions that it should be made up three sacks to
each, and paid the difference out of his own pocket.
Although the deceased man and his wife bore a very
indifferent character, they were constant recipients of
Mr. Higlet's bounty, and on the day before they were
found dead, the woman applied to him and received'_
half-a-crown, so that it is not possible they could
have suffered from want of necessaries ; and indeed
the children state that they were not, but on the con-
trary, they had as much foOd as they.wanted.
Although the most diligent inquiry has been insti-.
tuted, up to the present time no discovery has been
made of the purchase of any poisonous ingredient by-
either of the deceased persons. So tar as the woman
is concerned, it does not appear probable that she at
all contemplated self-destruction, as on the day before
her death she had carefully cleared up the sitting-
room, and decorated it with holly, intending, as she
told a neighbour, to enjoy herself at Christmas.
The children of the deceased are still in the union
workhouse, but they are both now quite recovered.

Sir William Follett, and Lady Follett and family
have, according to the last letters, arrived at Rome from
their tour in Sardinia and Tuscany. The Learited,Gen-
tleman is, we are happy to learn, in improved health.
Viscount Clifden is also among the recent arrivals in that
city.
The Countess of Flahault (Baroness Keith and
Nairne), lady of the French Ambassador at the Court
of Austria, and the Hon. Misses Elphinstone; are • pro-
longing their sojourn at Hastings, and are not expected
to return to Vienna until after the accouchement of her
Ladyship's daughter, the Countess a Shelburne.
Viscount Barrington, Lord Camoys, Sir Robert
Throgmorton, Mr. W. C. Blackstone, ALP. • Mr. Walter
Long, M.P.; Mr. C. Russell, AI.P.; and Mr. J. IL
Sotheren,ALP., have accepted the stewardship of a ball,
which is to take place at the Swindon station-rooms of
the great Western Railway, and which ig•i.qterided to be
given on the 15th of the ensuing month.
The Earl of Eldon has made a donation of 01. to
the funds of the Durham Infirmary.
The Marquis of Exeter has forwarded 251. to the
Mayor of Stamford, to be added to the fund for the
relief of the poor of that town during the present incle-
ment season.
The Earl of Glengall, who has been indisposed at
Dublin, is now convalescent. The Noble Earl, and . the
Countess are not expected to return to Grosvenor-street
until the meeting of Parliament.
The Earl and Countess of Gainsborough have re-
cently sent 201. to the Oakham and Barleythorpe clothing
club, and last week 20l to the poor of those places,
ae
well as 204 to the Uppingbam poor.