The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-18 00:00:00

TYEEIDAY EVENING. NOVEMBER le, 1845

parish clerk, in which the writer declares his intention to
set tire to St. George's Church, if the clerk did not repeat
some slanderous words respecting a lady living in the
parish, during divine service. At first very little notice was
taken of the annonymous letters, but when it was found that
poison had been enclosed to some of the parties, the cir-
cumstance raised no little apprehension in the minds of the
inhabitants at large, and the result was an application fur
the aid of the police in the discovery of the offender. Soon
afterwards the prisoner was taken into custody on suspi-
cion of being the guilty person, and specimens of his
handwriting having been produced, and compared with
the anonymous letters, a remarkable similarity was
perceptible in the style and character of the writing.
Two witnesses, one of them an inspector in the General
Post-office, and the other holding the situation of foreman
in the printing-office where the accused worked, were of
opinion that the letters were in the prisoner's hand-writing.
Mr. Heritage, the solicitor, attended on the present occa-
sion for the prisoner, and
Mr. Corrisonim having given him an outline of the
evidence as it at present stood, observed that the
circumstance of the similarity of the writing, combined
with other facts which have come out in the course of the
examination, certainly threw a degree of suspicion on the
prisoner, although, at the same time, he did not mean to say
that the testimony adduced was by any means conclusive
against him. It was scarcely possible to conceive what could
have been the motives by which the writer of such infamous
letters was instigated, for he could have had no ill feelings
against all the persons whom he had addressed, to many of
whom he had threatened murder, and to others enclosed
poison with a recommendation for them to try its efficacy,
and extolling its virtues. Whether the offender, whoever be
was, could have adopted such a course out of sport, or what
could be his real motive, there was no telling. At all events,
he (the Magistrate) thought there was sufficient.evidence to
go before a jury.
Mr. Heritage urged the want of motive of the prisoner in
writing such letters to the parties, against whom it was im-
possible he could have the slightest ill feeling, the majority
of whom were perfect strangers to him. The accused was a
young man of excellent character up to the present period,
and lived on the most affectionate terms with his family, who
were all respectable, and who would have discarded him alto-
gether, if they thought him capable of acting in such a base
manner as that ascribed to him.
In reply to Mr. Cottingham, Sergeant Kendall, of the A
division, said that since the prisoner's first examination no
letters of an anonymous description bad been received by
any of the parties who had been previously inundated with
them.
Mr. Heritage said, that if he had been instructed rightly,
there were strong grounds for suspecting other parties, but
at present he would not wish to disclose what had been
communicated to him. At all events he would suggest that
a further postponement might be permitted until inquiries
were instituted.
Mr. CorrINGHAm said that ample time had been given
already ; that the case was a most painful one, and had ex-
cited a very considerable sensation in the parish where the
circumstance had taken place; that it was of the last im-
portance on the prisoner's account that the matter should be
sifted to the bottom, and for that purpose he should commit
him for trial, but should accept of sureties for his appearance
to answer the charge. The Magistrate ,added, that the pri-
soner should be brought up again on Wednesday, to have
the depositions taken.
W ORSHIP-STREET. _ _

- -
THE CHARGE OF ADMINISTERING POISON.— Win. Beak,
described as a professional singer, was placed ,at the
bar for re-examination before Mr. Broughton, charged with
having administered a certain white powder, supposed to be
poison, to a little girl, named Jane Eastman, eleven years of
age, the daughter of an undertaker in Somerset-place, Hoxton.
The particulars of the first examination appeared on
Tuesday last, and it may be recollected that the prisoner
was remanded, in order that the contents of the child's sto-
mach might undergo a careful chemical analysis, to obtain
conclusive evidence as to whether any poisonous ingredient
had been actually administered to her.
Mr. Daniel Young, a surgeon in the East-road, who had
attended the complainant shortly after the supposed poison
had been forced into her mouth, was now examined, and
fully corroborated the evidence already given by his
assistant respecting the state of extreme agitation and suf-
fering under which the child was labouring, at the time she
was brought to his house, and stated thatshe exhibited every
symptom usually manifested by persons suffering from the
effects of an acrid poison, but that he was unable, from the
slight examination he had entered into, to give a positive
opinion in the case.
Sergeant Brannan stated that, in accordance with the
magistrate's directions, he had removed the contents of the
child's stomach for analysation, by Dr. Leeson, the chemical
lecturer at St. Thomas's Hospital, but in consequence of that
gentleman's absence from town the examination had been
undertaken by Mr. Key, who had promised to report the re-
sult to the Bench in the course of the week.
Mr. 11:totTonTox said that under these circumstances he
should order the bail already received for the prisoner's ap-
pearance, namely, himself in 2004 and two responsible house-
keepers in 1001. each, to be extended until Saturday next,
when the result of the chemical investigation would probably
be ascertained.

IMPORTANT TO RAILWAY
SURVEYORS.
CONVICTION OF SIX SURVEYORS FOR WILFUL DAMAGE.
—Yesterday, Mr. William Jones, of No. 28, Jermyn-street,
Regent-street ; Mr. Henry Fuller, of No. 15, Alfred-place,
Bedford-square ; Mr. Thomas Skettle, of No. 14, Francis-
street, Hackney ; Mr. James Keene, of High-street, Isling-
ton ; Mr. Charles Clair, of No. 11, Queen-street, Golden-
square ; and Mr. William Langley, of No. 56, St. John's-
street, Smithfield, all described on the police-sheet as sur-
veyors, appeared in discharge of their bail before Mr. G.
Baillie (chairman), and Messrs. B. J. Armstrong, J. Frere,
Roe, and —.Bidwell, the sitting magistrates at the Brent-
ford Petty Sessions, on a charge of having beeti found on
the grounds of Mr. John Wilmot, the well-known, fruit-
grower, in the parish of Isleworth, "supposed for an unlaw-
ful purpose." •
The case excited the greatest interest throughout the sur-
rounding district, and the large room of the Three Pigeons
Inn, at which the Petty Sessions are held, was crowded to
excess.
Policeman John Sweeney, T 135 deposed that about a
quarter-past two o'clock on the morning of Saturday last,
while on duty in Quaker's-lane, in the parish of Isleworth,
when near Mr. Wilmot's grounds, he heard a rustling in
that gentleman's garden, and on getting over the hedge to
see who was there, he saw some persons with bull's-eyed
lanterns in their hands. Witness then said nothing to them,
but went immediately and called up Mr. Norris, Mr. Wil-
mot's foreman. Sergeant Cuishan, T 15, was with witness
at the time. Mr. Norris accompanied witness and Sergeant
Cuishan to Mr. Wilmot, who on being informed that there
were trespassers in the grounds, gave directions that the
'police should take the offending parties into custody. Ser-
geant Cuishan, witness, and Mr. Norris, then returned up
into the gardens, and found all the defendants there. The
defendants were measuring the grounds with a tape mea-
sure. Sergeant Cuishan and witness on going-up to the de-
fendants told them they were our prisoners, and Mr. Norris
said he gave them in charge. Witness and Sergeant Cuishan
then took them in charge.
The defendant Skettle, who was spokesman of the party,
proceeded to question the witness, who further stated that
he saw the party leave the Coach and Horses public house,
kept by Mr. Blackwell, which adjoins Syon-park, about
eleven o'clock, and that one of them, as they passed him,
said, " We can show bull's-eyes as well as you." Defendants
did not say where they were going, and that they had to
work night and day, as they were behind; it was not in con-
sequence of defendants so telling witness that he knew where
to come upon them. Witness did say that he was very
glad that he had met them coming out of the Coach and
Horses, as, but for that, he should perhaps havebeen blamed.
When he first went into the garden he saw two lamps, but
saw no persons.
Sergeant Cuishan, T 15, deposed that he weneto Mr. Wil-
mot's grounds with the last witness, and found two of the
defendants in the gardens, and the others in the park. The
two in the gardens had lamps and a tape measure, with
which they were measuring. Witness went up to them and
asked what they were doing there, when they said they were
measuring, and were obliged to work day and night. On
coming out of the gardens witness and the others crossed an
open lane (Quaker's-lane), and on Mr. Norris opening the
gate of the park, they found four other defendants there.
The latter had been planting iron pegs. They were measur-
ing, and were ahead of the other two.
The police here produced a large bundle of iron wires and
pegs, and several bull's-eye lanterns.
Mr. Joseph Norris deposed that he was foreman to Mr.
Wilmot. He accompanied the police that morning, and
traced the defendants across upwards of twenty acres of
highly cultivated ground. Witness found that currant
bushes and gooseberry bushes were broken. Part of an in-
cline bank had been broken down, and a considerable por-
tion spoiled. The defendants had likewise passed through
and made a gap in a holly edge. They had not cut it, but
had made a gap so that witness could see where they had
got through. He then traced them to within forty yards
of where they were taken into custody, which was a piece
of cabbages. They were also injured. He also observed a
gap in the Quaker's-lane hedge, in a straight line with
where the defendants were found, and the arras top rail of
the fence of the park was broken off, and thirty-nine head of
cattle, which were in the park, might have got out and gone
into Mr. Chapman's garden, and have done infinite damage.
Witness had, at five o'clock on the previous afternoon, driven
the defendants, Jones and Skettle, off Mr. Wilmot's grounds,
telling them that Mr. Wilmot had had a peremptory order
from his Grace the Duke of Northumberland not to admit
surveyors upon his grounds under any circumstances.
The defendant Skettle, on the part of himself and friends,
then addressed the Bench, and said that with regard to their
being on the defendant's grounds measuring by night, the
30th of November was so near that they were obliged to work
both day and night to get the plans ready. The projected
undertaking on which they were engaged was a watercourse
or tunnel, between Colebrook and Hampstead, for a large
public company. He could not say what the company was
called, as they were engaged by an eminent surveyor in town.
They had only further to say that they bad not done more
damage than they could help, and they were not aware that
they were doing wrong.
Mr. Armstrong said that railway and other companies
must recollect that they had not yet got their Acts of Parlia-
ment to authorise them to go upon other persons' grounds
without permission.
Mr. Wilmot declared that he had to conte4.'with about
ten lots of such persons a day, and he was actively obliged to
keep a man absolutely for the sole purpose of warning them
off. His orders from the Duke of Northumberland were pe-
remptory on the subject, and he had therefore directed that
the defendants should be given into custody, in order to show
them that the private property of individuals was not to be
invaded in that way.
Mr. Skettle said that both himself and his colleagues were
very sorry that in the discharge of their duties they should
have given offence to any one, and trusted that having been
taken into custody, and prevented continuing their survey,
which would be a great loss to them, they had been suffi-
ciently punished. To show how anxious they had been not
to do damage, he would mention that they had used a tape
measure, which was a most inconvenient one to them inst ad
of the chain, which was likely to catch and break things.
The Bench then conferred together for a considerable time,
when,
The Chairman said the defendants were each convicted of
wiTul damage to the amount of ss. ; and, in addition they
must each pay a penalty of 10s. and ss. costs, or be com-
mitted for twenty-one days ; and if they were again found
under similar circumstances, without permission being first
obtained, the highest penalty of Si. each would be imposed.
The amount of damage, &c., 6/., was immediately paid.