The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-19 00:00:00

.§OUTHiVARK.

Henry Killerby, the young man charged with sending
threatening letters, some of them containing poison, was
brought before Mr. Cottingham for re-examivation on the
charge. Several of the indviduals to whom letters of the
above description had been sent attended the investigation,
as well as some of the parochial authorities of St. George's,
Southwark, in the event of its being necessary to institute a
prosecution against the person in custody.
It will probably be recollected that some months ago an
application was made at this court relative to anonymous
letters having been tran mitted to several of the inhabitants
of St. George's parish, some of them containing poison.
One of these epistles, which contained threats of the most
diabolical description, was addressed to Mr. Stead, the
parish clerk, in which the writer declares his intention to
set fire 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 Nme of the parties, the cir-
cumstance raised no little apprehension in the minds of the
inhabitants at large, and the result was an application for
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. CorrtNGsiAai 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 he
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 had been received by
any of the parties who bad 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 bad been
communicated to him. At all events lie would suggest that
a further postponement might be permitted until inquiries
were instituted.
Mr. CormGrum 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.
WORSHIP-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, Ho xton.
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, lie 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.

➢ir. BROUGHTON said that under these circumstances he
should order the bail already received for the prisoner's ap-
pearance, namely, himself in 2003 and two responsible house-
keepers in 1001. each, to be extended until Saturday next,
whQn the result of the chemical investigation would probably
be ascertained.