The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-13 00:00:00

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seven when Mrs. Ashley came for me. My clock was about
a quarter fast. I returned directly after I had given Mrs.
Hart the water, and seat for Mr. Champneys. It may hay
been about two minutes. My apprentice is about aeve n
years of age. I returned to Mrs. Hart's direct' gene
for the doctor. There are ardens before the
house. I went by the bac way. The gardens behind are
longer than those in'front ; about twice as long. It was the
longer way, but we generally go that way. When I got back
a second time to Mrs. Hart's, Dr. Champneys was in the act
of bleeding her. I fancied at the time I poured the water
down her throat that it made her foam.
By Mr. Baron PARKE—I saw no foam until I had tried to
pour the water down.
John Kendall—l am waiter at the Jerusalem Coffee-house,
Cornhill. Mr. Tawell, the prisoner, is a subscriber to our
house. It is a subscription coffee-house. On Wednesday,
the Ist of January, he came to our house about three o'clock,
and asked me what time we closed the house at night. I said
eight o'clock, and asked him why ?" He said he could not
get back till half-past nine, as he was going, to the West-end.
lie had a great coat and a parcel, which he wanted to leave.
He said he should call for them, and I made an arrangement
that he should have them at half-past nine. I saw him again
between half-past nine and a quarter to ten. He called for
the coat and parcel, and took them, but left his umbrella with
me. I did not see him next day.
Henry Gratten—l am one of the clerks at the Paddington
terminus of the Great Western Railway. On the Ist January
I gave a ticket for the four o'clock train down to Slough to
the pirisoner. lie returned again by the half-past eight
o'cloca train from Slough.
George Lewis—l am a post-boy at Salt-hill. I know the
prisoner these two years or thereabouts, coming down that
way. I saw him on the Ist of January, at seven o'clock in
the evening, at the Windmill. I was standing at the doer,
and he was running towards Slough from the direction of
Bath-place. There was light from the house lamp. I hare
no doubt about his heft, the man. I said, " How are you,
Sir?" He turned his heal, but made no answer. I saw his
faee clearly then.
Robert Roberts—l am an innkeeper at Eton. I went
from London to Slough on the Ist of January. I got there
at ten minutes past seven o'clock. There was an omnibus
which I went by. The prisoner came up and asked, was
the driver going to Eton. He replied, "I es." The prisoner
got in and sat next me. The driver asked, " Where shall I
put you down, Sir?" The prisoner replied, "Put me down
at Sir John lerschell's house." The driver said, "That is a
long way this side of Eton, Sir." The prisoner said, " Put
me down there."
Charles Wihnot, the guard, confirmed this evidence.
Ephraim Weymouth—l am a plasterer, and live in the
New-road, Marylebone, London. On the Ist of January I
was at Slough. Saw a railway omnibus. A person got down
at Herschel'- house. I was standing on the steps. I had
rang the bell. I rang a second and a third time. The man
stood for a while after getting out of the omnibus, and then
followed t he same way the omnibus went.
Henry John Howell—l am superintendent of the railway
at Slough. I remember on the evening of the Ist of January
the prisoner came to me and asked the way to the train. I
did not serve him with the ticket. It was forty minutes past
seven. I saw him go off by the train. A person coming
from Bath-place would be turning his face to the rsilway if
he got into an omnibus going to Eton. The distance of
Bath-place from the station is about three-quarters of a
mile.
(A drawing of a plan of the entire district was here put in
and shown to the witness, who explained the relative posi-
tions of the places.):
The Rev. Mr. Champneys—l saw the prisoner getting
into a first-class carriage. I made an observation to Mr.
Howell before the train departed, but the prisoner was not
molested. I then gave directions to the persons in charge of
the electric telegraph, and information was forwarded to
town by it.
Cross-examined by Mr. KELLY—Mr. Champneys, the
surgeon, is my cousin. I went down in a pony carriage to
the railway station, in consequence of what I had been told.
The prisoner entered the carriage immediately the whistle
was blown.
William Williams, examined by Mr. PRENDERGAST—I
was, on the Ist of January, sergeant of police at the rail-
way station, Paddington. In consequence of information I
received, I watched the up-train passengers, and saw the
prisoner get out of a first-class carriage and get into a
New-road omnibus. I got up behind, and acted as conductor.
Witness repeated his evidence given before the Coroner, and
how he arrested the prisoner at the Jerusalem Coffee-house.
William Wiggins—l am inspector of the metropolitan po-
lice. I went with the last witness, on the 2d of January, to
the Jerusalem Coffee-house. I saw the prisoner there. I
said, "Is your name Tawell ?" He said " Yes." I brought
him out, and said, " You came from Slough by the railway
last night." He said, " No; I did not leave town all day
yesterday." I then opened my coat to show my uniform,
and said, " I want you on account of a woman you were
with, who was found dead last night at Slough." He did
not appear disturbed. He replied, " No, I don't know any
one there." I said, " There's a woman found dead there,
and you are supposed to be the last person that saw her
alive." He said, "If it be, it must be a mistake in my iden-
tity; my station in society places me above any suspicion."
I took him down to Salt-lull, where the coroner was then
sitting.
Samuel Perkins—l am an inspector of the Eaton po-
lice. On the 2d of January I went to Mrs. Hart's house
and got two or three papers. Some others were taken
possession of by another officer. I took charge of the
prisoner on the first day of the inquest. 1 took him
to Eton to my own house. Mr. Williams, his counsel,
saw him on the following day about one o'clock. The in-
quest was resumed on Saturday. After the interview with
Mr. Williams, on Friday, the prisoner spoke to me, He said
"This poor, unfortunate woman once lived in ray service
about two years and a half, or nearly so; perhaps you know
that." I said I did not know it, but I had heard so. The
other constable then came in, and the prisoner went on to say
that she had left his service about five years ago. The other
constable told him that whatever he said would be reported
to the coroner to-morrow. He said he did not mind that.
He then said he had been in the habit of allowing her
money, and that she used to pester him, writing letters for
money; that she had been a very good servant. but a very
bad principled woman ; that she had written to him that if he
did not send her sonic she would do something—she would
make away with herself. He said lie came down to her house
and told her that lie would not allow her any more money.
She then asked him if he would give her a drop of porter.
He said he sent her for a bottle of stout, and he had a glass
and she had a glass; that she held her hand over a glass, and
said "I will, I will." She poured something into the glass
out of a small phial, not much bigf.er than a thimble; that
she drank a part, and the remainder was thrown into the fire.
She then began to throw herself about as if in convulsions,
and then lay down upon the hearth-rug. He then went out.
He did not believe she was in earnest, or he would havecalled
some person.
The Court adjourned at three o'clock for a few minutes for
refreshment; on resuming business,
Thomas Holinas was called and examined by Mr. Pnex-
DERGAST—I AM a constable at Farnham Royal. I took pos.
session of some things I got at Sarah Hart's house. There
was a folio amongst other things in which I found this paper.
I went out of the room in which the prisoner was for a short
time on the Friday, and on my return he was conversing
with Perkins. Mr. Williams, his counsel, had seen him on
the Friday. I forgot which day it was that he saw his wife.
When she was with him it was some time before she could
speak. At length she said—" My dear, what have you been
doing?" He said, "Nothing; but I hope you will forgive
me." She made some reply, but that was all I heard.
Cross- examined by Mr. KELLY—The lady stayed there
about an hour. When the prisoner was conversing with
Perkins, and when I came in, the first thing I heard him say
was about there being porter, and a bottle and two glasses. I
said nothing to the coroner out this.
Mr. Champneys, examined by Sergeant BYLES—I am a
surgeon at Salt-hill. I was sent for to attend Mrs. Hart
a few minutes before seven o'clock on the Ist of January. I
ran all the way. I saw Sarah Hart lying on the floor. I
felt her pulse at the wrist. I was not certain there was any
pulsation. I put my hand under her clothes to feel her
heart, and I perceived at that moment a slight convulsion of
the lower jaw. There was no pulsation of her heart. I
considered her dead then. Nevertheless, I opened a vein in
her arm. I did so not to leave the usual means untried.
About an ounce of blood flowed. I still think that she was
dead before I opened the vein. I saw the bottle, glasses, and
beer on the table. I put them in the recess by the fire-place.
About nine o'clock the same evening I returned and took
possession of them, and carried them all away home with
me, and locked them up. On the following day I inspected
the body, assisted by Mr. Norblad, Mr. Pickering, and
another .surgeon. By direction of the coroner I afterwards
made a post mortent examination. I dissected the body in
the presence of Mr. Norblad and Mr. Pickering. I smelt the
odour of prussic acid the moment I opened the body. I made
a remark. I examined the heart. It was perfectly healthy.
I examined the lungs. The lung itself was healthy, but the
coverings had the remains of old inflammation, old standing
adhesion. There was nothing to account for death in the
lungs. The abdominal viscera were healthy. I examined
the stomach. The internal surface had more mucus
than usual. I removed the stomach and its contents for
the purpose of analysis. I placed them in a bottle which
I took home and kept until I took it to London next
day (Friday, the 3d.) I went to London accompanied by
Mr. Norblad, and Mr. Pickering joieed us in London. We
went to Mr. Cooper, whose son also was present. Witness
here related the mode in which the tests had been made by
Mr. Cooper ; and added, prussic acid was found. During the
experiment we found no smell of prussic acid. lam of opi-
nion the deceased died from the effects of prussic acid. I
have no doubt about it. I saw Mr. Cooper after the ad-
journed inquest, between Saturday and Wednesday. I saw
him on Sunday. Mr. Cooper analysed the porter in the
bottle, in the glass, and the bun. No prussic acid was dii-
covered. They were not tested for any other poison. I went
to Mr. Cooper again on the Bth of February, when I said
I thought the deceased had been poisoned by prussic
acid. I had not heard that the prisoner had purchased any.
I know the strength of the prussic acid of the London Phar-
macopeia. Its strength is two per cent. to ninety-eight of
water. Scheele's prussic acid contains five per cent. to
ninety-five of water. I would begin with three drops of the
London Pharmacopeian acid as a dose. I might give four.
Of the undiluted prussic and pure hydrocyanic acid less
containw i tshi
xsaf grainset . w
of
pure
u re drachms
hydro-
cyanic of
otfhasne
ha
egeri
ea
,isn sCo 01
ul 1
ti
id y o nwl
acid. When persons die from prussic acid, there are
o übledta ke
cases on record where the smell is not discovered in the
stomach. I put some prussic acid in porter on the evening of
the Thursday. I put half a drachm in a tumbler, and the
tumbler was filled with Guinness's stout. The smell of the
acid was then scarcely perceptible. Ido not think a person,
esxfraonr:
iintehde—hlo house.
after taking enough ha cause death, would walk more than a
have been four years in practice.
never examined a person before who had died from prussic:
acid. My authority for the case I have cited, in which no
few
wCryoassrd-
odour was perceptible, is in Taylor. The body was examined
thirty hours after death. I apprehend that in that case the
contents of the stomach were tested by the smell. The odour
may have passed into the blood after thirty hours.
Mr. KELLY—Do you, Sir, really believe that enough
prussic acid to cause death may be swallowed, diluted in por-
ter or otherwise, without leaving any odour from the mouth ?
Witness—l should certainly always expect to find the odour,
but I cannot say that it would be impossible that it would
be absent.

Mr. KELLY—Did you not boil down the contents of the
stomach ?

Mr. Sergeant BYLES objected, as he was about to call Mr.
Cooper.

Alter some discussion, Mr. Baron PARxE decided that
Sergeant Byles should resume the direct examination.
Witness examined by Mr. Sergeant BYLEs—The contents
of the stomach were first exposed to evaporation. The re-
tort was placed in a sand bath, and the sulphate of iron was
applied to the distilled portion of what came off, and the
sulphate of potassum and muriatic acid were subsequently
added, and the result was Prussian blue. The production of
Prussian blue is considered an infallible test of the presence of
hydrocyanic acid. Mr. Cooper then placed the retort in a
water• bath to obtain a lower temperature. The distillation
was again tested. Mr. Cooper regulated the temperature by
a thermometer. It would be impossible, in my opinion, to
produce prussic acid from the decomposed contents of the
stomach. Thenitrate of silver was applied to the second dis-
tillation, and cyanide of silver was the result deposited on the
glass. All the tests for prussic acid produced it.
Cross-examination resumed by W. 'Wax—prude acid