The Sun.
London, England, 1818-12-21 00:00:00

i'sl)i-SfEIII6US ,N 1

Our readers will recollect that an extrherrili-
nary charge was 'recently thade at Ilotv-street
-against a young Mtn of respectable connexions,
named Henry Cooke; by William Key,.who ac-
cused him of having employed and furnished him
with pistols to murder Mr. Shears, proprietor of
copper mills at Merton, and haVing a counting-
house in Fleet,market, together with his whole
family. Cooke was -Mr. Shears's clefk. The
-Magistrate considered the charge unfounded, and
liberated Cooke, who- subse.pently prosecuted
- Key, who-is now under sentence of kranspoita-
tion. On Wednesday morning CoOke, who was
about eighteen years of age, died, after an illness
of a few hours, tinder-Circumstances of suspicion
that'he had'been:Poisoned. The body Was open-
ed on Thursday last, when it was ascertained
that lie died by poison. Thursday night an in-
vestigation was taken on the hotly at the.. George,
in George-street, Christchurch, 131aekfriarss-rOad,
before C. J EMMETT, Esq. Coroner fur Surrey,
when evidence 'to the following effect was
given :
Mr—John iVetman, of Christcbureli,, said de-
ceased hail been several years his lodger. Tues-
day evening last he came home at hal!-pas!
fri~nt tale cOlin:ing house, .cionplaining of sickness
'a( the stomach ; he vomited very -much'; the
sickness continued•-Vidtent, -and he went to Dr,
rurlai'd, a neighhour„for medicine. The INct'Or
brio~ ont, he went a second time, then returned
with two pills and a draught ; he went to bed.
about ten. At eleven-witness found more
composed ; ire saw no mote of him until fiv.e,
next morning, tvhen being awoke by a noise like
the falling of Some person, -lie ran into Cooke's -
rooni, and found him prhstra.e on the floor, but
-.not senseless ; he- assisted him into bed, and then
called the servant to light a fire and niake tea,
-the deceased having complained of extreme thirst.
driok nig' tea -he s aid to wit ness, " those
fellows put something in the beer." About seveu
o'clock, a man who was going. to ill r. Shear's
mills at Merton, called to know if Mr. Cooke,
whose father was foreman there, had any mrssage-
to send ; deceased desired his father might be in.
formed he was very ill, but hoped to go to Merton
on Monday. Ten minutes'afterwards witness went
into .his room, and found him with his head out
of bed .over a basin, as if he bad been vomiting,
and lying upon his side ; he gasped once and ex-
pired. :At the time he mentioned " those- fel-
lows," be-named no particular person,

Mrs. Woman saw deceased when he first com-
plained of sickness. _She inquired whether he had
ate of drank any thing to disagree with him: He
said he had had salt beef for dinner, and about half
it pint of table beer at the counting-40(15t% He
afterwards said that he fettled those fellows had
played tricks with the beer, for he recollected it
was remarkably sweet beer. He-said he thought
he saw something white clinging to the bottoth
of the. mug, which might be occasioned by the
beer having been warmed. Next morning., when
she' Went into his room, she felt his band ; it teas
very cold, anti he appeared very weak. lie said
faintly, " 'those fellows." Abont ten Minutes
belOre lie died, he desimed Dr. Pollard to be sent
for, but he died before the Doctor arrived. He
never mentioned the names of the persons who
gave him the beer.
Mr. Woman further stoic'', that after Cooke's
death Ise waited upon Mr. Shears, at the counting-
hfinse, to inform him of time circumstance, and to
acquaint with the allusions of deceased to
the beer he had Alrank; and to request the mug
might be searched for. One of Mr. Shears's sous
made itnmedime inquiry for the mug among the
servants, who could not find it : he then. called
in the clerks," and desired they would endeavour
to find it, which they did immediately under the
desk of the ,deeeased. There apeared in it a
quantity of/white powder.mixed with dirt.. Mr.
Shears sealed it up and delivered it to witness, by
whonrit was transferred to, Dr. Pollard.

Dr. Pollard, of Christchurch, stated- that tie-
ceased applied to him un Tuesday evening, com-
plaining of, vomiting and pains in the stomach
and heal. He said that he' had only drank a lit-
tle table beer. The excessive vomiting continuing,
witness again asked what he bad taken ; and he
then said, that ‘vhen lie dralik the beer he observ•
ed white. poivdei at the bottom of the mug, and
thought some of his companions-had been playing
tricks. Some medicine wAs then given to him,
with proper directions ; he was desired by witness
to send him what might he thrown front the sto-
mach. He saw no more of him until next morn-
ing, when he was called in great has e, and found
Cooke dead. • Mr. Wetman delivered a tin 'ling
to witness, which contained a quantity of wb,te
powder, and which being analyzed, proved to he
oxyde of arseltic. He subsequently opened the
body, and found in• the stomach a quantity of a
similar powder, which he also found to be oxyde
of arsenic ; it had produced a great inflammation
Bird ulceration in the stomach, and occasioned
cleat h.

Dr. Callaway waa present at the opening of the
body, and corroborated Dr. Pollard'i
He assisted in analyzing the substances in the
mug, and the stomach, and ascertained they were
oxyde of arsenic. Their experiments were coll.°.
borateci by ambers made at Guy's Hospital upon
part of the substances sir found, and the result
proved was time same, Witness observed various
portions of the substances adhering to the inner
membrane when the b►►dy was opened ; the sto-
mach and one of the intestines were considerably.
ulcitrated, and death was thus occasioned.

Mr. Shears, jun. stated, he had been indefati-
gable in hi.; exertions to discover by• wbum the
liter had been drawn which Cooke had drank,
witln;ut success. lie bad about fatty persons on
the premises,, but could obtaiit no evidence upon
the subject. _ _ _

Morgan Deasey was warehouseman and clerk
to Mr. Shears. 09 Tueday, at one o'clock, he
dined with deceased at an eating-19)114e in the
(,hl Bailey. Witness returned to business, and ulq-
ceastql went another way,. saying be had a place to
call at before lie rein; tied. Witness had been ac-
customed to drink. a pint of table beer with the
deceased killer dinner ; be waited'for him. a con-
siderable time, arid then desired a boy to thaw
.him some beer, which he immediately did, in
"Rewtei put,. atal witness di ilt it. Cuuke eau= ii

. •—• •
111triesi -..,diortl).;'•;frericar&
went into the cooliting- , with the intentio4
of having sonic beer wii : he saw the tiny;
pot
,which had been Olodked by Dr.
standing on the 'corner of stove, full of beer,
to warn], lie inimeoiately called away npont
hosines.9 ; was positive-that the mug "Wils'nbt un
the stove previous to the'entraticeof‘tieceaseil. It;
uho the same ding usually dranit out of,, and
was generally placed under
.Cooke'S desk. 'lhey
witness knew not by whom the beer teas drawn,l
nor by whom.placed on the stove; if he had not
been called away, he should have drank.patt of it
bknselt.

Frederick Wilson; another clerk to Mr. Bbeaii,
remembered deceased coroplaining-artivc o'clOCk
of being .excestively sick, he said he had been sr)
ever since 'four o'clock ; he put his hand on his
stomach, and sairtilie telt 4 burning beat there.
The Coroner obsered, .the best evideitee
that could be procured had been brought forwArd
very fully. No doubt the deceased had died in
consequence of taking the'mojile4if arsenic in the
beer ; how' it came there, (4. by wlini.riveu, re-
mained unknown. All possible pains had :area
taken to bring forward evet y person likvly to have
any knowledge of the circumitances: remained
for the Jory to deliver'a veldiet accordwg to the
best of their judipents.
The Jury remained in consultation about four
hours, and at one o'clock on Fridiiy.mOrning re-
turned this vertfiC!--"Died by poison, adminis.-
tered by some persOrt or perswis at present' un-
known."