The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-10 00:00:00

THE LATE EXTRAORDINARY

AFFAIR AT NOTTINGHAM.

NOTTEIGIIAM, FEB. B.—The investigation into this extra-
ordinary affair—some particulars of which appeared in The
Sun of last week—was resumed on Thursday, when Mr. M.
Browne, the borough coroner, and jury, assembled at the
Milton's Head tavern, Derby-road. The inquiry:was strictly
private, reporters and public being refused admittance to
the inquest-room. Through the courtesy of the coroner,
however, we are enabled to give some extracts from the depo-
sitions.
The first witness examined was Mrs. Ann Campbell, of
Derby-road. She said the deceased, Hannah Wilmot, was
fifteen years old on the 19th of last October. Up to a recent
period she enjoyed good health. On the Bth of last August
she went to live with Mrs. Farmer, who is a milliner
and dressmaker on the Long-row. She boarded and
lodged in the house, About two months ago (witness con-
tinued) I perceived that her health had undergone a
serious change. She became gradually worse, until about
three weeks ago, when she came to my house, and has
remained there ever since. She was confined to her bed for
the last fortnight, and died on Sunday night, about half-past
nine o'clock. During the time she was at my house I had
several conversations with her as to the nature of her com-
plaint. She told me her illness had been occasioned by
some powders which Mr. Farmer had given her from eight
to ten weeks previously. She said that she took three of
those powders, in succession, at night, and had never been
well since. Mr. Farmer got her a packet of them, but she
only took three. I desired her to bring me one of the
powders she had been taking; and called to see her, at
Mr. Farmer's, about ten days afterwards, when I found she
had got a bad cold. She came to see me en the Sunday
following, and I then asked her if she had brought the
powder. She told me that when she returned from my house
on the former occasion she found her box had been broken
open, and everything taken out. I did not see her again for
a fortnight ; her cold was better, but she had still a cough,
her lips were very much swollen, and her mouth looked
blistered. I did not see her again till the:following Friday
week, when her mother brought her to my house. She
went home with her mother that night, and returned the
next day to my house, where she remained till her death.
A few days afterwards she appeared to be very ill, and I
asked her how long she had felt so. She told me that she had
not been well since she took the powders ; and on my asking
her why she was prevailed on to take them, she said she was
ashamed to tell me the reason. She, however, went on to in-
form me, that Mr. Farmer had given her the powders be-
cause he supposed she was in the family way by him, he
having taken liberties with her, in a great degree by force;
and he was assisted in the matter of the powders by Miss
Matheson, a young female living in the house. Miss Mathe-
son, when giving her the powders, told her that if there
should be anything wrong she must not bring her (Miss
Matheson's) name into question, as she had done it for her
good. Mr. Farmer himself put the powders and a lotion into
her box, and Miss Matheson, after some few days, kept the
key of it.
The next witness examined was Miss Ann Matheson' the
young lady already referred to. Her evidence proved no-
thing but the good understanding which seemed to exist be-
tween her and Mr. Farmer.

Mr. Henry Attenburrow, of Nottingham, surgeon, said—l
was called in to see Hannah Wilmot on the 20th of last
January. I found her labouring under constant sickness,
and, after eating, pain in the head. There were then no other
remarkable appearances. The next day I found that her
breath had a very strong mercurial factor. Her gums were
very spongy, and a good deal receded from her teeth. I
continued to attend the deceased. From the constant
sickness, I could give:her nothing except gum water, beef
tea, and matters of that kind. The medicine which I first
ordered produced such distressing effects that I immediately
discontinued it. The pain in the head continued, accompa-
nied at times with loss of sight. For the last two days be-
fore her death she appeared to be rather improved, as food
stayed on her stomach. On Sunday morning last, when I
called, she had been sleeping much longer than I had
allowed her to sleep, and she seemed to be sinking. I
stopped with her for about three-quarters of an hour,
and gave her some port wine and beef tea, which rallied
her, and she appeared much as she had done the preceding
day. Between eight and nine o'clock that evening I was
sent for in a great hurry, and when I reached the house I
found she had just died. In the morning of that day I was
not without hopes of her recovering ; but when she began to
sink, she sank so rapidly that it was impossible to have her
dying declaration taken in the presence of a magistrate. On
the third day of my attendance on her, she told me about the
powders which had been given to her, and that confirmed my
suspicions as to her being under the influence of mercury. I
made a post mortem examination. The only part of the body
where disease was found was the lower part of the brain ;
there were small tubercles, containing matter, in the cere-
bellum, and over the greater part of it, just where the spinal
cord commences. The disease of the brain would account for
the pain in the head, the loss of sight, and, in some measure,
for the constant sickness. She died from that disease of the
brain. I cannot say with certainty how long the disease might
have existed, but judging from the circumstances, I think
about two months. The disease might be produced by mental
excitement. Therewas not any appearance in the stomach or
bowels to indicate that any corrosive mineral poison had
been administered. The spongy appearance of the gums,
and the state of the breath were the only indications of her
having taken mercury. She was not pregnant. She told
me of powders having been given to her at Farmer's ; that
those which she had not taken were pillaged from her box
but she did not know at what shop they were procured.
Several other witnesses were examined, and the evidence
was generally corroborative of that given by Mrs. Campbell
and the surgeon.
The CORONER, considering it useless to examine any more
witnesses, summed up at some length. He expressed his
sorrow that Miss Wilmot's dying declaration had not been
taken before a magistrate; as it stood there was no legal
evidence to convict; and, therefore, however, painful it
might be to the feelings of.the jury, they would be comelled
to return a verdict of " Died from disease of the brain," and
this was the verdict recorded.

The greatest disgust and indignation were expressed by all
the jurors, and several of them regretted that they could come
;o no other conclusion.

THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS.
During the past week there has been a return of winter
weather, and a most intense frost has again set in. The
thermometer up to the night of Thursday last had not been
lower than 31 degrees, but on that night it fell to 25 degrees,
and on Friday it was again down to the same point. On
Saturday night it was 26 degrees, and at 8 o'clock yesterday
morning 27 degrees. About 11C011 the mercury rose to 31i,
and the wind veered round to the south ; but, as the after-
noon advanced the mercury began to fall, and at 8 o'clock
last evening it was down to 29 degrees, with a keen and
cutting wind from the E.S.E., and a cloudy sky.
In St. James's and the Regent's Parks, and in Kensington-
gardens, so severe had been the frost, that skating commenced
so early as Saturday, and numbers ventured on the ice without
any accident of a serious character occurring.
The ice in the Serpentine, yesterday, was not above an
inch thick ; and, through the exertions of the icemen of the
Royal Humane Society, no persons ventured on, except a
few boys, who kept close to the south shore. No accident
occurred.
In Kensington-gardens, the ice on the Round-pond,
through persons venturing on it too soon,
hasbeen broken
bad and in several places ; and, therefore, is in
dan-
gerons state, the thickest part being
.4
and yesterday, scarcely two inches.
Several of the icemen were, on Saturday
stationed both at the Round-pod
and rendered most essential assistance l
sn and at the Long-water,
islt7a.nscemiitnh,proefvecnltainregmont.
, acci-
dents, About three o'clock u
Claremont-
house, Hammersmith, through the ice, but was extri-
cated by iceman Smith, bs. means of the new ice sledge, but
not before he
was himself immersed in the l
e water. The num-
ber of skaters during the day was nearly „000 and no other
accident of a serious nature occurred. On the Long-water
the ice at the Bayswater end is the strongest, and on that
part
rtthere were about 2,000 skaters. The marquee of the
Skating Club was on Saturday again placed on the north
on th
bank, e
a icnde. No accidents occ a number of the members were yesterday skating
The ice in the Regent's Park is not above an inch and
three-quarters thick. Yesterday
the number of skaters was
about 2,000, and the accidents were numerous. About a
quarter before 12 o'clock Mr. Digby, of No. 20, Easton-
street, Spa-fields, became immersed in eight feet water, but
was extricated by Charles Griffith, one of the icemen, with
an ice-sledge. About a quarter of an hour afterwards
Alfred Stamford, of No. 42, College-street, Camden-town,
broke through near the Suspension-bridge into, six feet
water, and was rescued by iceman Edward Collins. About half-
past one o'clock Mr. Fennell, of 22, Gloucester- place, New-
road, broke through the ice on the Broad -water, but was got
out by iceman Wightman, by means of a double-breaker
ladder. About three o'clock Thomas Summers, of Stamford-
street, Lisson-grove, broke through near the Suspension.
bridge Into eight feet water, but was rescued by means of an
ice-boat by iceman George Clapson, and in less than half an

hour afterwards no less than six persons became immersed
by the ice breaking in two places. The first accident took
place off the island, near the Humane. Society's marquee,
where Mr. Bower, of No. 1, Powis-place, Queen-square,
Bloomsbury; Mr. Morrell, No. 14, Charles-street, Portman-
square ; and John and Henry Davis, of No. 1, Great Barlow-
street, Marylebone, broke through into eight feet water, but
were extricated by icemen Southern, Winnott, and Griffiths.
The second accident took place on the Broad-water, where
Mr. Warren, of No. 37, Gloucester• place, New-road ; and
Mr. Townsend, of High-streets Camden-town, broke through
into seven feet water, but were rescued by icemen George.
Clapson and John Winnstt. All the above persons-were.
admitted into the marquee, and received assistance from the
Society's servants. Two of them (the Devises) were so ex-
hausted that it was fonnd necessary to put them into warm
baths, &c.

The ice in St. James's Park is also very tight, not being
more than an inch and a quarter thick, and it will to-day
(Monday) be highly dangerous for persons to venture On.
The number of skaters during the day was about 5,000 and.
about 740 accidents happened. Amongst the persons who
broke through were the following :—Saumel Sebley, No 14,
Arnold-place, W'alworth ; George Legg, No. 2, Rochester-7
row, Westminster ; George Barker, No. 27, Berwick street,
Pimlico ; James Gardener, No. 9, Broad-street, St. Giles's ;
George Ladwick, silversmith, 106, Vauxhall-walk ; • James
Purser, 14, Cross-street, Hatton-garden ' • James Pawley, 6,
Bedford-court, New North-street, Red Lion-square. ; John
Farrance, 1, Heron-place, Vauxhall-bridge ; William Ed-
ward Rargibrd, 346, Strand, John France, Primrose-street,
Bishopsgate ; Daniel Lardner, No. 4, Ranelagh-walk,
Thames-bank ; John Feakins, No. 4, Peel-terrace, Deptford;
Joseph Duke, 26, Lambeth-terrace; John Lenden, Star-court,
Chancery-lane; Charles Hodset, 3, Gardener's-cottages, West-
minster ; Joseph Caldwell, Post-office, Southwark ; James
Beckworth, 27, Wootton-street, Cornwall-road, Lambeth ;
Anthony Reading, Highbury-barn ; Richard De Lion,
artist, 145, Goswell-street ; Thomas Newland, 4, Douglas-
street, Vauxhall-road : Thomas Baxter, Charles-court,
Hungerford-market ; Frederick Moody, 10, Pall-mall East ;
and Joseph Male, 24 Buckingham-street, Strand, &c. The
whole of the above persons were, when rescued, taken to the
Humane Society's marquee, and placed in warm baths, and
received every attention until able to return home.
The icemen and other officers of the Royal Humane So-
ciety deserve the highest praise for their exertions in all the
parks, to which may be attributed the preservation of so
many persons from a watery grave.