The Sun.
London, England, 1829-05-12 00:00:00

sullied from the Crown Lad Audios, and, followed by
about 50 others, followed and molested the persona making
the seizure.

Mr. Johnson warmly repelled the charge, and declared
it to be false. After some further explanation he left the
office.

UN I ON- 11 ALL.

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTING TO POISON ♦ FAMILY.—
Edward Nunn, a lad 15 years of age, apprentice to Mr.
Francis Cook, boot and shoemaker, residing in Bengal-
place, New Kent-road, was charged with attempting to
poison his master and the family, by infusing a quantity
of oxalic acid with the water intended for tea. The pri-
soner is an exceedingly diminutive and slight-snatle lad,
and on being placed at the bar did not evince any dread
or apprehension.
Mr. Cook said, that on Sunday last he had a slight dis-
pute with the prisoner, in consequence of his not getting
up at an early hour en Sunday morning. The boy after-
wards appeared morose and ill-tempered, but he went to
church; and on his return home he refused to eat any
dinner, alleging, as a reason, that he felt rather unwell.—
During dinner time the prisoner absented himself from
the room in which the family dined, and walked about the
garden. About five o'clock in the afternoon he was called
to tea; and on going down stairs Mrs. Cook, who was
about to fill the tea-pot with water out of the kettle which
was then boiling over into the fire, observed, that she sus-
pected something was the matter with the water, as that
portion of it which boiled over left a white mark on the
top and down the sides of the kettle, which was a copper
one. Jane, the little girl, was called, and witness asked
her whether she filled the kettle that afternoon? She re-
plied that shelled not; but that Edward, the apprentice,
had filled it himself, and placed it afterwards on the fire.
The ptisoner, who was within hearing of this conversa li
-
tion, was then called, and questioned on the subject. He
admitted that he had filled the kettle from the butt in the
yard ; and when accused of putting something in the
water, he denied it in the most positive manner. Mrs.
Cook, on hearing the boy's declaration, immediately
poured out a tea-cup full of the water in the kettle, and
putting a portion of milk in it, said to the prisoner, "If
you have put nothing into the water, yon will not hesitate
to drink that off." The prisoner was observed to change
colour when the draught was offered to him, apd said that
he had already refused to take tea that evening, and that
he should, therefore, decline then tasting the contents of
the cup. Mr. Skito, a chemist, who had analysed the
water in the kettle, discovered that it contained a large
quantity of oxalic acid. The witness added, that he
always kept a quantity of oxalic acid in his shop, for the
purpose of cleaning boot-tops ; there was nearly half a
pound of it at his house, and he always kept it in a jar,
which was placed on one of the top shelves, with " poison"
written on it, and out of the reach of persons, unless they
got on a chair, or some such thing, to raise themselves.
In answer to some questions put by the Magistrate, Mr.
Cook stated that when he had the dispute with the prisoner,
he did not strike him ; but merely expressed a determina-
tion that he should rise when he thought proper. The
boy had never shewn any weakness of intellect ; he was
always considered a smart lad, and the only fault with him
was his propensity for telling lies. The prisoner could
have had access to the shop, as the street-door opened from
it into the back parlour, and was always open. Mr.
Cook then produced a black-glued linen apron, which he
was in the habit of wearing, and said that on Tuesday last
on taking it off, he left it in the shop, when he was going
out, and on his return he was surprised, on taking it up, to
see a number of red spots all over it, as if some person had
been trying experiments with oxalic acid.
Mrs. Cook and the servant girl corroborated the evi-
dence of Mr. Cook ; the latter stated that the prisoner
filled the kettle and put it on the fire without being asked,
and which he wan not in the habit of doing. Mrs. Cook
said that the water, when it boiled over, had the appear-
ance of soap-suds. A portion of the water from the butt
out of which the kettle had been filled in the first in-
stance, and a portion from the kettle, strongly impregnated
with oxalic acid, were produced by a constable, who
found on the prisoner's person the following note to his
mother :

" Dear Mother—l wish to see you as sosa as you can,
as lam in great trouble. lam suspected of an attempt
to destroy Mr. Cook and his family on Sunday. lam
now going to be taken as a prisoner to the watch-house,
in the custody of Crow, where you will see me.
" ED. NUNN."

The constable stated that the jar containing the oxalic
acid in Mr. Cook's shop appeared to have been recently
handled, but had not been used by Mr. Cook. The
prisoner had stated to him that he was aware of the pro
parties of oxalic acid. On the way to the watch-house,
the prisoner exclaimed, " I don't care if they transport
me ;" and in passing part of the road, by the side of
which was a ditch, he said that " he wished he was head-
long in it."
A certificate from a medical man was produced, stating
that the water contained oxalic acid.—The prisoner was
then remanded.