The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-04-09 00:00:00

CHESTER ASSIZES.

These assizes c,ommeiitee on Thursday last, before Mr.
Justice Williams and Mr. Jdfftice Coleridge ; the former
taking the civil, and the latter the cilrninal business. The
following gentlemen were sworn on the grade Sttty
JOHN TOLLEMACHE, Esq., Foremad.
Peter Langford. Brooke, Esq. J. Howard, Esq.
R. H. Barnston, Esq. G. Cornwall Leigh, Esq.
Edwin Corbett, Esq. J. Heath Leigh, Esq.
C. Cholmondeley, Esq. Harry Mainwaring, Esq.
T. C. Clutton, Esq. Thomas Parr, Esq.
T. Ryle Daintry, Esq. C. Swettenham, Esq.
J. France France, Esq. G. J. Shackerley, Esq.

, .
J. B. Glegg, Esq, . Richard Simpson, Esq.
J. Upton Gaskell, Esq. W. Tomkinson, Esq.
J. W. Hammond, Esq. L. P. Townsend, Esq.
B. Hollingworth, Esq. W. Worthington, Esq.
Mr. Justice Coleridge, in his charge, alluded to one of the
charges of murder in the calendar, namely, that against a man
at Stockport, for poisoning his daughter, with a view to ob-
tain the sum allowed by a funeral club ; with respect to which
case, and to the strange inquest upon the body, we called the
attention of our readers at the time. The learned judge said,
the prisoner was charged with poisoning his daughter in order
to obtain benefit money for her funeral. He thought it very
objectionable that the sums allowed by benefit societies for
funeral purposes should be so large ; but it never entered into
his mind, that that would be the temptation to take away
life. In this case, the body had been interred after a very
inefficient inquest, and without there haring been the requisite
post-mortem examination ; and it was not until nearly six
weeks that the body was disinterred, under the supposition
that arsenic had been administered. It was one peculiarity
of this poison, that it had a tendency to preserve rather than
destroy the coats of the stomach, and was easily reproduced
by chemical tests; and in this case a sufficient quantity had
been found to destroy life, and also it was proved that the
prisoner had purchased arsenic some time previous. There
were other circumstances which they would take into their
consideration, and which raised a grave case, pregnant with
suspicion ; and they would draw such conclusions as they
thought the circumstances merited, and probably they would
see it their duty to find a true bill.

CROWN COURT.—YESTERDAY (MONDAY).
(Before Mr. Justice COLERIDGE.)

CHARGE AGAINST A FATHER, OF MURDERING HIS OWN

DAUGHTER.

Robert Strandling was capitally indicted for the wilful
murder of Elizabeth Strandling, his daughter, at Stockport,
on the 2d of August last, by administering to her arsenic,
mixed with treacle. _ _

The Attorney-General and Mr. Townshend were counsel
for the Crown, Mr. Cottingham conducted the defence.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, in opening the prosecutor's
case, said, that the only reason that could be assigned for the
commission of the offence, of which the prisoner was charged,
was a desire on his part to get into his possession the money
payable by two burial societies, in which her name had been
entered as a member.
James Byrom stated, that on the 2d August he went to
Strandling's house, when he found his daughter Elizabeth
very ill; and that though he (Byrom) frequently requested
S trandling to send for a doctor, he refused to do so, alleging
that he owed the doctor who usually attended the family a
sum of money, and that he had not means to send for ano-
tner.

Martha Whitehead deposed that deceased, on the day in
question, frequently complained of thirst, and said nothing
was the matta with her until " her father gave her the nasty
stuff in the morning." The prisoner said he had given her
nothing but "a little jalap and treacle."
Other evidence was adduced, which went to prove the
distress of the prisoner, when he heard of his daughter's
death—his statement respecting the cause of it—his having
received £4 4s, from one burial society, and £3 12s from
another ; after which Mr. Rayner, surgeon, stated that he
examined the body, that the roof of the mouth was much
inflamed, and that the body had undergone a chemical
change produced by arsenic.
Mr. Sadler deposed that the prisoner when apprehended
expressed great surprise at the charge made against him, and
stated that he was in the habit of giving his daughter some
jalap in consequence of a complaint she had.
Mr. COTTINGHAM, for the prisoner, argued that his con-
duct throughout was anything but that of a murderer, and
that there was nothing in the evidence (which he admitted
proved that arsenic had been administered) to connect that
act with the prisoner.
After Mr. Justice COLERIDGE had summed up, the jury
retired for an hour, and brought in a verdict of Not Guilty.

TEE LIVER THEATRE.—We congratulate the Masters
Grossmith on their splendid success in Liverpool, and are
glad to find that they have determined upon commencing
another series of their entertainments this evening. We have
no doubt that they will have equally crowded houses during
the present week. The performances of the younger brother.
are of a most extraordinary character.
IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENT ON GAS-MAKING. —We
have this day been favoured with a view of a most beautiful
and ingenious self-acting gas apparatus, patented by Mr.
William Holme Heginbotham, of this town, which has been
a considerable time in operation at the works of Messrs.
John Marslanfl and Brothers, and gone through a series of
experiments, the result of which is highly satisfactory. The
retort, which is four feet long, produces upwards of 8000
feet in 24 hours, being three times as much as can be made
upon the present system from our retort. The gas has not
only a much greater illuminating power, but is relieved from
those impurities which have hitherto prevented the adoption
of that most beautiful light in private dwelling-houses, and
it extracts one-third more gas from a given quantity of coal.
This invention we have no doubt will command the atten-
tion of the public generally.—Stockport Advertiser.