Star.
London, England, 1816-07-04 00:00:00

Q. Had you any cause to suspect that the deceased took any
thing to poison herself ?—A. Not in the least ; she was previously
in good spirits, and extremely well liked.
Q. What did she say herself about taking it ?—A. She said she
picked it up in her bed room, and supposing it to be salts she
mixed it up end drank it.
Q. Did you suspect her to be pregnant, that she might take
poison to hide her shame
.by putting an end to bar life ?—A.• I
did nut; she declared to tiotr, that she thought *bat she drank
was salts. _ _ _

Q. Do you know of any corrosive soldlinate being kept In the
house to hill bugs, rats, or for any otherperpose ?—A. I did not.
Q. Was there any inquiry made bow di* corrosive sublimate
came to be in the house?—A. Yes, but we never could learn;
there was also inquiry made at every apothecary's In the neigh-
bourhood, but to no purpose.

Thomas Parke; a Surgeon, in Edmond-street,
Portman-square, said, about ten o'clock in the morn-
ing of Tuesday, the 25th of June, he was sent for to
visit the deceased, whom he found in bed extremely
ill, and hearing it was occasioned by her taking
something which she supposed to be salts, he ordered
the cup containing the dregs of it to be brought to
him. Mrs. Luxmore brought the cup and spoon
which mixed it, and from the appearance it had on
the silver spoon, and some crystals that remained in
the bottom of the cup, he suspected it not to be salts,
he submitted it to the usual test (lime water) and
found it to be corrosive sublimate ; and from what
he learned, she had taken sufficient to destroy her life,
he gave her the usual remedies. On Monday laic,
about ten o'clock, he was sent for again, and found
her in bed in a dying state. She always said she
picked it up in her bed-room, and thinking it to be
salts that was dropped by some person, she had taken
it. Corrosive sublimate bears a great similarity to
salts, so that any person by mistake might take one
for the other. He opened the body, and from inspec-
tion he had no doubt but her death was occasioned
by taking it, but he had no cause to suspect she was
pregnant, or that she took it knowingly.
Elizabeth Prebech said, she was laundry maid in
the Bishop of St. Asaph's family ; on Tuesday, the
25th of June, she and the deceased got up at seven
o'clock, and she saw her several times during the
morning : they breakfasted together about half past
eight o'clock, the deceased was then very well, very
cheerful, and in great spirits. She brought something
down stairs in her hand in a paper ; it was open; she
said it was a dose of salts she picked up in the room,
in which she and the cook slept, and she would take
it. After she had taken it she set, the cup and spoon
down, and shortly after finding herself very unwell,
she went up stairs to her. room, which was only one
flight of stairs from the laundry, and in about five
minutes after she called witness; when witness went
up, the deceased cried out —i' Oh, dear Betty 1 lam
very ill, I am afraid it is not salts I have taken."—
The Bishop put questions to the deceased, thinking
she had poisoned herself, but she declared to the last
she thought it was salts, and how it came to be in her
room she did not know.
Here one of the Gentlemen of the Jury observed to
the Coroner, that there was an apothecary in the
neighbourhood, and that the servant-maid usually
served in the shop; and that on the evening of Mon-
day, the 24th of June, he saw her serving. a young
woman in the shop answering the description of the
deceased, and he thought it right she might be sent
for and examined. She was was accordingly sentfor,
and gave the following evidence : •
Elizabeth Humphries being sworn' and examined,
said she was maid of all Wort, and lived with Mr:
Thomas Evans, surgeon and apothecary, No. 7,
Crawford-street. Her master had no apprentice or
assistant. and she occasionally served in the shop in
his absence, such as salts, senna, and powders,
which he left for her. She could read. She had no
acquaintance with any person in Gloucester-place.—
She might or she might not serve salts on the evening
mentioned. There were three jars of salts laid on a
shelf and she could not mistake ; she did not know
what corrosive sublimate Was.
Here the evidence closed, and thee-eraser anima.'
verted strongly on Mr. Evans's conduct, in permit-
ting his female servant to serve in the shop ; and ad-
vised her 'not to serve in the shop in future that it.
was better for Mr. Evans to drop business for goo 4
if he could not attend himself, or afford to keep an'
assistant. •

It being still a mystery bow the corrosive sub&
mate came to be in the house, the Jury found a ver-
dict—That the detased died by poison• taken in tnis•~
take for salts.

Tuesday .'night, about •half-past ten o'clock in
the evening, as Mr. Berrie, of Maidstone, was return-
ing home from Rochester, he was stopped about two.
thirds of the way betleeti the Bridgwood Gate and
the Upper Bell, by two footpads, who took hum bin
i siker hoatiopwatit Out two if old
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