Star.
London, England, 1826-09-28 00:00:00

A WIFE POISONED BY HER HUSBAND.

FROM THE CUMBERLAND PACKET, MT. 26.

Friday and Saturday last, an Inquest was held at
Bankhouse, in Gosforth, before WILLIAM Baer" Esq.
Coroner, on view of the body of Sarah Fox, wife of
Robert Fox, who died on the preceding Tuesday, under
circumstances which fully called for this investigation.
Mary Pharaoh, sworn, said—l am mother of the
deceased, who, with her husband, lived at our house.
On Saturday last, deponent and her husband went from
home about five o'clock in the afternoon to attend a
christening at a neighbour's house, and left the deceased
quite well and in good spirits, considering her situation,
being pregnant and near her confinement. About half-
past seven the same evening, Robert Fox, husband of
the deceased, came to the house were we were at, and
told me I must go home immediately, Sarah was very ill.
I considered this illness to arise from precursory labour,
and made no further inquiries, but went towards home
with him immediately. On ;he road I asked Robert
how Sarah was held ? he said she was violently sick, and
he believed she would not live till the morning, and
that Margaret (a younger sister) was also very bad. I
considered Margaret's indisposition as a trifling cold,
and said to Robert that Sarah's illness was merely the
beginning of labour. On arriving home I asked Sarah how
she felt herself? she said she was very bad, and that Bob
had warmed her some coffee which was left from morn-
ing; it had a bad taste; he bad put something into it.
He said she took fancies, but would make her a better
cup by putting more sugar into it ; this cup was worse
than the first, she could not drink it. Little Margaret
tasted it and was also sick. The remaining part was
put into the pig's meat, and the pig was the same way
affected as my two daughters. I considered hysop tea
would be of service in allaying sickness, and made
some and took it to my youngest daughter who said
that it had also the same bad taste as the coffee. I thought
the bad taste complained ofarose from the water having
stood in the kettle the whole of the day. I therefore
washed the kettle well out, and made some more cups
of tea, of which they both drank and thought it good.
I then asked the deceased if she would eat any thing?
and she replied in the affirmative. I made her a posses
of milk, bread, and beer, of which she ate, and said it
was very good, and what was left she would take it
after a bit. Robert, her husband, desired me to go to
bed, and he would take care of her till the morning. I
accordingly went to bed, and on Sunday morning
when I arose, I asked her how she had rested, and
how she was? her answer was that she was very bad,
'and that her husband had given her the remainder of
the posset, and bad put some more stuff into it, as it
had the same bad taste which the coffee had. During
the whole of Sunday she continued to retch very much,
and about four o'clock on Monday morning she was
delivered of a still-born child, which had a very
unnatural appearance, being quite black. The sick-
ness still continued, and I asked her if she could not
eat anything ? she said she could not, her throat was
so bad, and was burning. She frequently complained of
the head ache, pain in the stomach, and a burning
beat in her throat, attended with great thirst,
and drank large quantities of water and beer. The de-
ceased said, in the presence of her husband, "that the
stuff he put into the coffee made her bad." He said, "I
put nothing into it ;" but she replied, " you did, and
you brought the stuff from Whitehaven on Thursday."
To this he made no answer. The deceased then said,
" You have poisoned me and killed my child; but kill-
ing me is nothing to killing my child. I freely forgive
you, and I hope,Gon ALMIGHTY will forgive me my sins,
and I expect you will suffer as much on earth as I have
done:" she died the following day. Several witnesses
were also examined, who attended the deceased during
her illness, whose testimonies fully corroborated that
of Mrs. Pharaoh.

Fox, the husband of the deceased, positively denied
having been in any drugg•st's shop in Whitehaven.
Mr. Saul, of Whitehaven, sworn, and said I am a
druggist in Whitehaven, and perfectly remember Fox
calling at my shop on Thursday, the 14th of September.
he wanted some arsenic, he said, for killing rats. 1
refused to let him have it ; but in consequence
lof a person who was in the shop at the time, saying be
knew him, I sold him what he asked for, and wrapped
it up in three different papers, and wrote the word
id poison" upun them, tl prevent any accident.
Mr. Wright, surgeon of Gosport, opened the body, in
presence of Messrs. Thompson and Dawson, of White-
haven, and Mr. Lawson, of Egremont, who were all of
opinion that the dece.oed came to her death by poison.
After the Coroner had read over the various evi-
dences, the Jury retired, and on their return," a verdict
was given, that Sarah Fox came to an unnatural death
by poison, and likewise, that Robert Fox. her husband,
was Guilty of procuring and administering the same
to her."

Fox was instantly taken into custody, and committed to Catlide
to talc bis trial at the next Assizes.

CRELTESHAM, Sam ft.
1
As the Marquis of Worcester, a few days ago, was sett* off from
the Plough Hotel, jest as he was about to mount the box of bit'
Carriage, which somewhat resembles a stage-coach, a poor but
deceit looking woman came up, calling out, " Coachee, how long
will it be before your coach starts? What's the fare to Gloucester?
Bad time, ebachee; take me cheap, will ye?' The Marquis, with
great good humour, requested her to take her seat, and they would
talk about the fare, when they got there; and as she was about to
comply with the request, one of the servants apprized her of her
Mistake.