The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-11-19 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUESTS-LON DON.

TIIR MunnEa AT PLUMSTF.AD.—The circumstances :of this
extraordinary case, which has occupied a coroner's jury for
six or seven days, are shortly as follow :—On Saturday, the
26th of October, Mr. George -Bodle, a farmer of Piumstead,
near Woolwich, together with his family, was taken violently
ill after eating his usual breakfast, and -died on the following
Monday morning, with symptoms that left no doubt on the
minds of his medical attendants that he had been poisoned. It
appears that on Saturday his grandson, a young man, went
to Mr. Bodies residence at an early hour, long before the ser-
vant had arisen, and offered his services to light the fire,
the coffee, and clean the hearth for her. This he 'ut nev.-1
done before, and when desired by the girl to go away, refused
to do so. After placing the coffee-pot on the fire, he left the
house. The deceased and his family, consisting of six persons,
partook of the coffee, and shortly after became ill and retched
violently. Mr. Butler, a surgeon of Woolwich, was called in,
and on being made acquainted with these particulars, con-
cluded that poison had been mixed with the coffee. An exami-
nation of the contents of the coffee-pot confirmed this impres-
sion, as he discovered that they had been impregnated with
arsenic. One of the witnesses was a dumb girl, whose evi-
dence was explained by one of the gentlemen from the Loudon
Deaf and Dumb Asylum.
On Friday last, after the Coroner had summed up the evi-
dence, the jury retired for a short tune, and, on returning into
Court— _ _ _

The foreman said—" The verdict of the jury is that John
Bodle, the younger, the prisoner in custody, is guilty of wilful
murder as against George Bodle."
The prisoner, who was removed before the verdict was re-
turned, was here brought into court.
The Coroner said—" I am sorry that it falls to my lot to an-
nounce to you the verdict which has been returned by the jury
sworu to investigate the cause of the death of your grandfather,
George Bodh•. The verdict is wilful murder against you. It
will be my duty therefore to commit ycu to Maidstone gaol for
trial, and -I trust that better success will attend you there than
it has here."

The_prisoner did not evince the slightest emotion, or make
any reply.. Ile sl►ook hands with some of his friends, and
quitted the room in custody.
Mr. Nokes said he hoped the Coroner would now call upon
the executors to prosecute, as it would be a great hardship if
the parish were burdened with the expense.
The Coroner said he did not think he could call upon the ex-
ecutors to prosecute.
Mr. Nokes observed, that the 78th Geo. 111. gave the coro-
ner the power to call upon any party he thought proper to pro-
secute.

The Coroner remarked that there was no proof that the
executors were appointed, as they had not proved the Will.
The only person he could call upon was Mr. Baxter; and, con-
aid?ring the manner in which he was related to the family, it
would be very indelicate to impose that duty upon him. He
hoped, after what he 'said on the first day of the inquest, that
the relations of the deceased would come forward and aid the
inquiry.
The coroner then sent for Mr. Mason, one of the deceased's
executors. On his arrival, he inquired what he was sent fof ?
Coroner.—To hind you to appear as a witness, and prosecute.
Mr. Mason.—Why am I to be selected to prosecute?
Coroner.—Because I think it necessary.
Mr. Mason.—Then I shall protest against it.
Coroner.—The law decrees it nece,-.--ary that some one should
be selected to prosecute, otherwise felons would escape. Are
vou content?
Mr. Mason.—No, I do not feel content.
Coroner.—You must say you are content, or I have no other
alternative than to commit you to Maidstone gaol.
Mr. Mason.—Under those circumstances I must submit.

Several other witnesses who were in attendance were also
hound over to appear at the assizes, and the court was ad.
journed.
The decision of the Coroner, with respect to Mr. Mason, we
think, is rather an extraordinary one. The fact of his being
named in the will of the deceased as an executor does not
necessarily make him one until he has taken out letters of ad-
ministration under that instrument. The persons generally se-
lected to fill this office by testators are either very intimate
friends or near relations, therefore the ends of justice are more
likely to be furthered by a public than a private prosecutor,
who may he interested in the conviction or acquittal of the ac-
cused. We do not know that Mr. Mason is in any way related
to the Bodies, or has any of the interests we bare hypotheti-
cally assumed; but, we should like to know how the expences
of this prosecution are to be paid, supposing the funds of the
deceased are insufficient for that purpose, or that Mr. Mason
should deem it an act of prudence to decline any interference
with them. We should have preferred seeing this onerous
duty thrown upon the parish, the hundred, or the county.