The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-12-21 00:00:00

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• MYSTERIOUS DEA7II. • '
Oar Reader's will recollect that an eitiaordinary
charge was recently made at Bow-street, against a
young man of re•pectahle connections, named henry
Cooke, by William Key'. rho accused hinsof bas-
ilic employed and ftirriished him with pistols to mur-
der Mr. Shears; proprietor of copner.milla at Merton,
:and having a counting;house In Fteet-market, tog..
thee with his whole family : Cooke was Mr. Shears's
clerk. The Magistrates considered the charge un-
founded, and liberated Cooke, who subsequently
prosecuted Key, and who is now under sentence of
transportation.
On Wednesday rentnittg. Cooke, who was about
IS years of age, died, after an illness of a fen •
hours, under circumstances of suspiciou that he had
been poisoned. The body was opened on Thursday
last, when it was ascertained that he died by poison.
—Thorsday night an investigation was taken on the
body at the George, in George-street, Christchurch,
Black friars'-road, berm.. C.. 3 eswErr, Esq. Coroner
for Surrey, when evidence to the following effect was

given :
Mr. Jahn \Vetman, of Christchurch, said, de.
ceased had been several years his Indger.Tuesdayeren-
ing last he came home at half-past six from the
counting-house, complaining of sickness at the sto-
mach ; he vomited very much: the sickness conti-
nued violent, and he went to Mr. Pollard, a neigh-
bour, for medicine. The doctor being out, be went
a second time, then returned with two pills and a
draught ; he went to bed about ten. At eleven wit-
ness found him more composed ; he saw no more of
him until five next morning, when being awoke by a
noise like the falling of some person, he ran into
Cooke's room, and found him prostrate on the floor,
hot not senseless ; he assisted him into bed, and
then called the servant to light a fire and make tea,
the deceased having complained of extreme thirst.—
While drinking tea he said to witness, " Those fel-
lows put something in the beer." About seven
o'clock, a man who was going to Mr. S!‘ears's mills
at Merton, called to know if Mr. Cooke, whose
father was a foreman there, had any message to
send ; deceased desired his tat her might be informed
that he was very ill, but hoped to go to Merton on
the Monday. Ten minutes afterwards witness went
into his room, and fiwtid him with his head out of
bed over a basin, as if he had been vomiting, and
lying epos, his side; be gasped once and expired. At
the time he mentioned ' those fellow.," he named no
particular person.
Mrs. Wetman saw deceased when he first com-
plained of sickness. She enquired whether he bad
ate or drank any thing to disagree with him. lie
said he had Salt beef for dinner, and about half a pint
of table-beer at the counting-house. He afterwards
said that lie fearer:kin:me fellows bad played-tricks
with the beer, for he recollected it was remarkably
sweet. lie said he thought he saw something white
clinging to the bottom of the mug, which might be
occasioned by the beer having been warmed. Next
morning, when she went into his room, she felt his
. hand, It'siests.seey cold, and he appeared very weak.
He said faintly, " Those feilnial." AIWA 'tin
minutes before he died, he desired Mr. Pollard to be
seat for, 'tut he died before the doctor arrived. He
never mentioned the names of the persons who gave
him the beer.
Mr. Wetman further stated, that after Cooke's
death he waited upon Mr. Shears, at the counting-
house, to inform him of the circumstance, end ac-
quaint him with the allusions of deceased to the beer
he had drank, and to request the mug might be
searched for. Orie of Mr. Shears's sons made imme-
diate enquiry for the mug among the servants, who
could not find it. He then called in the clerks, and
desired they would endeavour to find it, which they
did immediately under the desk of deceased. There
appeared in it a quantity of white powder mixed with
dirt. Mr. Shears sealed it up, and delivered it to
witness, by whom it was transferred to Mr. Pol-
lard.
Mr. Pollard, of Christchuch, stated, that deceased
applied to him on Tuesday evening, complaining of
vomiting, and pains in the stomach and head. He
said that be had only drank a little tably.beer. The
excessive vomiting continuing, witnesragain asked
what he had taken ; and he then said, that when he
drank the beer he observed white powder at the bot-
tom of the mug, and thought some of his companions
had been playing (ticks. Some medicine was then
given to him, with proper directions ; he was de-
sired by witness to send him what might be thrown
from the stomach. Ile saw no more of him until
next mooning, when tie was called in great haste, and
found Cooke dead. Mr. Wetman delivered a tin
'slog to witness, which contained a quantity of white
;.oowder, and which being analysed, proved to be
'Verde of arsenic. He subsequently opened the body,
!and found in the stomach a quantity of similar
powder, which he also found to be an oxyde of
'lustily; it had prodoced•a great inflainntation and ul-
ceration in the stomach and occasioned death.
Dr. Callaway was present at the opening of this body
and corroborated Mr. Pollard's testimony. no as-
sisted in analysing the substances in the mug and in
the stomach, and ascertained they were oeyde of
arsnic. Their experiments were corroborated hy:
others made at Guy's Hospital *pow pait.of the sub-
stances so found, and the result !proved was
the same. Witness observed various portions
•f the substances adhering to the inner membrane
when the body was opened ; the stomach end one of
the intestines were considerably ulcerated, and death
'was thus occasioned.
Mr. Shearsijan. stated, he had been lodefetigshie
in • mitioris 'to diseover by whom the beef had
'keen aim** whibh COote had drank.withoist success.
ale bad sibriut 56 pinions on the premises, but could
•obieln no evidetiee"upoit the subject.
Moos Deese), was warehouseman and clerk to
Mr. Shears. Oh Timidity, at One o'clock, he dined
with deceated at an 'eating-house in the' Old Bailey.
Wittier' returned to business, and ..illiteised went
ailotber way, saying he had a place-to rail at before
he retained. Witness hid been actislotned to drink
'a pint' of table-beer with the IleceasOd after dinner:
he waited for him e considerable time, tied then de-
sired a buy to &avid* tome beer, which he imme.
diately did., in L (pewter pot, tied *Wien drank it.
Conte came in 'bout:tip*, Witness short- •
ly afterwards went ifitso ifiii;COunting4fiuse, *ith the
intention of having some. beeffeitri4lfini he saw the
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