The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1871-09-02 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

THE BRIGHTON EXTRAORDINARY POISONING CASE. The police have discovered an important link in the chain of evidence affecting Miss Edmunds, the lady, who it will be remembered, stands charged with attempting to poison the wife of Dr. Beard, by means of cakes and sweets sent anonymously, as by a kind jocular friend to Mrs. Beard. It was observed that the symptoms experienced by Mrs. Beard's servants after partaking of tbe sweets presumed to have been sent by the prisoner, were those of arsenical poisoning rather than of poisoning by strychnine, with which poison Miss Edmunds was known to have dealt. The police have, however, discovered that two days after Mr. Garrett refused to supply the prisoner with arsenic, some person obtained three ounces from Mr. Bradbury, chemist, North-street, by means of a forged order. Mr. Bradbury has since left the town, but a reward has been offered for the discovery of the boy who took the order. The police are still actively engaged (says the Brighton Daily News of Saturday) in investigating this remarkable case, and we understand that it has just come to their knowledge that another attempt was made in last month to obtain no less than three ounces of arsenic from another chemist's in the town, and in the same way as in the other cases—namely, by the agency of a little boy, and by a forged order. Whether this attempt was successful or not, they are not at present aware, not having been able as yet to communicate with the chemist, Mr. Bradbury, who is out of town. As the little boy employed has not yet come forward, a reward of £2 will at once be offered, and will doubtless be as successful as in the other cases. The particulars are as follows :—On the 21st of July, between one and two in the afternoon, a boy took a note to the shop of Mr. Bradbury, chemist, 21, North-road, at the corner of Regent-street. This note contained a request that three ounces of arsenic might be delivered to the bearer, and purported to come from Messrs. Glaisyer and Kemp. Nothing further is at present known beyond the fact that the boy took away a small parcel with him, whether arsenic or not will probably be shown at the adjourned inquiry. Christiana Edmunds was again examined at Brighton on Thursday, on the charge of poisoning Mr. Beard. The court was crowded. Mr. Stuckey now stated that the charges be should bring against the prisoner were three— first, administering poison to Mrs. Beard, with intent to murder; second, administering poison to Mrs. Boys,wife of a retired solicitor,with same intent ; thirds administering poison to Mr. Garrett, chemist, from whom she obtained the strychnine. There were two other cases of leaving poison with intent to do grevious badily harm. Two taxidermists gave evidence as to the death of a dog which had taken place shortly after the prisoner had been caressing the animal. The limbs and muscles were limp, but the backbone was curved inwards. Mr. Nethercliffe, expert, of London, said he had no doubt the writing sent with the cakes and fruits, as also the forged orders for the poison, were in the same hand as that of the letter sent to Dr. Beard by the prisoner. Professor Rodgers, of the London Hospital Medical College, said the vomit of Mrs. Beard's servant contained arsenic. The same poison was sprinkled over the cakes and fruits, one cake being literally stuffed full of arsenic,while two peaches were covered all over with strychnine. A letter ordering poison from another chemist was also proved to be in the same handwriting as those previously referred to. The chemist had left Brighton, but the order was found among hi, N, and wild be produced. 'rhe sth., nu .roe, f attempting to poison Mrs. liflyv, ti.,,, •.1 coed. Cakes had been sent to Mn, KIN, which had made those who partook of theni show symptoms of arsenical poisoning. The address on the wrapper, which had been preserved, was proved to be in the same handwriting as the prisoner's. One of the cakes had been. found to contain nearly eight grains of sulphide of arsenic. At this stage of the proceedings Mr. Stukey applied for a week's remand, which was granted. The prisoner seemed throughout very indifferent to the proceedings, except that now and then she passed a note to her solicitor, and tried to avoid the gase of so many persons.