The Sun. — 1845-12-15 (London, England)

ERLE.) CHARGE OF MURDER BY POISONING.—Jane Windsor, aged 28, the wife of Richard Windsor, was charged with the wilful murder of Joseph Windsor, her stepson, at Easingwold, in the North Riding, on the 17th of July last, by giving him a quantity of arsenic. The poisoning was variously stated in the indictment, as administered in tea, in treacle, and in bread. Mr. Bliss, Mr. Matthews, and Mr. Blanshard were counsel for the prosecution ; Mr. Overend and Mr. Hardy appeared for the prisoner. Mr. Brass, in opening the case, stated that the prisoner and her husband were labouring people, and unployed in the neigbourhood where the alleged offence was committed. The deceased was the stepson of the prisoner, and at the time of his death was about seven years of age. The boy's father and the prisoner had been married in the year 1843, and a portion of the evidence to be adduced would be to prove repeated acts of cruelty on the part of the prisoner towards the deceased, as indicating her dislike of him. The poison was of a kind commonly known as " bug• poison," and it was supposed that the child had been killed by the administering of a substance of that kind, some of which had, just before his death, been used about the house inhabited by the prisoner's family. Elizabeth Leekonby, widow, of Easingwold, deposed that on the 17th July she went to the prisoner's house, to ask if she and those that accompanied her were to go out to work. She sent the deceased for some cream. On the boy's return, he said, "Mother, you need not go to Mr. Gill's this morning ;" when she said as they were not going to work, she would give him some treacle and brimstone, as there was a very bad smell issued from his nose, which was at the time running very much. Witnets did not see the bread, but afterwards saw it, and she then observed that it was of a dark colour. The prisoner gave the child some tea, and witness was confident it was sweetened with treacle, on account of what appeared at the bottom of the utensil she drank it from. There appeared to be about half a tea-spoonful of treacle to have been dissolved in the tea. Witness did not see any treacle put into the tea, but she judged from what she saw that the quantity specified by her was what had been administered to the deceased. She left the house whilst the prisoner mixed the draught, and some time afterwards the grandmother of the deceased wished her to go and see the boy. Witness did so, and she found deceased very ill and sick ; witness then asked if they had not sent for the doctor, to which the prisoner replied that she had sent for Mr. Eastdale, but he was not at home. Witness said they had better send for some one, as it might turn out a dangerous case. They sent for Mr. Scaife, but he not being at home, Mr. Wylie was sent for. The child at this time appeared to be very ill. The father and the mother were standing by. When Mr. Wylie attended the deceased was laid upon some chairs, but he was afterwards removed to a bed up stairs. The father was sent for, and whilst he was embracing the deceased, the latter threw himself back as though he was suffering much pain. Witness afterwards took deceased upon her knee, and he threw himself back as though he was dying. On the Saturday following she stated to the prisoner that reports were prevalent that poison had been found in the child's stomach by Mr. Scaife, when the prisoner said that she did not care what anybody said, nobody could prove that she had either purchased or administered any poison. Witness was present when the deceased died. The prisoner laid the deceased's legs straight, and said he might be there whilst she prepared her husband a cup of tea. Witness never saw the pri• soner use any sand. Cross-examined by Mr.