The Sun. — 1845-04-14 (London, England)

COMMITTAL OF A WIFE FOR THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND. LINCOLN, FRlDAY.—Another of those shocking acts of poisoning has recently been brought to light at a small village called Laceby, near Grimsby, concerning which Jane Bell was yesterday committed to Lincoln Castle, for trial at the next assizes, charged with the wilful murder of her husband, Edward Bell, by administering to him a certain quantity of arsenic. The unfortunate deceased was a respectable master carter in the village, and the suddenness of his death, which took place on the 20th ult., naturally rendered a coroner's inquiry necessary. Mr. W. Meirris, one of the county coroners, opened the inquest on the body at the Waterloo Inn in the village, and Messrs. Lappington and Keethley, two surgeons of Laceby, having discovered, after a pos4 mortem examination, and a careful analysis of the contents of the stomach, that the deceased had died from the effect of arsenic, coupled with other very suspicious facts, tending to fix upon the unhappy woman the commission of the shocking act, she was promptly ordered into the custody of the proper authorities. The investigation was then adjourned, in order to afford time for the collection 'of further evidence respecting the tragical event, and on its being resumed it was satisfactorily ascertained that the poison had been administered in arrowroot. Additional evidence was also produced corroborative of the accused's guilt, and although certainly it was considered as almost approaching conclusive, still the jury entertained a doubt, and eventually recorded a verdict of " Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown." She was accordingly liberated ; but from her previous conduct to her deceased partner, which had been spoken to at the Coroner's inquest, the authorities were induced to institute further inquiries as to the mysterious affair ; the result of which was the re-apprehension cf the wretched woman on a warrant issued by the county justices, and on Wednesday she was duly brought before Mr. R. Throld and the Rev. S. Gedge, magistrates, from Grimsby gaol for examination, charged with having administered to her husband, Edward Bell, a quantity of arsenic, and by means whereof he became sick and died. The wretched creature, who is far advanced in pregnancy, about five months, and who wept bitterly during the proceedings, declared at the onset of the examination her complete innocence of the awful crime imputed to her, ejaculating frequently "I am clear of my husband's death. I did not cause it." Mr. Horace Watson, a druggist, living in the village, deposed that the prisoner a short time previous to her husband's death purchased a quantity of arsenic at his shop, for the purpose, as she stated, of killing vermin, but which, for reasons alleged by her, was not used, but thrown away. Mr. W. Pearsall, a consulting chemist at Hull, clearly proved the deceased's death to have resulted from arsenic. On being called upon for her defence, she replied that she had nothing to sad•; she was as free from causing her husband's death as the unborn infant which she bore. Respecting the poison, she said that she procured it solely to destoy vermin, and not for Any other purpose. She was committed for trial at the ensuing assizes.