The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1855-09-11 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

HORRIBLE OCCURRENCE NEAR BATA.—ATTEMPTED PARnroms.—Mr. Charles Fulton, an opulent tradesmen of Bath; and one of the members of the municipal corporation of that city, has had several doses of arsenic administered to him, with a view to his murder, by his only son, Thomas Fulton, a young man of between 24 and 25 years of age. Mr. Fulton did not reside upon his business premises at Bath, but occupied a country residence called Lambridge. His family consisted of his wife, some daughters, and the son, Mr. Thomas Fulton. The latter was a young man of extravagant and somewhat dissolute habits, but he was indulgently treated by his father and all the family. Little doubt, therefore, is entertained that his object was to destroy his father's life in order to possess himself of the property wherewith to sustain his extravagant habits. For some weeks past, Mr. Fulton, sen., had been attacked at intervals with violent pains, which symptoms came on generally after meals. Medical aid was from time to time procured, and the malady succumbed to the treatment employed, but the symptoms, nevertheless, caused great uneasiness to be felt by all the members of the family. On Sunday, the 19th ult., Mr. Fulton had a very violent attack, which, it is now remembered, came on shortly after his drinking a glass of beer, which was handed to him by his son. Mr. Harris, surgeon, was sent for, and prescribed for the symptoms which he found, and under his treatment the unfortunate gentleman got better, and was sufficiently recovered by the 27th to be able to go into Bath to his place of business. Upon going hou,e again in the evening he felt weak and exhausted, and fanciful as regarded his appetite, and he requested that he might have some fried potatoes and a thin rasher or two of bacon prepared for him. The meat was served up, and Mr. Fulton, after eating a portion of it, complained of tastins• in his mouth the same metallic coppery taste which he had'observed on former occasions. This was at first ascribed to fancy, but in a few minutes he was seized with pains as before. Mr. Harris was again called in, and his suspicions becoming excited, inquiries were instituted, and it was to and discovered that when the fried potatoes were being prepared, Mr. Thomas Fulton entered the kitchen, and under pretence observedust have contrived water into, tto the away,frfrying-pan, n a g then pa, table of being anxious to prevent delay, volunteered to cut up some on, h emptied otatoes ; e which n:ipitcltliyie hppel afterwardsotvheartafterthe fihis fouled t .ah nr a's sickness afterwards me oy the placed to boil, took the plate of potatoes which remained into the garden, that he e e he was &so to t o thw them pour must the water away. The circumstances increasing the suspicion against him, and leaving little doubt that he•had contrivel to mix some poisonous substance with the potatoes, portion of the contents of the stomach, and subsequentlya the l frying-pan, were sent to Mr. Herapath, the well-known analytical chemist, of Bristol, who succeeded in producing arsenic from both. Finding that his diabolical Fulton attempt at parricide had been detected, • young .fled from his home and has not since been heard of. A warrant has, however, ms, been issued fin. his arrest, and a description of his person telegraphed to the different police-stations.