The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1881-12-20 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

THE WIMBLEDON MYSTERY.  STRANOZ DISCLOSURE'S.  On Friday afternoon, George Henry Lannon, who stands charged on suspicion of having caused the death of Percy Malcolm John by administering poison to him, was brought non remind at Wandsworth Pollee000rt, before Mr. Paget. Mr. Wontner said the charge on the last occasion was not formally one of murder, but now he preferred this charge, and proposed to complete the evidence of what °mune lon the 3rd December. He should show that the prisoner was the brother-in-law of the deceased. who was entitled to .C 3,500 which, on his death, went to his sister. He should slow that at the time of the occurrence, the prisoner was in want of money, and had pledged his watch and surgical Instruments; and on the 2nd December he want to a tradesman, who cashed • cheque, which was returned, marked "No account," so that he committed a criminal offence to obtain funds. He 'toyed at Nelson's Hotel, in London, where he was unable to pay the bill. Prisoner told a M, Tulloch that Percy was getting worse with curvature of thespian, and would soon die; but the story was untrue. His intention probably WM to go to Pain and to see his brother-in-law on the Friday. lie failed to get means, and put off the visit till the following day, when ha presented • fraudulent cheque on the Wilts and Dorset Bank. Two chemists' assistants who had seen and identified the yrisoner, would say that about the 24th the prisoner came to the ' shop ant said he was Dr. Lamson, and he wanted two grains of aconita. Both assistants saw the poison weighed, and put in the packet, and the prisoner took it away. The price paid was 21. 6d. for two grains. Mr. Wontner went on to state that various other suspicious circumstances would be adduced. Mr. Thomas Bond, F. R.C.S., lecturer on forensic medici eat Westminster Hospital, liviog at 7, elanctu• ' au-y, Westminster, was then called, and said: In accordance with instructions from the Director of Criminal Investigations, I went to Wimbledon on the 6th of December. I there made • post-mortem on the body of the deeessed, insisted by Dn. Berry and Little. The body was not at all decomposed, There was no mark of injury or violence. There was old-standing paralysis of the lower extremities, with great deformity. There was also curvature of the spine. Apart from that, the body appeared to be that of • perfectly healthy young man, me muscular development of the chant and upper extrearii. ties was very masked—that is, he was very strong. Th 3 surface of the body was pale, and the pupils of the eves were dilated, the nails on the feet and hands were livid, but there was no contraction of the hands. The mucous membrane of the mouth and lips was very pale, but not excoriated or burnt in any way. The surface of the tongue was rough and furred. / opened the skull cap and found the membranes of the brain somewhat congested. The brain itself was also slightly congested. There was no fluid in the ventricles of the brain nor under the membranes. On opening the chest I fund the apex of the right lung adherent to the walls of the chest, the I result of the old inflammation. There was a general congestion of both lungs and excessive cone'stion at the back of each lung There was a little fluid , in the cavity of the pleurn. On opening the bag of the I heart I found about • tableep nisful of blood.stained Neil. The heart was normal in Mae and flaccid, Neither the ventricl-s nor auricles contained any bd,od. but they were very darkly stained with blood. All the valves were perfectly healthy. The blood generally was dark and liquid. The liver was normal in size, but much congested. On opening the stomach I found about three or four ounces of dark fluid, which I carefully preserved. On examining the mucous membrane of the stomach I found it congested over the entire extent. On each