Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1880-10-30 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTING TO POISON. At the Lambeth Polioaoourt Harriet Edginton, IA a respettable-looking girl, described as a domestie servant, wan charged before Mr. Chance with malt@Moly musing to be administered to Mary Elizabeth Edwards, certain poison, so as to endanger her life or to do her grievous bodily harm, at 44, Spencer-road, Dulwich.rond, on the 14th inst. The prosecutrix, s widow, keeping a lodging - house, stated that the prisoner had been in her service from July until the day mentioned in the charge. On that day proseentrix left a cup of °offco on the dresser in the kitchen Irbilet she went upstairs for a short time. The prisoner was the only person in the kitchen. Upon coming back she saw the prisoner leaving the kitchen, and she appeared to look rather strangely at her. Pneecutrix then took a piece of toast net of the coffee, and putting it in her mouth noticed it had a very pectdiar flavour. She asked the prisoner about it, and she seid she had only put a little dirty water into the coffee out of a jug. Not feeling eatisSed, protecutrix pet the coffee into a bottle and took it to Dr. Sutcliffe, who declared it was poison. She then took the pri toyer to the doctor, and in answer to him the prisoner said she had got the stuff from a chemist for the toothache. The doctor said if any pemon had drank the stuff it would have killed them. Prosecutrix refused to allow the girl to stay in the house that night, and she went away. She did not know that the prisoner had any ill.fmling towards her. She had pledged some article belonging to her, and she declined to par her any more wages for a time. Dr. Sutcliffe eaid he °manned the contents of the bottle, and found it to consist of at least three - parts laudenum. He asked the prisoner where she had got the stuff Irma, but for a long time she made no replv. 'Ultimately she decla another *errant had given it to her, and added, "I pt it in some water in a jug and added it to the coffee." Mr. Chance ached the witness if there was sufficient laudanum in the coffee to destroy life, and he replied that the quantity w. more than snottzli to kill two persons. rhere were at least, he should say, six grains of laudanum. In fact, the smell of it would lead him to believe it was almost laudanum alone. Mr. Chance smelt the liquid and coincided in the doctor's opinion. Detective Perris said lie was in the prisoner's waiting' room of the court that morning, and heard her say that there Ivall about twopennyworth in the bottle, and that she bought itrt a chemist's at Brixton. When taken into custody the prisoner made ne reply to the charge. Mr. Chanos asked the prisoner whether she wished to put any questions to the witnesses, or say anything to the charge. It was a very serious matter, and it was by • mere chance that the prisoner sea. not in tle dock upon a charge of murder. The prisoner said she did not do it to poison Mrs. Edwards ; she meant to take it for the toothache. Mr. Chance said if the prosecutrix had taken it she would have, without aoui,t, died. Mn ordered • remand, and directed that the contents of the bottle should be analysed, and also inquiries made to find out how the prisoner became possessed of so large a quantity of laudanum. The prisoner, who made MCI further °Nervation, was then removed.  UNVEILING OF THE BURNS STATUE