The Sun. — 1846-05-15 (London, England)

OBTAIN FUNERAL CLUB MONEY.  RUNCORN, SATURDAY.--.An inquiry, which has occupied the attention of Mr. 11. Churton, one of the coroners for the county of Chester, nearly the whole day, has produced a degree of excitement never before known in this part of the country. The inquest was held on the bodies of two children of Joseph and Mary Pimlett, who are in custody, charged with the murder of two of their own offspring, and attempting the murder of a third. Pimlett, it appears, is a ship carpenter, and he with his family came to reside in Runcorn about three months before Christmas. Amongst those who knew him he was considered a respectable, industrious, sober, and humane man.  The circumstances which led to the disclosure are as fol. lows :.--On the 6th of March, James Pimlett, an infant, ten months old, was reported to have been found dead in bed. An inquest was held on the body, and the principal witness examined was the mother, who gave such an account of the illness of the child as to induce the coroner's jury to believe that death was the result of one of the various diseases incident to children, and a verdict was returned of " Found dead." On the 16th of the same month another child, Richard Pimlet, was taken ill. This child was taken to a medical gentleman, Mr. Edward Pye, who administered an aperient medicine. A day or two afterwards the mother called upon Mr. Pye, and in consequence of her representations two alterative powders were given to her. Those powders, however, were afterwards found in the house of the parents, having never been administered. This child died on the 21st, and was buried, the father giving orders to the sexton of the church that the body of his former child should be taken out of the grave, the grave made deeper, and the new coffin placed under the body previously buried. On Monday, the 27th of April, the mother took the third child, named Thomas, to the surgery of Mr. Pye. This was three years and two months old, and the symptoms pro• duced no suspicion at the time in the mind of Mr. Pye. Subsequently. Mr. Pye's suspicions were excited, and he gave information to the magistrates and also to the coroner of the county, and in the mean time the child having be., come very sick and ill, Mr. Pye ordered the mother to preserve the ejecta, but she cunningly avoidrd doing so, and frustrated his purpose for obtaining possession of any portion of it. However, being afraid of the life of the child, it was removed from its parents, and both she and her husband were taken into custody. Subsequent inquiries prove that arsenic bad been administered to the child The coroner then issued his warrant for the disinterment of the bodies of James and Richard, and summoned Mr. Pye to make a post -nwrtent examination of them. On the coffins being opened, both bodies were remarkably fresh, considering the period of time which bad elapsed since death. This led to the supposition that arsenic might have been taken by them, as it has the effect of preserving dead bodies. The internal viscera was removed from both and analysed, a small portion of that of the body of Richard by Mr. Page, who found arsenic in the brain, kidneys, spleen, liver, and other parts of the body. The rest was analysed by Dr. Brett, professor of chemistry, of Liverpool, who found in 64 ounces of contents of the stomach of Richard Pimlett no less than eleven grains of white arsenic, or, as he observed, enough to kill several persons. Arsenic was also clearly detected in the abdominal viscera of the other body. A great variety of circumstantial evidence was given affecting the charge, particularly against the mother; but there being nothing more than suspicion against the father, he was discharged, and the jury returned a verdict of" Wilful murder" against the mother, Mary Pimlett, in both cases. The prisoner, immediately on hearing the result, burst into tears, and loudly declared her innocence. The Coroner issued his warrant for the committal of the prisoner to take her trial for the offences at the next Chester assizes.