Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1862-06-27 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

YORK LADY. The inquest on the body of Mrs Frances Phillips, aged 27, the wife of a wealthy horse dealer, of Knightsbridge, whose death it is alleged was caused through the administration of poison, was resumed on Monday. Mrs Little, of York, the mother of the deceased, deposed that, early in the present year, soon after the confinement of her daughter, she found her crying, and she said that Mr. Phillips said she would die. On the 12th of February, Mr. Phillips told witness that she must not go into her daughter's bedroom, but that she might remain in the house. She afterwards followed him to the bedroom door, and heard her daughter say, "Where's mother ?" Mr. Phillips remarked that the doctors said no one was to be in the room. At five o'clock, witness sent deceased some tea and toast. About six o'clock, witness was in the kitchen, with Eliza Green and several others, when they heard a loud scream, and a cry for a light. Witness and the others ran to the room and found Mr Phillips there. Deceased said that Mr Phillips had poisoned her. Witness asked how he had done it, and she replied, "He leaned over me twice, and forced the medicine down my throat. It was so strong that it took my breath away." She then turned to Mr. Phillips and said, "You wilful murderer, you have Palmered me." The deceased's face was very black, and she begged her to go for a doctor and a magistrate.—Miss Anne Phillips, sister of the deceased, corroborated part of the evidence of the previous witness, and after some similar evidence, Mr Serjeant Ballantine said that was the ease for the friends of the deceased.—Mr Phillips, the husband of deceased, was then called. He said: when I sent for Dr. Oldham, Mrs Little would not let him see deceased. She said that Dr. Brown, her doctor, should be sent for, and I sent for him. He entered the room, and said that be never saw such a case in his life. He offered to take me in his carriage to a police magistrate for advice. Mrs Little came up stairs with a table knife, flourishing it about in her hand. Dr. Brown did not come again. Dr. Martin was then called in. I did not hear anything about jealousy with regard to Mrs Thomas Phillips until the last fortnight. (The witness was here affected to tears.) Dr. Martin told me that he had attended the Littles. and understood all about them. On Wednesday I administered to deceased an effervescing draught. She was wandering a little. She did not call out then, but when I gave her a second draught some time afterwards, she spat it out. I left the room, and presently the cook came running to me and said, "Oh, come up stairs, sir, there's a scene above." I went up and witnessed such a scene as I never saw before in my life. Mrs Little and her daughter were calling out to my wife, "You're poisoned; you've been Palmered ; there's the blood coming from your nose ;" and they were all in a state of extreme excitement. I gave orders subsequently not to allow any one of them to enter the room, but I let Mrs Little pass the night in the house.—Mr. Kyle, surgeon, deposed to Mr Phillips's anxiety for the safety of his wife, who laboured under great excitement, and had suffered very severely from natural causes. He found Mrs Litttle " interfere a good deal." In his opinion, deceased "died of fright, shock, and excitement, operating on her system."—After some further evidence, the Jury returned a verdict of "Died from natural causes."—The verdict was received with applause.