The Northern Daily Times. — 1857-01-14 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE LATE DISTRESSING CASE OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE IN LONDON.  Martha Rebecca Jukes, a widow about 30 years of age, was brought up on remand before Mr. Selfe, at the Thames police court, on Monday, charged with administering laudanum to her son, William Jukes, aged five years, and also with taking laudanum, with the intention of committing suicide. The prisoner's husband committed suicide a few months since, while she was attending her father's funeral at Yarmouth, in Norfolk, and she had since endeavoured to snpport herself and child by needlework, for which she was• very badly paid, and becoming quite destitute, she procured fourpenny worth of laudanum, and after administering some of it to her little boy, swallowed the rest herself. Something strange in the appearance of the prisoner caused her landlady to send for medical aid, and she was conveyed to the London Hospital, where the wretched woman and her child were relieved by emetics, and the poison dislodged from their stomachs. Both mother ani child were in a state of partial insensibility when brought to the hospital. They remained under the kind treatment of Mr. Burch, the resident medical officer, for several days,. until cured. Mr. Burch was of opinion enough laudanum had been taken by the prisoner and her boy to destroy life, and that the prisoner was in a state of great mental depression and physical exhaustion when brought to the hospital. She became exceedingly penitent, and was very sorry for what she had done. The depression was such as to cells° that state of mind called melancholis. Mr. Selfe s'ated that be haul re•teivel a letter from the Chaplain of the Cleikenwell House of Detention, stating what he had no doubt was very true, that the prisoner was extremely penitent, and regretted the rash and dangerous act she had committed. If he consulted his own feelings, he should not send the prisoner for trial. Ha must, however, commit her for trial, on the charge of administering , poison to her child. He was afraid, if he did not do so, others would take advantage of the lenity exercised and commit similar offences. There was no doubt the prisoner had seen much trouble and sorrow,and he had letters from kindly disposed persons who would receive her when she canoe out of prison. Elo would tike etre that these communications and others should be made tothe judge who presided on the trial. Bridgland, a police sergeant, No. 39 K, said a gentleman had called upon hint and 'remised to assist the prisoner and her child whenever she obt►ined her liberty. There was a good deal of sympathy manifested for the poor woman. The depositions were then formelly taken by Mr. Pyer, the chief clerk, and it appeared the prisoner bad been in a low and desponding Late ever since the lamentable suicide 'of her husband, and that she was almost starved on slop work. The depositions having been comeleted, Mr. Burch said he wished to make a few remarks relating to the sale of poisons. The prisoner procured four separate pennyworths of laudanum at as many druggists' shops. A great rosny persons had been brought to the London Hospital during the eleven years he had practised there, suffering from the effects of poisons, which they readily procured at the drug shops. A case of that kind was brought to the hospital that ' morning. He thought something shonhl be done to stop the • indiscriminate sale of deadly poisons. If these druggists who • , had sold poisons to persons, which bad in numerous cases been the cause of death, were not legally responsible, they were mcially so. Mr. Selfe : Mr. Buu'ch, it is difficult to say where . line is to be drawn. It would be going too far to say to chemists and druggists, " You shall not sell a pennyworth of laudanum," or some other drug, which, if used judiciously. did good. Many persons buy laudanum to relieve the uoothache. It is not like prussic acid, strychnine or arsenic, which, under no circumstances, ought to be sold by druggists, or dispensed in any way, except under the advice of a properly . qualified medical practitioner. If the sale of laudanum, and other drugs, are to be prohibited, it can only bo done by such restrictions and regulations as would be sore to be obnoxious to Englishtnen. I don't like to blame the parties who sold the laudanum, unless I know all the circumstances under which it was procured. Mr. Burch was of opinion it was a dangerous practice for druggists to sell laudanum at all, and hoped that the matter would be brought before the Legislature in a proper form. The prisoner was then committed for trial, and in answer to an application from the prisoner's brother, to put in bail. Mr. Selfe observed that he wished the prisoner to obtain the seclusion of a prison, and receive the attention and kindness of the governor and chaplain of Newgate, to which prison she was going. He refused to take bail.