The Daily Times. — 1860-08-25 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

CONVICTS.—A most savage and wanton attack took place on Saturday, at the hemp store of the Portsmouth dockyard. While the convicts were at their usual work two of them, apart from the rest, watched their opportunity, and suddenly sprung on the warder and endeavoured to throttle him. They got him down and jumped upon him, at the same time kicking him in a most brutal manner. Fortunately the warder was a powerful and determined man, and after a hard struggle with the ruffians threw one of them, upon his back, and was thus enabled to draw his staff, and such good use did he make of it that he shortly brought the miscreants on, their knees suing for mercy. The alarm had by this time been given, and the fellows were secured in a very battered condition. The warekr was much injured, and for some days will be confined Lei the hospital. Tan isanseuisirsuxe SALE OP POEiONS.—An inquest was held on Thursday evening at the Maid and Magpie public-house, Stepney, before Mr. Humphreys, coroner, and a jury, on the body of Mrs. Rebecca Stephens, a widow, aged 37, who committed suicide by swallowing a quantity of oxalic acid. The deceased had been a widow three years. She was the mother of eight. children, to whom she was very fondly attached, and had assured the lives of all in November and December,. 1858, for sums varying from £5 to LIZ each, and had paid the weekly premiums regularly. She kept S. general shop in Wellington-place, Stepney, and was, a very industrious and thrifty woman. Some time age she formed an intimacy with a married man named Sudergreen, a broker and appraiser, and they had. cohabited together for about eighteen months. He was the father of four children, and they lived with the deceased, and she was very kind to them. The intercourse with Sudergreen proved an unhappy one. The deceased had been greatly troubled for several months past, and was .at times very incoherent. She had also complained of her head, and informed her neighbours that if they ever found the shutters up they must not be surprised. About five weeks since she gave birth to a child, which has since died, and this event appeared to increase her afflictions and her disordered brain. On Tuesday morning the deceased managed to send all the children out of the way, and directed one of them, a boy aged eight years, to proceed to a distant chemist's shop, and purchase twopennywortle of oxalic acid. When the boy returned with the poison he found the house closed, and the street door fastened. A communication was made to the deceased's neighbours, and they being unable to enter the house,. and no answer being given to their repeated knockings, the police were sent for, and two constables procured a ladder, and obtained admission at the window of the first floor. The deceased was found stretched on the floor quite dead. A cup, containing a small quantity' of oxalic acid, was found upon a table in the room. Mr. James Horton, a surgeon, and registered medical practitioner-, of High-street, Stepney, had made a post-mortem examination of the body, and said that death was caused by swallowing oxalic acid, and the stomach was very much corroded. In answer to a question by the coroner, Mr. Horton said the, parcel of oxalic acid purchased by the deceased's son was sufficient to kill three or four persons. The jury said there was no doubt the deceased's guilty intercourse with Sudergreen had preyed on her mind, and then expressed an opinion that chemists and druggista were highly cul pable in selling dangerous poisons. The deceased had. been provided with several doses of oxalic acid before, she sent the boy for another parcel on Tuesday morning.. It was monstrous that chemists and druggists should be permitted to sell deadly poisons to children. The coroner agreed in all that had fallen from the jury. This was a matter of the deepest importance to the public at large. He should impound the oxalic acid on the table, and adopt some further proceedings in the matter. The jury then returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide, and was of unsound mind when she committed the act.