The Sun. — 1846-08-26 (London, England)

WHOLESALE POISONINGS IN  ESSEX.  CLAVERING, ESSEX, TUESDAY NIGHT.—In this journal last week appeared an account of the examination of a woman named Sarah Cheeseman, before Lord Braybrooke, and other magistrates of the county of Essex, on a charge of attempting to poison a child belonging to another female, by rubbing a quantity of salve over and in its mouth, which was found to be impregnated with arsenic. The case was so clear, that the magistrates felt it their duty to send her for trial. in consequence of this, suspicions were raised that the children of Cheeseman, who were known to have died in rather a sudden manner, might have been got rid of by poison, and the authorities or Clavering parish felt it their duty to transmit their suspicions to Charles Cain Lewis, Esq , the coroner for the southern division of the county of Essex. Upon this Mr. Lewis kit it his duty to enter into an inquiry into the circumstances attending their deaths, although they took place as far back as the early part of 1845, and ordered the bodies of two children to be exhumed. This was done, and the stomachs, with the contents, were forwarded to Professor Graham, of the London University College, for analysation. This gentleman being compelled to leave town, the analysation was confided to Mr. Alfred Taylor, of Guy's Hospital. After a variety of experiments, a large quantity of arsenic was discovered, sufficient to cause the death of several persons, in each stomach. On the result being communicated to the Coroner, that functionary felt it his duty to order another body to be exhumed, and the stomach, with the contents, to be sent to London. This was done, and Mr. Taylor, on making an analysis, found it to be also strongly impregnated with arsenic.  DESPERATE ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE BY A YOUNG FEMALE AT HUNGERFORD PlER.—Yesterday morning, as early as three o'clock, and indeed even before that period, the attention of some of the watermen acd others connected with Hungerford Pier, was directed to a young female, named Mary Ann Butler, who was walking about there for some time in a very suspicious manner, and on being questioned as to her business at that early hour, she made no reply, but merely sobbed and shed tears, appearing altogether melancholy. Soon after she walked away, and about five o'clock she again returned, and having passed under the floating pier, she made a few signs in a somewhat theatrical manner, and then ejaculated in an emphatic tone, " Alas ! I cannot bear it any longer, I must and will die ; God forgive me my sins." She then made a terrific plunge into the water, and almost immediately disappeared. Two persons, who had witnessed the occurrence at this moment arrived at the spot, and both being expert swimmers dived in after her, with all their clothes on, and in a few seconds she again appeared on the surface, when they succeeded in rescuing her from a watery grave. The unfortunate creature, who is well educated, and appears to be highly respectable, was then conveyed in a state of insensibility and exhaustion, to the Charing-cross Hospital, and placed under the charge of Mr. Channon, the house-surgeon. It was at first considered that life was extinct, but after half an hour's labour at resuscitation signs of life became evident. She still remains at the above institution, conducting herself in the most rational manner, but refusing to give any information as to her friends or the inducement to attempt so rash an act.