The Cotton Factory Times. — 1891-08-14 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

GOT. UP AFFAIR.  At Lewes Assizes before Mr. Justice Hawkins, two young ladies were tried for conspiring together to effect the suicide of one of them by poison. Edith Spiller, a daughter of a respectable family at Worthing, and Miss Brawe, a governess in the family, were indicted for conspiring together to bring about the death by suicide of Mass Spiller. Suicide being in law self-murder, the technical form which the indictment in various courts took was that they conspired together with intent to murder Edith Spiller. Ii appeared that Miss Edith Spiller was the daughter of a family in the county, and Mies Brawe was a governess in the family, and they were staying on a visit at Worthing, where Mrs. Spiller was also a visitor. Some time ago there had been a love affair of Miss Spiller's of which her mother bad disapproved, and this, it was alleged, had preyed on the young lady's mind. On the 11th of June last the two ladies were in a pleasure-break on an excursion. They were sitting behind the driver; three other young ladies, Miss Goble, Miss Taylor, and Mies Hopper, were on the driver's scat in front of them. The attention of these ladies was attracted beau animated conversation between Miss Spiller and her friend, in which, as Miss Goble said, strong language was used as to the conduct of the mother with reference to Miss Spiller's unfortunate attachment. Her mother, she said, had behaved cruelly to her, and Miss Brawe seemed, it was said, to be sympathising with her. On their arrival at the place they kept much by themselves, and on their return, the ladies being in the same relative positions as before, the same sort of conversation was continued —and suicide was spoken of—suicide by poison; and different kinds of poison were mentioned and disouseed, Miss Spiller observed that she should not like a corrosive poison, which would give her pain by burning, and that she would prefer a soporific poison, such as laudanum. One of them observed that it was a terrible thing to think . that one of thorn would be dead on the morrow. One of them—Miss Spiller—alluded to a post mortem as very disagreeable; and then some allusien was made to a future, and Miss Brawe observed to her companion, I fear you are not good enough for Heaven, and fancy you are not bad enough for hell: and so you will o into purgatory." "What is that ?" asked the girl. "It is a place," said the governess, "where the anguish of remorse is absorbed in hope." Mitid Goble, who had heard all this, and had, the said, fancied it might have been said merely to "take • rise" out of her and the other ladies, looked round and saw that they looked distressed. She thought it, the said, her duty to fellow them and watch them, and she found that they went to a chemist's shop at Worthing and purchased something which, on inquiry of the chemist, she found to have been poison. She then told the chemist what had passed, and the police were coinmuuioated with, and the mother was informed of the affair, who was very angry about it, and, in the result, this prosecution was instituted, it did not appear by whom.—Mr. Gill having opened the case, called Miss Goble as a witness, who gave evidence to the effect above stated, and was cross-examiaed with a view to show that the girls were not serious. --The learned Judge asked what was the defence intended to be set up?—Mr. Hall said it was that there was no serious intention of doing anything of the character suggested, that the two young ladies, observing that the other ladies were listening to their conversation, resolved to "play upon them" by talking about poison, and, to carry out the joke, went and bought some laadenue% but without the slightest intention of it being takEn. The learned Judge said it was a very foolish thing on their part, but was it worth while to persist in the prosecution? —Mr. Gill said he did not feel justified in withdrawing from it.—Soon afterwards, however, the jury asked if his Lordship could not stop the prasecution, as it was a mere waste of time.—The learned Judge said he quite agreed with the jury, and thought it would be a waste of time to attempt to go on with the prosecution.—Mr. Gill thereupon said he now felt justified in withdrawing the prosecution.—The learned Judge, observing that he could not feel any sympathy with these young latches— who had Doted very foolishly—directed them to be acquitted and discharged.  A. physician was called in to a man with whom he was acquainted, and whose disease he had some difficulty in diagnosing. After examining and questioning the patient, he sought the wife, hoping to gain from her some further information. "is your husband a man of regular habits ?" he inquired. "Quite so," was the prompt reply. "indeed! I supposed that he might possibly be a little irregular." "Not a bit of it. I don't see how a man could be more regular than John is. Ile goes to his business every morning at nine, and comes home drunk every night at one o'clock exactly." George IV. on one occasion casually entered a private apartment at Windsor Castle, and encounterod, somewhat to his surprise, his valet, who was seated at a table loaded with viands and eating with great avidity. " Ah," exclaimed the King, "I was always fond of scenery, and here is a lovely piece of landscape spread out before me." The valet smiled feebly, but politely intimated that he did not understand the King's allusion to landscape and scenery. '6Why," replied the tirst gentieman in Europe, "del not see before me a smiling valet with a magnificent gorge ?" The valet hereupon rose and retired, excasui,g himself to the King ou the .pround &bat be bed tanned suddenly "hill."  ••• • •  •,•