Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1861-09-11 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

MURDERS BY POISONING AT COVENTRY.  The inhabitants of Coventry have been pained by what now appears to be a double murder by the administration of arsenic to Betsy and Emily Beamish, the wife and infant child of William Beatniali, against whom the coroner's jury, after a protracted inquiry, have returned a verdict of Wilful Murder. The following are the facts of the case as disclosed to the jury The prisoner, who for several years was a Sunday-school teacher, carried on the business of a riband weaver in a domestic factory, situated at Hill-fields, and on the morning of the 14th of August the whole of the family, with the exception of the prisoner himself, were at breakfast, there being two other children in addition to the deceased. The prisoner took his breakfast with him to the factory, where be had sonic work Before the meal was finished, the whole of the persons partaking of it were seized with vomiting, and the mother remarked that it was singular that they should be taken ill together. As soon as these symptoms appeared Jane Stokes, a sister, was engaged to wait upon deceased, who were also attended occasionally by a young woman named Emma Statbam, whose name frequently occurs in connexion with that of the prisoner. The child, Emily Beamish, fell in convulsions on the following day, and died at night in the arms of the nurse. Mrs. Beamish, however, lingered. A neighbour came in and asked her what was the matter, and if she had taken anything which disagreed with her; to which she replied, "Oh. no! the children have had bread and treacle and bread and dripping for breakfast, and, to tell you the truth. I was eating a bit of dry bread myself. I feel very ill indeed." She further stated that the doctor said she had got the bowel complaint, but she thought it was something worse than that. On the Saturday she was so much better that recovery appeared possible; but she experienced a relapse, and on Tuesday, the 20th, she died. The contents of the stomach, as well as the viscera, were forwarded in a jar to Dr. Wrighton, an analytical ehymist of some repute at Birmingham. He made an analysis, and found arsenic in a small quantity in the stomach, and evidence of the poison in the liver, the blood of the heart, and the transverse colon. Inquiries were made which showed that the prisoner had made repeated endeavours to purchase arsenic immediately prior to the sickness of the deceased. He first of all went to the shop of a Mr. Parkes, chymist, Hill-fields, and asked for a pennyworth of arsenic, remarking that he had obtained some previously to mix with soft soap, to destroy bugs. Parkes could not, or would not, sell the arsenic. Three days afterwards he called on Mr. Jenkins, ehymist, Smithfield-street, and asked for three pennyworth of arsenic to poison rats, with which he said he was very much annoyed, but being informed that it could not be sold without a witness as to what it was required for, he went away for one. He subsequently returned with a person who stated that the arsenic was required to poison rats, and an ounce and a half was given to him accordingly. He called again the same day, and asked the assistant for arsenic, but the latter said they did not keep it. He recommended "Battle's vermin killer" and phosphor paste as efficacious in killing rats, but the prisoner said he had tried them both and they would not do. He was then recommended to try the ordinary doe-fig. On the following Monday he called again and purchased one pennyworth of cloe-fig, stating that he had not obtained any arsenic. When taken into custody he stated that he had used the arsenic for the purpose of destroying the rats whieh infested the peas and beans in his garden, where he said there was a quantity scattered, but none was found. The doe-fig, not used, and the empty arsenic paper, labelled" poison," were on his person. A considerable quantity of the arsenic taken by the deceased, and especially the woman, must have passed in the matter ejected from the stomach whenever she vomited. The question of the possibility of the poison having accidentally got into the food, or that Betsy Beamish committed suicide, was set aside by the prisoner, William Beamish, having attracted suspicion of the commission of the crime of murder by his own acts. One strong piece of circumstantial evidence against him was found in the following incident : Shortly after the death of his wife he manifested consl.derable solicitude that some one should be present while he searched the pockets of his wife's dress. Jane Stokes was present, and her statement is that Beamish took out of his wife's dress pocket a purse, and, opening it he pulled forth a note, written on a small slip of paper. Before he had time to make himself acquainted with the contents, he threw down the note and exclaimed, in apparent agitation, "Where's Betsy ? Where's Betsy ?" He seemed as if he would tear open the coffin. Stokes picked up the note, Beaniish observing that he had only  read the firq two words. The note, if writt,n by Betsy Beamish, would go to show that she had poisoned the child fin.t and emanated suicide afterwaids. But the note was proved 15 have been written by the prisoner Beamisb, who wished to get rid of his wife in order to marry another woman.