A girl lately found in the ruin of an old house, a small parcel, wrapped in paper, which she brought home to her mother.
This package contained a whitish powder, which the mother thought to be starch, and which she proposed to use the next washing-day. A neighbour who was consulted, thought it was cream of tartar. The mother of the girl, imagined that she and three of her children needed physic; she therefore emptied the paper into a jug, poured water on it, and sweetening the mixture with sugar, stirring it well, that the strength of it might not fall to the bottom, she took some of it herself, and gave it to three of her children.
They were all instantly seized with violent heat in the stomach, and soon after with violent vomiting. About nine o'clock, when the father came to his breakfast, he found his family in this situation, and immediately procured medical aid. The eldest child, a girl fifteen years of age, died about two o'clock, and another, three years old, died on Sunday morning.
The medical gentleman who attended, hinted to the father, on Saturday afternoon, the wish to open the eldest girl's body; but this was refused with oaths, and with threats of violence if it should be attempted.
The nature of the substance was ascertained in the mean time; particles of it were found in the mother's pocket, and the jug from which they drank contained some portions of it. These were submitted to chymical experiments, and it was discovered that the poison was arsenic. Still it was thought necessary to trace its presence and operation in the stomach and intestines. A warrant for inspection was given by one of the magistrates, but when this was intimated to the father, he burst into the most ungovernable fury, and threatened violence against the gentleman to whom the mandate of the magistrates was directed. He was determined to resist authority, and began to use violence against the police-officers, who had come along with the superintendant to see that the magistrate's warrant was complied with. It was therefore necessary to carry him to the police-office, which could not be done but by mere force.
The body of the oldest was inspected, and there was found in the stomach and the intestines, a considerable quantity of the same substance, which was afterwards reduced to its metallic state.
Immense crowds of people having assembled around the house where the affair took place, a plan of finance was had recourse to. A pewter plate was placed upon a stool in the entry to the house, and there stood beside it a grave-looking person. Half-pence, pennies, sixpences, and shillings, were thrown in, and a considerable sum of money was thus collected. Boys and girls were admitted for a penny each into the house, to look on the poisoned children in their shrouds, and to see the unfortunate woman whose mistake had occasioned their death.
Wednesday 29 November 2017
Tuesday 28 November 2017
An early Bobbitt
Martha Milns, aged 31, was charged with maliciously cutting and maiming her husband George Milns, with intent to murder or to disfigure and disable him, at Oldham.
George Milns - I have been married to the prisoner 15 years, and have had eight children. There had been no quarrel between us for several days before. She thought that I had been with another woman, nine or ten days before. I came home on the afternoon of the 14th of June. I wanted supper. She said there was no water. I went for water to make tea. She made none, so I went to bed. The bed had not been made, and I made it myself. She was not in liquor. She had had a glass of rum and water. I awoke three o'clock with a violent pain which struck to my heart. She stood at the bed with a razor in her hand. I said, “O dear, what hast thou been doing now?. Thou hast killed me, thou hast killed me.” She said she had not done it. I turned the clothes down, and found that a part was cut off. Much blood issued from the wound. I did not observe whether there was any blood on the razor. She had gone down stairs. I could not wake my eldest son. I went down and found the door open. I went to the surgeon in my shirt. I saw my wife in the street, with the youngest child in her arms. I went home then to bed. The surgeon, Mr. Bellott, came at half-past four. I was taken to the infirmary at Manchester.
By the Court.- I thought she was not in her right mind. I believe she was not. I thought she was often not in her right mind, since her last child.
Robert Chadwick - I went to the house about half-past five; met the prisoner, having the youngest child in her arms. I took her into custody. I asked what she had done; she said, she had done nothing, that he came home in that state. I told her not to deny doing it, for there would have been blood upon him when he came home, if it had been done then. She said “I have done it, I have done it.” She pointed out the garden, into which she had thrown what she had cut off.
By the Court. - She discoursed as in her senses.
Mr. Bellott, the surgeon, said the wound was a dangerous wound.
She repeatedly said, “It was not me. He came home in that state.”
She cried.
Her declaration before the magistrate was proved, and read. It charged acts of the most barbarous cruelty on the part of the husband.
Her husband was recalled, and denied the facts stated.
The prisoner said, she had never been well since her last child, and did not know what she had done.
She hoped they would forgive her this time, for the sake of her dear little infant. She wept most bitterly, and while his lordship was summing up, she dropped off the place where she stood, apparently in a swoon.
Verdict Guilty - but insane.
George Milns - I have been married to the prisoner 15 years, and have had eight children. There had been no quarrel between us for several days before. She thought that I had been with another woman, nine or ten days before. I came home on the afternoon of the 14th of June. I wanted supper. She said there was no water. I went for water to make tea. She made none, so I went to bed. The bed had not been made, and I made it myself. She was not in liquor. She had had a glass of rum and water. I awoke three o'clock with a violent pain which struck to my heart. She stood at the bed with a razor in her hand. I said, “O dear, what hast thou been doing now?. Thou hast killed me, thou hast killed me.” She said she had not done it. I turned the clothes down, and found that a part was cut off. Much blood issued from the wound. I did not observe whether there was any blood on the razor. She had gone down stairs. I could not wake my eldest son. I went down and found the door open. I went to the surgeon in my shirt. I saw my wife in the street, with the youngest child in her arms. I went home then to bed. The surgeon, Mr. Bellott, came at half-past four. I was taken to the infirmary at Manchester.
By the Court.- I thought she was not in her right mind. I believe she was not. I thought she was often not in her right mind, since her last child.
Robert Chadwick - I went to the house about half-past five; met the prisoner, having the youngest child in her arms. I took her into custody. I asked what she had done; she said, she had done nothing, that he came home in that state. I told her not to deny doing it, for there would have been blood upon him when he came home, if it had been done then. She said “I have done it, I have done it.” She pointed out the garden, into which she had thrown what she had cut off.
By the Court. - She discoursed as in her senses.
Mr. Bellott, the surgeon, said the wound was a dangerous wound.
She repeatedly said, “It was not me. He came home in that state.”
She cried.
Her declaration before the magistrate was proved, and read. It charged acts of the most barbarous cruelty on the part of the husband.
Her husband was recalled, and denied the facts stated.
The prisoner said, she had never been well since her last child, and did not know what she had done.
She hoped they would forgive her this time, for the sake of her dear little infant. She wept most bitterly, and while his lordship was summing up, she dropped off the place where she stood, apparently in a swoon.
Verdict Guilty - but insane.
Monday 27 November 2017
Resurectionist?
The King v. Candick. - Mr. Nolan moved for the judgment of the court on the defendant, who was convicted of a misdemeanor at the last assizes for Surrey. As undertaker to that county, he was employed to bury the body of a malefactor, named Edward Lees; but instead of doing so, he sold it to Mr. Brookes, the surgeon, in whose dissecting-room it was found. He had received his fees for its interment. When the relatives of the deceased requested permission to see the body, he informed them that it was already buried; but suspicion having arisen, the coffin was dug up, and found to be full of rubbish.
Mr. Justice Bayley pronounced the sentence of the court. The law had, he said, made this distinction in the punishment of capital offences of different degrees of enormity - that, in the case of murder, the body of the offender should be dissected, but that lesser crimes should be followed only by the forfeiture of life. This distinction it was important to preserve; and the administrators of the law were bound to take care that its inflictions were never exceeded. Here the conduct of the defendant had been mercenary and cruel; he had denied to the distressed relatives of an unfortunate man, the melancholy satisfaction of knowing where his remains were to be deposited, and of following them to the grave.
The court adjudged that he should pay to the king a fine of 20l., and be imprisoned in the House of Correction, at Brixton, for six calendar months.
Mr. Justice Bayley pronounced the sentence of the court. The law had, he said, made this distinction in the punishment of capital offences of different degrees of enormity - that, in the case of murder, the body of the offender should be dissected, but that lesser crimes should be followed only by the forfeiture of life. This distinction it was important to preserve; and the administrators of the law were bound to take care that its inflictions were never exceeded. Here the conduct of the defendant had been mercenary and cruel; he had denied to the distressed relatives of an unfortunate man, the melancholy satisfaction of knowing where his remains were to be deposited, and of following them to the grave.
The court adjudged that he should pay to the king a fine of 20l., and be imprisoned in the House of Correction, at Brixton, for six calendar months.
Sunday 26 November 2017
Shockingly mangled
As Mr. Hadland, who kept a shop in Holborn for the making of sausages, was feeding the steam-engine with meat, his apron caught one of the cogs of the machine, which drew him in; and before the engine could be stopped, he got entangled in the wheels, and was crushed to pieces: he had his arms, legs, and thighs broken, and his flesh shockingly mangled.
In this dreadful state he lived until Thursday morning, when death put an end to his misery.
In this dreadful state he lived until Thursday morning, when death put an end to his misery.
Miss Fell
Miss Fell, a beautiful young lady, while walking on the shore, lately, near Douglas, Isle of Man, fell, or slipped down a shelving rock, from which she could be neither seen nor heard; and from which there was no escape by the land, the little rock being nearly surrounded by the sea. She contrived to procure a small quantity of water that oozed from the rock; with this she sustained herself during three days and three nights, and frequently saw boats passing in the distance, but could not make herself heard.
A boat at length passed near enough to observe her signal with a handkerchief. During this time she had been sought by some hundreds of people, with unremitting anxiety. She was at length rescued in time to save her life; and a deep sleep almost immediately overcame her in the boat into which she was taken, the sailors covering her with their clothes. She was conveyed privately home in a chaise, by her father, to a doating mother.
Her brother was ill at the same time in the house with a brain fever, with little hopes of recovery. The joy of her mother was excessive at the recovery of her daughter; but her mind being previously weakened by conflicting anxieties, it produced insanity! and she committed suicide in a fit of uncontrollable agitation.
A boat at length passed near enough to observe her signal with a handkerchief. During this time she had been sought by some hundreds of people, with unremitting anxiety. She was at length rescued in time to save her life; and a deep sleep almost immediately overcame her in the boat into which she was taken, the sailors covering her with their clothes. She was conveyed privately home in a chaise, by her father, to a doating mother.
Her brother was ill at the same time in the house with a brain fever, with little hopes of recovery. The joy of her mother was excessive at the recovery of her daughter; but her mind being previously weakened by conflicting anxieties, it produced insanity! and she committed suicide in a fit of uncontrollable agitation.
Shot in the eye
As two young gentlemen, brothers, were amusing themselves by firing at a mark with a pistol, in their garden, at Palmer's-terrace, Holloway, unfortunately one of them shot too high ; and the ball entered the eye of a young lady, Miss Radford, while standing at the drawing-room-window in an opposite house. The ball has not yet been extracted, and the lady's recovery is of course despaired of.
The young men are both in custody.
Miss Radford, the young lady who accidentally received a pistol ball in the eye, as mentioned in page 43, is expected to recover; the eye, behind which the ball lodges, is entirely lost. The ball can never be extracted.
The young men are both in custody.
Miss Radford, the young lady who accidentally received a pistol ball in the eye, as mentioned in page 43, is expected to recover; the eye, behind which the ball lodges, is entirely lost. The ball can never be extracted.
Skaiting
At Prickwillow, near Ely, Mr. Gittam of Nordelph, Norfolk, undertook to skait a mile on the ice in three minutes, for a wager of one hundred guineas. An amazing assemblage of persons attended to witness the undertaking, and were agreeably surprised to see it accomplished with great apparent ease in fifteen seconds less than the given time.
He unfortunately lost his life that night on his way home, by coming, whilst skaiting with great velocity, in contact with the trunk of a willow tree, not far distant from his own house at Upwell, on the river Cam.
He unfortunately lost his life that night on his way home, by coming, whilst skaiting with great velocity, in contact with the trunk of a willow tree, not far distant from his own house at Upwell, on the river Cam.
Robbed twice
At night, Mr. Hunter, of Hatton-garden, was attacked near the Small Pox Hospital, St. Pancras, by a single footpad, who presented a pistol at him, and robbed him of four one pound notes and some silver.
A man in a loose great coat coming up shortly afterwards, Mr. Hunter told him of the robbery, and that he had fortunately saved his watch; upon which the man presented a pistol at him, and made him deliver it.
A man in a loose great coat coming up shortly afterwards, Mr. Hunter told him of the robbery, and that he had fortunately saved his watch; upon which the man presented a pistol at him, and made him deliver it.
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