32 Singular Inquest. 



DOMESTIC OCCURRENCES, &c. 



SINGULAR INQUEST. 



The relations of a woman named Smith, having heard nothing of her for 

 upwards of a year, were induced to make enquiries respecting her in 

 Bristol, whither she had gone to reside. Finding that she had died sud- 

 denly upwards of twelve months before, and that the persons at whose 

 house she had lodged could give no satisfactory account of her death, nor 

 of the property of which she was known to have been possessed, a suspicion 

 arose, strengthened by the character of the parties, that she had been un- 

 fairly dealt with. Under these circumstances, the disinterment of the body 

 was determined upon. This was accordingly done j the body was opened, 

 the intestinal viscera taken out, their condition examined, and a portion of 

 their contents analyzed. In consequence of the discovery of arsenic in 

 the stomach, the investigation proceeded. The purchase of arsenic by the 

 accused, the persons by whom it might have been obtained for her, the 

 druggist from whom it was bought, were next inquired into. Then the 

 circumstances preceding the deceased's illness, the nature of her food and 

 medicine, the hand from which she received it, and the servants who waited 

 upon her, were ascertained : and finally, the amount of the deceased's pro- 

 perty, the circumstances of the accused before and after the death, and 

 the inducements to commit, and increase of wealth, &c. likely to follow 

 such a murder, were taken into consideration. 



The enquiry therefore related to the establishment of four points. — 

 1. The identification of the body. 2. The cause of its death. 3. (Assuming 

 it to have been by poison,) the person administering the poison. 4. Whether 

 the poison was wilfully administered. 



The first point was proved by the undertaker who supplied the coffin — 

 by the carpenter who screwed it down — by the sexton, who can tell from 

 appearances that the grave has never been disturbed — by the nephew of 

 the deceased, and by two of her fellow-lodgers, who speak to the height 

 of her figure, colour of her hair, and marks upon her stockings. 



The second point was also proved, by the evidence of Dr. Riley and 

 Dr. Symonds, physicians, and by Mr. Kelson, surgeon, who recognize 

 effects upon the viscera, which might have been produced by arsenic — 

 by Mr. Herapath, who analyzed a small portion of the contents of the 

 stomach, and discovered five grains of sulphuret of arsenic — and again, by 

 the medical men, who stated the quantity present to be sufficient to cause 

 death. 



To establish the third point, it was proved that an individual had bought 

 sulphuret of arsenic of a druggist who was in evidence, and that Mrs. Wade, 

 the lodging-house keeper, alone administered food to the deceased. This 

 third point was not proved ; the arsenic not having been traced from the 

 druggist's shop into Mrs. Wade's hands. 



