At the Lambeth police court, Mr. John Spain was charged
with having poisoned his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Joseph Spain. The charge was totally unfounded, and supported by evidence which was scouted in the court. Mr. Spain has a son who got into difficulties, married a mistress, deserted her, and introduced a mistress as his wife. The real wife applied to Spain the elder, and he behaved with great kind- ness to her. While in LoAdon assisting her in realizing some pro- perty, she fell ill, he drove her home and left her, being pressed for time to reach a train which would carry him to his countryhome. But the poor woman died. A Mr. Nott, of Lucas-road, Kennington, was called in, and he had "no hesitation in saying the woman (lied of some narcotic poison." Mr. Spain was on this evidence arrested. But a post-mortem examination by competent surgeons proved that the poor creature died of apoplexy ! It was shown that Mr. Nott was a most ignorant man. He was asked if he was a registered member of the College of Surgeons ? to which he replied "Yes;" but upon being asked how long, answered, "Since the 8th of March !"—that is, since Friday week; and, therefore, clearly was not so when he delivered an ez eathedrel opinion which subjected a re- spectable man to an ignominious arrest, and plunged his family into misery and shame. Of course Mr. Spain was at once liberated, with whatever consolation Mr. Norton's testimony to his innocence could afford him.
Crime is daring, yet not daring enough. Some burglars broke into the large establishment of the Messrs. Amott, in St. Paul's-church- yard. They took some gold and silver from the desks of the cashiers; they stole four watches ; but they missed an iron safe con- taining a rare booty—the whole of the takings of the preceding day. It is supposed they were alarmed and fled in panic.
John Burden and James Hokroft were again examined and again remanded by the Bow-street magistrate on the charge of defrauding the late Commercial Bank of 70,0001. The principal object aimed at in this examination was to show the intimate connexion between Holeroft and Burden, and that the latter supplied the former with moneys to meet his liabilities.
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