Central Criminal Court : the Queen against Thomas Smethurst, Monday, August 15th, 1859, and following days : minutes of evidence / printed from the short-hand notes of Messrs. Barnett and Buckler.
- Date:
- 1859
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Central Criminal Court : the Queen against Thomas Smethurst, Monday, August 15th, 1859, and following days : minutes of evidence / printed from the short-hand notes of Messrs. Barnett and Buckler. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
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![ill the presence of Dr. Julius—I was to get it from Conduit-street, in Lou- don—Dr. Julius said he thought he had better send for it; that I had better not go—after Dr. Julius had left. Dr. Sraethurst wished me to go and fetch it immediately, and T did so—he gave me a prescription, and I took it to Conduit-street—it was in his handwriting—I took it to Conduit-street, and there had it made up, and brought it back in two or three hours—when I came back I gave the medicine that had been made up to the prisoner; I was going to give it to him—I brought back the paper also—I think I re- turned it to l)r. Smethurst—when 1 was going to give the medicine to him, he said he had tried something else—I expressed a wish to see my sister, and he said she was too ill—1 was not aware that any communication had been made to a magistrate until a constable came, and then the prisoner went away with the constable, and returned some two or three hours after—when he came back, he said to me, “ Dr. Julius has been killing her”—while he was away, or soon after he came back, a nurse was sent by Dr. Julius, and from that time, down to the death of my sister, either I or the nurse attended to her the whole time—during the night I gave her some food—I sat up with her all night—the prisoner was downstairs during the night—he came up once or twice, but the greater part of the night he was below’stair.s—he took no further part in administering medicine or food -1 gave her a good deal of food during the night: some arrow-root and brandy—I did not make it myself—I gave it her several times—she did not vomit at all on those occasions—I gave her some tea, that was in consequence of her asking for it—she retained that on her stomach—there were no signs of retching when she took either the arrow-root or the tea—the following morning she died, about 11 o’clock—after the prisoner returned from the magistrate’s, I asked him to get something out for the nurse, and he said I had taken that respon- sibility on my own shoulders, and he should pay for nothing, and get out nothing—my sister and myself both had 1,8007, that was lent out on mort- gage to a man of the name of Tarte—I had been on very intimate and affec- tionate terms with my sister the whole of my life—the nature of her health generally was good. Cross-examine 1 hij Mr. Serjeant Parry. Q. When Dr. Smethurst re- turned on the Monday was he labouring under very great excitement] A. Yes; he said, “ Dr. Julius has charged me with poisoning her”—he said Dr. Julius was killing her; he appeared to be under very great excitement -—he returned about 8 or 9 in the evening—he was taken away about 5 or 6 o’clock 1 should think—after he returned he went to the room, and kissed my sister—she appeared to recognise him—he did not interfere further—he remained down stairs the greater part of the night—he came up once or twice during the night—once 1 was there when he came up— there was a nurse attending my sister, of the name of Chetwood—I do not know whether she is here—1 am aware that the nurse has been examined before—I did not go to sleep at all during the whole of that night—T was not in the room the whole of the night—I w’as up and down continually— that was not from the parlour where Dr. Smethurst w'as; it was from down stairs—1 had seen Mr. Smethurst before I saw him at Richnmnd—I had seen him at Rifle-terrace twice or three times before—that was during the time my sister was staying there—1 had not known* him before that—my sister had been living away from me latterly, I should think for about three years—I used to see her always constantly during that time—I thought my sister fragile—I have knovrn her suffering from bilious attacks occasionally ; T have known her myself suffering from sickness—I know that she com-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22348931_0017.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
