Source: Bell's Weekly Messenger, No.1786, Sunday, June 20, 1830
On Friday Mr. Unwin, the coroner, and a most respectable jury, assembled at the Bacchus public house, Hoxton town, to inquire into the mysterious circumstances attendant on the death of Mr. John Truman, who was at one time an extensive merchant in the city, which, from the evidence, it will be seen were very similar to those attendant on the demise of the late Mrs. Phillips of Finchley.
Mrs. Sarah Truman, wife of deceased, stated, that she lived in Cavendish street, New North road. For some time past her husband, the deceased, was afflicted with a nervous affliction, which deprived him almost of rest. On Tuesday evening, she sent her son with a note to Mr. May of Bow lane, Cheapside. requesting that he would send a composing draught. He did so with a direction on the label, that the half of it should be taken each night. On its being brought she administered half of it as directed to the deceased, and he went to bed almost immediately after. Witness almost shortly afterwards went to bed to him, and she did not notice anything particular in the deceased during the night; but on awaking about 7 o'clock on the following morning, she found him considerably worse than before he took the medicine. He was in a kind of stupor, and continued so until his death, which took place about one o'clock on Thursday morning Mr. May attended her husband about a year and a half ago, and then gave much satisfaction.
Juror—What was your motive, madam, for sending such a distance for a composing draught, when you could have got it in the immediate neighbourhood of your residence?
Witness—For the reason I before stated, that Mr. May had attended my husband before for a complaint similar to that which he then laboured under, and gave him much satisfaction.
Juror—Pray did Mr. May hold any deeds or securities belonging to your husband?
Witness—None. Sir, that I am aware of.
Mr. John Baker, a surgeon, residing in Brudenell place, New North road, said, that on Wednesday evening, about nine o'clock, he was called in to see the deceased. On going to his residence, and observing his appearance, he at once gave it as his opinion that he had taken narcotic poison, from the effects of which he was then dying. He questioned the last witness on the subject, and she said that she did not think he had been taking anything of the sort as he was quite comfortable the night before, and had merely taken a portion of a composing draught. He inquired for the bottle from which he had taken it, and he was shown the one now produced, which he, on the instant, sealed up. He procured the assistance of Mr. Salisbury, a medical friend of his, and they used the utmost endeavour to counteract the effects of the poison, and arouse him from the state of stupor in which he was, but all their efforts proved unavailing, as he died about one o'clock on the following morning, He had since opened and examined the body. There were some internal appearance of disease, but they were not of a nature to cause his death in so sudden a manner as it had taken place; and though there were no appearances in the stomach of the presence of poison, he had no doubt that he died from its effects. The medicine then produced, and a part of which the deceased had taken, contained a portion of laudanum; but he could not take upon himself to say whether it contained a sufficient quantity to have destroyed the deceased.
Coroner.—Do you think it probable, that if there was sufficient quantity of laudanum in the medicine to have produced the effects described, that the deceased would have survived eight hours after taking it?
Mr. Baker.—I do think it probable.
Mr. Heath, a surgeon, remarked, that he had known an instance in which an individual had taken a large dose of laudanum and survived for 30 hours afterwards.
Mr. Salisbury confirmed the testimony of Mr. Baker in all its particulars ; and added, that it was most difficult to discover vegetable poison in the stomach, unless immediately after it was taken.
Mr. Heath and Mr. Firth having tasted the medicine produced, gave it as their decided opinion that there was not sufficient laudanum in it to have produced death; and the latter gentleman declared that the deceased died from the diseased state of the liver and lungs, and not from poison. This caused a sharp controversy between all the medical gentlemen present, which required the interference of the coroner to put a stop to it.
The Jury requested that Mrs. Truman should be recalled, and in reply to their questions, she said that her husband had not expressed the slightest objection to taking the medicine, nor had he any property which would have made it the interest of any persons to destroy him. She was at the same time of opinion that something had been given to him which had caused his death, and she could form no idea how it was administered; all she knew of his taking was the draught before alluded to. She knew of no person who owed the deceased any spite or malice.
This being all the evidence, the Jury, after being in consultation for some considerable time, returned the verdict:— "The Jury are of opinion, that the deceased had come to his death by poison, but how that poison was taken, or by whom administered, there was no evidence before them to prove.