Saturday 21 Sep 1844 (p. 3, col. 3-4) INQUESTS. ----- (Before Mr. CARRICK, Coroner.) An inquest was held on Saturday last, the 14th inst., at the Lion and Lamb Inn, Wigton, on the body of John COULTHARD, stonemason. The circumstances of the case are contained in the following evidence:- Thomas NIXON, of Wigton, surgeon-At 11 o'clock yesterday, (Friday) morning I was called to deceased. I found him in his lodgings at Mr. Thomas JOHNSTONE's, Water Streat [sic], Wigton. He was in bed. When I first saw him he was spitting, or rather vomitting blood. He told me he had got a powder which he had taken at six o'clock that morning, and that he had another exactly the same, which he had to take next morning. He said five minutes after he had taken it a burning heat seized his stomach and throat. He gave me the other powder, and asked me to look at it. I examined it. I also examined it in the evening along with my son, who is a surgeon. We tested it, and ascertained that it contained three grains of corrosive sublimate, and about thirty grains of jallap. The corrosive sublimate is a strong poison, and will destroy whatever part of the system it comes in contact with. One grain is equal to eight doses. The quantity in the parcel I received would be three grains and a half. He was labouring under violent pains in the stomach when I first saw him, and was rather convulsed at the latter part of the time. I remained with him till about half-past twelve. I told him when I first saw him that he was poisoned, and that if he had taken as much as he had shown me there was no remedy for him; it was sufficient to poison any three persons. He cried and asked if he could not get better. I said he could not if he had taken as much as he had shown me. After I told him this, he said that he had got the powders from "the old soldier." I gave the parcel to my son Robert, and I have receilved it again from my wife, and now produce it. I administered an emetic as soon as I saw him. He vomited, but the poison did not come away, and no good was done. Margaret JOHNSTON, of Water-street, the wife of Thomas JOHNSTON, railway labourer. The deceased had been a lodger at our house for the last twenty-seven weeks. His name was John COULTHARD. He was a stonemason, 21 years of age. Upwards of three weeks he complained of pain across his chest; but since then he has been quite well as far as I know. He took his supper quite well on Thursday night. I called him at half-past five on Friday morning. He came down and said he was in no hurry in going to his work,-he was going to take physic. He had a powder in his hand, folded in white paper to the best of my knowledge. It was dark coloured powder. He mixed it in coffee and drank it. This would be about six o'clock. He became ill shortly afterwards, and vomited. At ten he could not get breath. He grasped my hand. He could not speak much. I then went for Mr. NIXON. He died about three yesterday afternoon. I produce a spoon and a soda water bottle, which I found in deceased's pocket last night. Robert NIXON, of Wigton, surgeon-The paper and contents now produced were sealed up by me until this morning, and are the same which my father and I examined last evening. I have applied the usual tests, and clearly ascertain that it is corrosive sublimate. The quantity one and a half grains. John SCOTT-I am an apprentice with Mr. PEARSON, druggist, Wigton. I sold a dose of jallap on Wednesday or Thursday evening to an old man who was once a razor-grinder, but lately a workman on the railway. I don't know his name. The paper produced is the same as that used in our shop. I believe it to be that I sold the old man. I did not weigh the jallap; there might be two scruples. The quantity produced is thirty-four grains. Jane WARD, of Water-street, wife of David WARD, labourer. I was present when Mr. NIXON came to deceased. Deceased took a parcel from his breeches pocket, and gave it to Mr. NIXON. Mr. NIXON examined it in my presence. I saw him take a piece like allum or saltpetre from it. When the doctor first came, he said he thought deceased was in a dangerous way; but after he examined the powder he said to deceased-there was as much there as would poison half a dozen men. Mary Ann CLAY, wife of John CLAY, of Old Lonning, Wigton, labourer.-We have a lodger named ROBERTSON. He came to our house on Monday night. He was employed on the railway. He is an old man, and was known by the name of "the old soldier." I know that he doctored people. He doctored one of our lodgers. On Thursday night a person came to our house. I have seen the corpse just now and believe him to be the same, but would not like to swear positively as to his being the same person. He asked if the old soldier was in: I said, yes. He came in, and ROBERTSON and he talked together. They whispered together at first, while I was going back and forward. After that the old man said "you had better come down to-morrow night." They both went out together. The young man returned in about two minutes-the old man in five minutes or so. He brought some stuff like physic, like that (the jallap) now produced. He asked for a candle and a pair of scissors. He sat down at the table and divided the powder into two lots. He took out of his pocket his spectacle case, and took from it a white paper which he opened. It contained something white in tiny lumps. He took up a small portion on the scissors point and put some into each powder. He put two pieces into one powder, and one large piece into the other. He then folded the papers and gave them to the young man. They resembled the pieces (small pieces of Hydriodate of Potash.) They then went out together. I heard money rattling between them when they were outside the door. The old man returned the second time in about ten minutes. The inquest was then adjourned till Friday, the 20th instant. (Before Mr. LUMB, Coroner.) DEATH BY DROWNING.-On Thursday evening last, as a young seaman named Thomas SMITH, about twenty years of age, and one of the crew of the brig Campbell, was going on board the Countess of Lonsdale steamer, which was lying alongside the Sugar Tongue, he unfortunately met with a watery grave. SMITH, who was very much intoxicated, upset the plank as he was going on board, and fell into the water. Every exertion was made to recover the body, which immediately sunk, and was not got out of the water until life had become fairly extinct. The deceased, we understand, was a native of Poole, and bore an excellent character. An inquest was held on the body on the following day, when a verdict of "Accidental Death" was returned; and the remains of the unfortunate youth were afterwards interred at Trinity Church, in Whitehaven. (Before Mr. THOMPSON, Coroner.) DEATH BY DROWNING.-At Hilton, near Appleby, on Monday last, on view of the body of James COATES, aged nine years, son of Willis COATES, of that place, innkeeper, who was accidentally drowned in a small stream which flows past the village. It appears that, on the Saturday afternoon previous to the inquest, deceased, at the request of his mother, on her return from Appleby market, went with the horse on which she had been riding into a pasture some distance from the house, and, not returning in due time, fears were entertained that some accident had befallen him, and a number of people went in search of him. Having, on his way from the pasture, to cross the rivulet, which was much swollen at the time by the late rains, and over which a plank is placed for the convenience of foot passengers, and as he was last seen near that place, it was conjectured he might, in attempting to pass over it, accidentally have slipped off, and by the force of the water be carried down the stream. The water was accordingly dragged in every direction, till about one o'clock next morning, but without effect, leaving his distressed parents in a state of uncertainty, although they had every reason to believe that their son had met an untimely end. At day-break the search was re-commenced, and the body was shortly afterwards found upwards of a mile and a half down the stream. Deceased had, previous to going, been particularly requested by his mother to cross by the bridge some distance below, where it is supposed the accident had taken place. Verdict-"Accidentally drowned." At the Lowther Castle Inn, Great Strickland, on Tuesday last, on the body of Hannah, infant daughter of Mr. William TAYLOR, of that place, who died on the Sunday previous, from the effects of drinking from a teapot a quantity of boiling tea. Verdict accordingly.