Two Sailor Boys Poisoned by Arsenic - Cumberland and Westmorland Newspaper Transcriptions

Two Sailor Boys Poisoned by Arsenic

TWO SAILOR BOYS
POISONED BY ARSENIC.

Two apprentices on board the Medina (lying in St. George’s Liverpool Dock),
William GUTHRIE and William BENNETT, were engaged on Tuesday in removing the
stores from one locker to another, preparatory to their being sealed by the
custom-house officials, when they discovered a canister which had contained
arsenic, and which still had a small quantity in it.

They drank the powder mixed with water, BENNETT telling GUTHRIE it was Cream
of Tartar. Soon afterwards both were seized with pains in the stomach, and
with fits of vomiting.

GUTHRIE died on Wednesday morning. BENNETT was taken to the house of his
father, a watchmaker in Newsham-street, where he lies in a precarious state.
GUTHRIE was a nephew of the captain of the Medina. An inquest will be held today.

It appears that about two years ago the captain purchased the canister in
question full of arsenic, and he was under the impression that it had all along
since been used, and that the canister was empty.

A somewhat singular statement was made by BENNETT, when the mate of the
Medina came to his house, namely, that he knew the canister contained arsenic.
GUTHRIE, before his death, said that BENNETT had given him the drink, telling
him that the white powder was cream of tartar.

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Transcribed by: Ann Selchick, 02/11/2006