Jemima

  General Notes:

Marilyn Smith notes:
The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893)
Wednesday 3 April 1850
THE LATE MRS. CLARKSON.-The gentleman to whom is committed the task of analysing the stomach, &c, of the late Mrs. Jemima Clarkson, having made affidavit that she came to her death from the effects of poison which had been administered to her, the coroner on Saturday issued his warrant for the apprehension of Mountford Clarkson and Mary Ann Clarkson, late Wilson, on suspicion of having caused the death of the unfortunate woman.--Herald, 1st April.
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Maitland Mercury Wednesday 10th April 1850

THE INQUEST ON MRS. CLARKSON. (Abridged from the S. if. Herald, April 8.)

The adjourned inquest on the body of the late Mrs, Clarkson was resumed on Friday, in the police-office, and concluded on Saturday evening.
On Friday the Coroner' commenced the proceedings by detailing the circumstances of the case. Jemima Clarkson, wife of Mountford Clarkson, died suddenly on the 3rd February, and an inquest was held on her remains the following day, and a verdict of death from natural canses was returned, no suspicious circumstances appearing, nor a post mortem examination being thought necessary. Near Mr. Clarkson's house resided a person named Henry Canny, with whom had lived for many years a woman known as Mrs. Canny, and who had had children by Mr. Canny. Mrs. Clarkson and Mrs. Canny, it appeared in evidence, had been on such friendly terms that they frequently exchanged or sent each other presents of delicacies, such as tarts, &c. Within a very short time after the death of his wife, Jemima, Mr. Clarkson married Mrs. Canny. Rumours were circulated that the first Mrs. Clarkson had been poisoned, and these rumours gathered such strength that Mr. Brenan, the Coroner, had her body exhumed, and an inquest commenced on it (on the 18th March), after which the body was opened, the stomach and other necessary parts removed, and handed to Mr. Norrie, the analytical chemist, to be analysed. The body was then re-buried. The result of Mr. Norrie's analysis having been made known to the Coroner, Mountford Clarkson and Mary Ann Clarkson, his wife, were apprehended on the charge of poisoning Mrs. Jemima Clarkson. Subseqently a Mrs. Catherine Pickering was apprehended in consequence of some words she dropped, but on the resumed inquest she was examined as a witness. Mr. Holroyd attended to watch the proceedings for the prisoners; attorney, Mr. G. B. Nichols. The evidence taken was very lengthy, and the following is only an abstract of it.

Mr. James S. Norrie, analytical chemist, deposed that he was present on the 18th March at the opening of the body by Dr. Tierney, assisted by Mr. Bennett, surgeon, and received from them the entire stomach of the deceased, and some portion of the muscular parts of the chest, and on the following day received from them also the liver ; of these witness commenced an analysis on the 21st, and continued it for ten days, conducting it throughout himself; Dr.Tierney and Mr. Bennett were pesent at the commencement of the analysis, and an assistant of witness's, and a youth in his employ, were also present occasionally. Mr. Norrie described at great length and very minutely the method of analysis he pursued. The result Mr. Norrie stated to be that he found traces of zinc in the undigested contents of the stomach, and also in the cellular tissues of the stomach, and in his opinion there was probably more than five grains altogether in the substance he analysed, but he would not positively swear that there was half a grain, although he believed he might safely do so; the quantity thus found was an indication that a much larger quantity hod been taken, but how much it was impossible for him to say, sulphate of zinc being a very soluble salt; he had not the slightest doubt as to the presence of zinc in the stomach ; the taste of the poison was astringent, austere, and metallic, and very perceptible when taken pure, but he could not say whether its flavour could be detected in a quantity of sweetened apple. This witness underwent a lengthy cross examination as to his education as a chemist, the received doctrines as to poisons, &c.

Dr. Daniel Joseph Tierney described the post-mortem examination, and the handing over of the stomach &c. to Mr. Norrie. A quantity of white particles were observed lining the coats of the stomach, but no other appearance of disease, except some patches of inflammation. This witness was examined and cross-examined at great length respecting the qualities and effects of sulphate of zinc. It was frequently administered as a means of expelling other poisons from the stomach, being a quick and violent emetic ; never knew a case of death produced by it, but there were two French cases, meagrely reported, wherein it was stated death was caused by taking sulphate of zinc ; the larger the doze the more immediate and great would be the vomiting; witness had himself given half a drachm to a man who had swallowed arsenic, and it produced violent vomiting, and in three days the man was able to go about his buisness ; had known several cases where it had been taken by mistake for salts, but never knew death to follow from it. The late Mrs. Clarkson was a woman of plethoric habit, and violent vomiting in such a person might produce apoplexy.

Mr George Bennett, surgeon, gave evidence as to the post-mortem examination.' Witness had been the medical attendent on the Clarkson family for some years, and was called to attend Mrs. Clarkson on the evening of the 3rd February, but she was dead when he arrived; Clarkson said his wife had eaten very heartily of roast pig for dinner, and was taken very ill with vomiting, and witness knowing that she was a gross feeder was then of opinion that she died from apoplexy ; witness still thought that her death was caused by apoplexy, and from the minute quantity of zinc found should say it had no effect in causing death; if deceased expired in the act of vomiting it is very possible her death resulted from the emetic taken the finding a small quantity of zinc in the stomach might result of it having been taken accidentally. Sulphate of zinc had so strong a taste that even a small quantity must be detected in food. Witness thought it would have been better to have had more than one practical chemist in a case of this kind. Cases were reported therein large quantities of sulphate of zinc had been given, without injurious effect. Witness had often administered it in small doses as a tonic. Mr. Clarkson and his wife always appeared to live together comfortably and happily.

From the evidence of John Corcoran and Henry Loder it appeared that Mrs. Clarkson was perfectly well up to twelve o'clock on the 3rd February, but complained of sickness in the afternoon. In the evening Loder went to the house about eight o'clock, and Mrs. Clarkson requested Loder to stop in the bar a few minutes, as she felt unwell, and had been very bad all the afternoon, which she thought was through eating some roasting pig; she left the bar, and Loder in a few minutes heard a slight noise in the adjoining room, and going there he saw Mrs. Clarkson lying on the sofa, with her head hanging over the edge; Loder raised her head, and placed it on the sofa, and she expired in about half a minute. A doctor had been sent for immediately. She had not left the bar three minutes before she died. Corcoran had also heard from Mr. Clarkson that afternoon that he was very unwell as well as his wife.

John Walker, cook in Mr. Clarkson's employ, deposed that he dressed part of the dinner on that day, there being a roasting pig and a pie. At eleven a.m. Mrs Clarkson eat nearly a pound of beefsteak for lunch, and at half-past one she dined ; at half-past two witness saw her vomiting in the yard ; in the course of the afternoon, witness, at Mrs. Clarkson's desire, took away a tumbler in which Mrs. Clarkson said she had taken some castor oil. In the evening witness met Mrs Canny, who exclaimed, " Good God, Mrs. Clarkson is dead, and she subsequently said, "Thank God I have sent nothing up to her to-day, or else they might have thought I had sent something wrong." On the day on which the marriage took place between Mr. Clarkson and Mrs. Canny, his present wife, witness saw them immediately after the marriage, and called her Mrs. Canny by mistake; she said, "Thank God, l am Mrs. Clarkson at last-this is what I have been long looking for -I am mistress of this house-come, Jack, and have a ball;" Clarkson was then treating people, and he also asked witness to drink. On the day following this Mrs. Clarkson and Mrs. Pickering had a quarrel, and Mrs. Clarkson turned Mrs. Pickering out of the house, when Mrs. Pickering exclaimed, "You wretch, you know you told me you poisoned the woman." Witness had formerly been sick after eating some soup sent by Mrs. Canny, but could not say the soup caused it. Clarkson and his first wife lived very happily together, and had five children; the pie was made of apples and peaches, and witness believed that Clarkson and the children partook both of the pig and the pie; Clarkson was sick in the evening.

Thomas Cousins, an old man in the employ of Mr Canny, deposed that at about half-past one on the day Mrs. Clarkson died, Mrs. Canny cut off the first cut of a pie she had in her own house, and sent him with it to Mrs. Clarkson ; could not say who made the pie, but Mrs. Canny always cooked ; when witness returned he told Mrs. Canny he gave the pie to Mrs. Clarkson, but Mrs. Canny made no remark. Witness was present at a quarrel afterwards between Mrs. Pickering and the present Mrs. Clarkson ; heard Mrs. Pickering say that Mrs. Clarkson was a very bad woman, but heard nothing else that was said ; the first Mrs. Clarkson and Mrs. Canny were in the frequent habit of exchanging delicacies, but witness could not tell whether he had taken anything to Mrs. Clarkson on the preceding day, nor name anything that he took for a fortnight previous ; the children at Mr. Canny's, witness believed, eat part of the pie, for the plates after dinner appeared as if pie had been eat off them ; neither Mrs Canny nor any of the children were ill.

Catherine Pickering deposed at length to conversations she had with Mrs. Canny and Clarkson a day or two before their marriage, relative to Mrs. Canny's leaving Canny, and as to her asserting that Canny had threatened to shoot her with a pistol; witness was bridesmaid at the wedding. On the day after the wedding witness was at Clarkson's, where there was a dinner, and a quarrel followed between Mrs. Clarkson and witness, and Clarkson put witness out; before witness was put out she and Mrs. Clarkson had some words about their position as married women or not and witness asked Mrs Clarkson did she know anything about plum-pudding and poison; witness was then struck by Mrs. Clarkson, and put out by Clarkson, and witness said something more about poison, alluding to what she had heard from Mr. Canny. On the Wednesday before her marriage Mrs. Canny told witness that " as she went to the house for some ale on the Sunday Mrs. Clarkson died, something foreshowed her that before she came that way back she would be engaged to be Mr. Clarkson's wife. Witness had not lived with her husband for some years. All witness knew about plum-pudding and poison she heard from Mr Canny.

Ann Stanton, a servant of the first Mrs. Clarkson, deposed that she was in the bar during most of the dinner hour on the 3rd February, and that she saw nothing of old Tom (the name Cousins was known by) or of any pie brought by him: she believed that had he done so she must have seen it; witness left the house before the wedding.

Edmund Edgar dined that day at Mr. Canny's; there was an apple pie for dinner, of which witness and the children partook, and it was a good one, and agreed well with him; believed the pie was cut up in an adjoining room, there not being room on the table for it.

Mary Hesketh resided near Mrs. Canny's, and remembered Mrs. Canny remarking, a day or two after Mrs. Clarkson's death, " Little did she think that the pie I sent her would be the last she would ever eat ;" Mrs. Canny shed tears as she said this, as did witness also, and Mrs. Canny seemed grieved about Mrs. Clarkson's death. On the Saturday previous to Mrs. Clarkson's death, Mrs. Canny had shown witness some apples she said Mrs. Clarkson had sent her to make a pie with.

Henry Canny remembered the day Mrs. Clarkson died, and thought they had a tongue, roast pig, and apple-pie, for dinner; witness did not eat pastry, but the children partook of it, and he thought Mrs. Canny also; did not hear any directions given by Mrs. Canny to Old Tom about the pie. On the morning after Mrs Clarkson's funeral, Mrs. Canny asked witness if he had heard what was the report now; witness said he had not; she said that it was reported Mrs. Clarkson had been poisoned. About a week after this Clarkson was at witness's house, and witness accused him of improper intimacy with Mrs. Canny; Clarkson denied it violently; the same evening witness threatened to shoot Mrs. Canny. On one evening after Mrs. Clarkson's death Clarkson supped with, witness and Mrs. Canny, and witness believed they had ham ; some evening when Clarkson was there witness was seized with sudden sickness and violent pains in his stomach with copious vomiting; could not say whether it was the same evening they had ham, nor whether they had had supper at all ; witness had not the slightest idea what made him ill ; both Clarkson and Mrs. Canny appeared sorry for witness's illness, Clarkson advising him to send for Dr. Bennett. Witness did not believe that he ever said anything to Mrs. Pickering about plum-pudding and poison, nor ever heard of any pudding or pie having been sent ; they had had no plum-pudding for some time before.

Henry Canny, junior, a boy of between thirteen and fourteen years, deposed that he saw his mother give a piece of pie to old Tom on the day Mrs. Clarkson died, telling him to give it to Mrs. Clarkson; when old Tom came back he said Mrs. Clarkson said it was a very nice pie. Witness remembered Clarkson having supper one evening at his father's; witness was sent to get some ham, and got a shilling's worth; one piece was thick; witness brought the ham into the back room, and his mother afterwards came in, and sent him for some water; witness was away perhaps a minute, and when he returned the thick piece of ham was cut, but not all the way through, and a piece of bread was placed on it ; at supper witness's mother served out the ham, and his father was served with this thick piece of ham ; witness saw something, like flour on the edge of the plate, and tried to rub it off, and also to blow it off, but could not ; very shortly after witness's father eat the ham he was taken ill, and had violent vomiting, and said he did not think he could live twenty minutes. Witness was positive the piece of ham was not cut when he brought it home. [The female prisoner, on hearing her son describe the sort of flour he saw on the plate, became violently agitated, exclaiming, " My God, is my child going to hang me," and fainted ; but having been removed into the open air she recovered in about ten minutes, but appeared much exhausted after this.]

Mr. Canny was recalled, and said he noticed nothing particular in the flavour of the ham, and should have mentioned it had he done so ; saw nothing like flour or a white powder on the plate or ham that evening or on any other occasion ; witness knew the appearance of sulphate of zinc, but not its taste ; had he got any of its crystals in his mouth thonght he must have noticed it.

Mr. Norrie re-called ; Found some of the sulphate of zinc in the muscular tissue of the chest ; should say that would not be possible unless the sulphate had been taken during life, and had diffused itself through the muscular tissues of the system.

Mr. Arthur a'Beckett, surgeon, was examined at some length as to his opinion of the effect of sulphate of zinc, and as to the evidence to prove that it was found in the body. His opinion was that sulphate-of zinc produced vomiting to such an extent that it was generally instantaneously expelled; if taken in small doses as a tonic it might diffuse itself through the system; witness could conceive it possible, but not probable, that sulphate of zinc, taken by a, person of plethoric habit, might, whilst it produced vomiting, also bring about apoplexy. Witness had no belief in the efficacy or result of Mr. Norrie's analysis, judging from the report that he had furnished of his processes, which was most loose and un-scientific ; and judging also from Mr. Norrie's own statements as to his chemical education. Witness would not swear that Mr. Norrie did not find sulphate of zinc, but he would swear that the result of his analysis in witness's opinion proved nothing. Such an analysis required chemical skill of the highest order, and Mr. Norrie's report and statement as to his chemical education showed him to be a most unfit person, in witness's opinion. Witness had been practically acquainted with chemistry twenty years, but should not like to have ventured on such an analysis alone.
This witness was cross-examined at some length as to his chemical education, Witness never knew of his own knowledge of a case of poisoning by sulphate

This closed the case for the prosecution.

Mr. Holroyd submitted that there was no case to go to the jury. .

The Coroner expressed his opinion that thero was no case against Clarkson, and directed the jury to acquit
_ A verdict of not guilty was then given and recorded in favour of Clarkson, who was discharged.

Mr. Holroyd now. proceeded to address the jury in defence of the female prisoner, contending that the evidence, so far from having any tendency to create a fair presumption that the late Mrs. Clarkson had died through the agency of poison, all went to disprove the use of poison at all.

Soon after the jury, retired the prisoner was removed from the court in a fainting state, and on their return to the jury-box, after an absence of about forty minutes, she was still in the same condition.

In a few minutes afterwards the prisoner was supported into the Court in a very exhausted state, and the foreman of the jury announced the verdict of the latter, that the female prisoner was guilty of the wilful murder of the late Mrs. Clarkson.

She was then committed to gaol under the Coroner's warrant to await her trial upon the charge.

The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) Friday 26 April 1850
SYDNEY.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT)

If I remember rightly,I have mentioned in a former letter that Mrs. Clarkson who stands accused of having poisoned the first wife of her present husband, had been admitted to bail. This was not quite correct, as the final decision allowing her discharge on bail was only pronounced yesterday. The opinion pronounced by the Judges, however, is confirmatory of that which I have already expressed, namely, that there is no proof of the woman having died from poison, ergo, there can be no proof of the accused having poisoned her. As to the proof of immorality in the parties concerned there can be no doubt, but no twelve men of the most ordinary common sense could have come to such a verdict as was pronounced by the coroner's jury in this case, but for the influence exercised over them by the coroner himself who in all probability, had made up his mind that the woman ought to be committed and charged accordingly. This case was depended upon as a kind of argument to show the necessity of post mortem examinations, the frequency and expense of which had drawn the attention of the Government.

The Maitland Mercury April 27 1850

THE LATE MRS. CLARKSON.-The Attorney General this day moved for and obtained from their Honors the Judges an order for the re-exhumation of the remains of the late Mrs Clarkson. The motion was based on the several affidavits of the Coroner and Drs.Tierney and a'Beckett, the two latter gentlemen being of opinion that the body had not yet arrived at such a state of decomposition as to prevent the possibility of detecting whether or not death was occasioned by poison. Their Honors would not express an opinion as to whether or not the Coroner himself had the power of ordering the re-exhumation, but they felt assured that it was within their own jurisdiction to order such a proceeding through the medium of their own officers. The Sheriff was therefore ordered to superintend the exhumation, in conjunction with the Coroner, attended by the two medical gentlemen above named, by whom, and three practical chemists, the process of analysation was to be carried on. It was further intimated by the bench that this matter should be conducted in such a way that public decency may not in any way be offended I understand that Messrs Norrie, Porter, and Grayling are the chemists who will be engaged in this analysis.

The Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane, Qld. : 1846 - 1861) Saturday 22 June 1850
THE SUSPECTED MURDER OF MRS. CLARKSON. - It is stated in the Sydney papers that the Attorney-General has declined to file a bill against the present Mrs. Clarkson, who had been committed on the Coroner's warrant on a charge of having poisoned the late Mrs. Clarkson. It is said that the result of the last analysis of the stomach of the deceased caused the Crown Prosecutor to come to this decision.
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NSW Gaol Description and Entrance Books 1818-1930 from Ancestry.com
No 578. Mountford Clarkson, Native of Colony, born 1811, 5 foot 9 and a half inches, brown hair, brown eyes.
rdrbrdrsrdrw20rsp20 No 579. Mary Ann Clarkson, Native of Colony, born 1816, 5 foot 4 inches. Black hair, brown eyes.

Jemima married Mountford Clarkson before 1850. (Mountford Clarkson was born in 1812 and died in 1885.)