Canterbury Weekly, 28 August, 1837.

Suspected Murder.

On Thursday week, a Coroner's inquest was held at the "Crown and Thistle," High Street, Chatham, before are R. Hinde, Esq., coroner, touching the death of a man named Barney McAnns, late of the 17th Regiment.

The case excited the greatest interest, owing to the reports circulated throughout the town that the man had been poisoned by a woman. Long before the coroner had arrived, the house was literally besieged by person's, anxious to hear the enquiry. About 11:30 the jury were empanelled; and the first witness called was the landlord of the house.

Mr. Richard Gould:- He said the deceased came into his house, accompanied by a woman, about half past 11 o'clock, on the morning of yesterday. When he saw the deceased first he was lying on the wooden seat in the back room, at his full length, vomiting. He imagined he was tipsy, and wished him to go out of doors. The deceased refused. Before he saw the deceased, he saw a woman come out of the room and go out of the back door. He had seen her before; but did not know her name. He eventually forced the deceased out, and placed him at the back door, and thought, by his remaining there, he might recover. The landlord them remonstrated with his wife for serving the deceased, as he thought he was in liquor. She answered that the man did not appear intoxicated, and that all she had served in with was a pint of ale.

The young woman, who had been with the deceased shortly came back, and said the man was not drunk, but unwell. She then left the house; and the deceased said he had drink nothing, but admitted he had taken poison. He still thought the deceased was intoxicated; and led him to the upper part of the stable. On his return to the house, he found a warehouseman of Mr Young's; who said he had found a label marked poison, lying on the floor. Several medical men were then searched after; but none could be found, accept a Mr. Powell; but before Mr. Powell could arrive the man was dead. A peace officer of the name of Croft arrived; who, hearing what had happened, took the girl into custody. She was searched but nothing was found upon her person.

Mrs. Jane Gould, wife of the landlord, corroborated the testimony on her husband.

Sergeant John Brady of the 17th Regiment of Foot stationed at Chatham, deposed that the deceased was a private soldier in the regiments, and was discharged three months ago. He was a sober man.

Elizabeth Hooker, the woman the deceased was in company with, said - I have known the deceased three months. About 8 o'clock on the morning of yesterday we had a glass of whiskey and water each at the "Queen's Head." I saw him again between the hours of ten and eleven, near the Military Road. he said he was going down to Chatham to get his breakfast. I said I was going to the fruiterer's to buy some currents. The deceased said he was going to buy some salts and hoped she would not be long. I saw the deceased again, and he asked me to go and take ale, which I agreed to; and we both came to the "Crown and Thistle." We went into the back room, and the deceased ordered one pint of ale. In conversation he asked me to go to Canterbury with him. I said I would not. He then wanted me to go part of the way with him; which I agree to do, and was going to write a note to send up to the "Queen's Head," for a bonnet and shawl. The note was not written because the deceased would not let me write, unless I would consent to stay with him. He then said he would take his salts, and would go over and take a cup of tea. He took from his pocket a small parcel of white paper, and emptied it into a part of a glass of ale, stirred it up, and drank it. The salts had not all dissolved, and I said you have drank the liquor and left the salts. He answered he had left them for me. He then put half a glass of ale into it, and put it to me to drink. I said I did not want physic, and would not take it. He then said if I did not, he would throw it over me or put it down my throat. He then took me by the nose, and put it to my mouth. I tasted it and said "Barney, it is sour." He then got up and threw the contents behind the fire place; and said that what he had taken was to sober himself, as he was going to see a gentleman concerning some spoons. Immediately he was taken sick and Mr. Gould then came into the room. I left the house frightened and went to the "Queen's Head." I was fetched back to the "Crown and Thistle," and went to the stable, and found he was dead. I knew him and kissed his forehead. The deceased was a passionate man, but not subject to drink. The morning in question he was more pleasing and quiet.

George William's Dadd acknowledged serving a person answering the deceased with one ounce of of oxalic acid about 10 o'clock yesterday. He said he wanted to clean some boot tops. The rapper was stamped poison on it.

The jury, after sometime, returned the verdict that the deceased destroyed himself by taking oxalic acid, but whether the deceased was in his sound and proper sense at the time, no satisfactory evidence appeared to the jurors.