Sarah Anne Jones

Sarah Anne Jones died from arsenic poisoning on 7 August 1904.

She died at her home at 38 South John Street, St Helens.

Her step parents were initially both charged with her murder and her 49-year-old mother was later tried alone at the Liverpool Assizes on Friday 9 December 1904, but was acquitted after it was heard that it could not be ruled out that the arsenic had come from some tinned peas that she had eaten at dinner.

Sarah Jones had been adopted from the Whiston Workhouse by her step-parents in 1901. Four days later they insured her with two societies, one for £20 and another for £9. The step-mother later allowed one of the policies to lapse in early 1904, but in April 1904 reinstated it.

When they first took Sarah Jones in they had lived at 108 Parr Stocks Road after which they went to live at a shop at 54 Rigby Street in February 1904. They then moved to 199 Sutton Road after which they went to 38 South John Street where Sarah Jones later died.

Her body was exhumed a fortnight after her death on 20 August 1904 and a post mortem carried out after which it was determined that she had died from arsenical poisoning.

The body of another child, a boy that had died four years earlier was also exhumed, but he was later ruled to have died from debility.

After being exhumed, Sarah Jones's body was taken to the mortuary where the viscera were placed in six jars which were then sealed and sent off to an analyst, who shortly after said that he had found sufficient arsenic to have caused death.

After the body of Sarah Jones was exhumed, the step-mother attempted to commit suicide by throwing herself into a deep pit.

Following the analysis of Sarah Jones's organs it was found that there was sufficient arsenic in her stomach, intestines, liver and kidneys, to have caused her death.

Her step-parents were charged with her murder on Monday 5 September 1904.

The inquest was held on both Sarah Jones, as well as the three-month-old son of the couple. Following the inquest the police said that they were of the opinion that there was not sufficient evidence to send the step-father for trial.

At the trial it was heard that the step-mother had sent Sarah Jones back to the workhouse, but the next  day applied to have her back again and her application was granted.

Then, after dinner on 25 July 1904, Sarah Jones became ill. A private doctor was then called in and Sarah Jones was treated for gastritis, but she died on 7 August 1904 and was buried in due course. After Sarah Jones died, her step-mother obtained the insurance money.

However, her body was later exhumed and her organs analysed and it was found that they contained three-sevenths of a grain of arsenic disseminated over various organs. It was  said that the quantity found represented a portion of the whole that had been given and that the original quantity given would have been a much larger and fatal amount. It was added that it was not normal to see arsenic spread throughout the body.

The analyst that carried out the examination of the organs also said that he thought that the poison had been administered in small doses because otherwise it would not have been so disseminated through the body. However, he also said that it was otherwise impossible to say whether the arsenic had been administered in one large dose or a number of smaller doses over time.

Following the discovery, two doctors concluded that she had died from arsenical poisoning.

It was stated that from the residuum of arsenic found upon analysis, that had the poison been taken in one dose, that her death would have occurred days before it did.

At the trial, the prosecution claimed that Sarah Jones's stepmother had killed her for the insurance money as she was hard up and had been being pressed by various creditors.

However, an examination of their house failed to discover any arsenic or other poisons. An analyst that examined the contents of bottles found at the house said that one of them contained a quantity of atrophine, but none contained arsenic.

A medical officer for the poor law authorities, said that he had attended the family and three of their children, all of whom died. They were:

1. Girl, died 21 November 1895, aged 4 months.
2. Boy, died 31 July 1897, aged 2 months.
3. Girl, died 8 April 1899, aged 2 weeks.

He said that they had all died from gastritis and convulsions, and noted that in cases of children who were so young that the doctor had always to take the statement of the mother as to the symptom of the illness generally, as the child could not tell them anything about it.

He said that when the third child died in 1899 that he had been struck by the mother's manner when he had given her the certificate of death.

He said that when the mother came to his surgery that he expressed regret that her child had died, and noted that it was the third, and that he was sorry that her children should die in that way, noting that they had all died suddenly, but that he could not help it. However, he said that she then struck him as being unnatural in her conduct, stating that she appeared to be quite jubilant, and laughed over the thing, and said that that made him suspicious of her case. He said that he thought that she was unmotherly and unnatural.

The doctor said that in June 1900 he was called to attend to another boy, but that he didn't give him any medicine and told the mother that he could find nothing wrong with it, but said that she told him that she thought that he was going to die, noting that she seemed to him to be desirous that the child should die. He said that the child got well again, but that in the following month, July, she sent for him again, but that he again could find nothing wrong with the boy, and would not give him any medicine. He said that again in August 1900 he was called again, and again saw nothing to make him suspicious that the boy was going to die, but said that the mothers statements made him suspicious.

When the Coroner asked him what she had said, the doctor said that the mother told him that the child was going to die. He said that he told the mother that he didn't see anything to cause his death and asked her what she thought he was going to die from and that she told him that the child would not take anything. The doctor said that he then asked the mother for some milk and said that she hesitated until he got it, and that the child took the milk all right, and that he then told the mother, 'Give it milk, the child will take it'.

He said that the mother said no more that day, and that when he called the following day, that she told him that she thought that the child would have died through the night and that she was glad that he had come in again.

He said that he told her that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the child to cause death, but that she then said, 'I have reared a good number of children and all have died suddenly. You will find me at your place tomorrow morning or else tonight for a certificate of death'. However, he said that he replied, 'If it dies I won't give you a certificate of death. I will have a post mortem examination, and see what it died of'. He said that he afterwards qualified the statement by saying that it might help them save some children in the future.

He said that when he called the following morning that the mother told him that the child was splendid, and that it was as bright as a lark and that if he got worse again that she would call him in.

He said that he was never afterwards called, but said that he later heard that the child had died, and said that when he later heard that Sarah Jones had died that he went to see her new doctor and asked him what the symptoms were.

It was further noted at the inquest that that had not been a sudden suspicion, but that he had in fact been to see the St Helens Police about it sometime earlier, and had spoken to two members about it.

He said that he later attended Sarah Jones's post mortem and came to the conclusion that she died from arsenical poisoning, noting that there was no doubt in his mind, and added that he thought that it was the result of continuous doses of a small quantity.

The inquest heard that white arsenic was a by-product at the St. Helens Chemical Works and it was often taken home by the workers there to poison vermin.

The Coroner then asked the doctor whether it was true that white arsenic was a product in the works at St Helens, to which he said that it was in some works in large quantities. The Coroner then asked him whether he happened to know whether it was so placed that anybody could get it, and the doctor said, 'I happen to know that people can get it and bring it home'. When the Coroner asked what for, the doctor replied, 'For poisoning'. The Coroner then asked, 'Rats, nice and vermin?' to which the doctor reiterated, 'Beetles, cockroaches and vermin'.

The Coroner then asked, ''And if this by-product, this white arsenic, is of impure character, is zinc one of the impurities that you would expect to find in it?', to which the doctor replied, 'Yes. Arsenic is found in the ores of zinc'.

The Coroner then asked, 'You have heard the analyst tell the jury that in two organs of the body he found traces of zinc. I only wanted to know whether in pure arsenic you would expect to find zinc?', to which the doctor replied, 'It is obtained from the ores of zinc, and it is quite possible that there might be zinc in small quantities as an adulteration of arsenic'.

The Coroner then asked, 'In medicinal arsenic would you expect to find it?', to which the doctor replied, 'You ought not to. It is supposed to be pure thus supplied for medicine'.

The doctor added that in his capacity as deputy medical officer, that Sarah Jones might have been attended by him without having to pay any fee whatever.

When the relieving officer gave evidence, he produced particulars of Sarah Jones's parentage, and said that in 1901 she was shown to her step-parents and was then allowed to go and live with them on payment from the guardians of 3s per week for food and 10s per quarter for clothing.

He said that Sarah Jones had been received to the Whinston workhouse when she was six years old and was later boarded out to the family in 1901 by the Prescot Board of Guardians and three years later she was adopted by them.

The staff at the Prescot Union said that Sarah Jones was a fine and healthy child at that time and that they gave the family £9. 16s. per year from the time that they had adopted her.

Further evidence was given by several insurance agents with reference to the insurances.

In the first case, Sarah Jones had been insured with the Royal London Friendly Society, who paid the step-mother £20 12s, less some arrears. It was noted that the parents had eight policies running with that society.

An agent for the British Workmen's and General Insurance Company, said that the parents had five policies with them, and that they paid them £9 13s, less some arrears. A superintendent for the society said that the step-mother paid thirty seven week's premiums at 1d per week, which amounted to 3s 1d, and that she received £9 13a less 1s 3d.

It was heard at the inquest at the parents were considerably startled when the Coroner called their only daughter into the box. She was closely examined by the Coroner, and stated that in Sarah Jones's last illness that all the barley water and everything that was given to her had been made by the step-mother. She added that when Sarah Jones had been confined to bed for three or four days before she died, that she had slept with her step-mother.

The daughter said that she had given Sarah Jones water when she was bedfast, and said that her mother had never refused to give her a drink, noting that in fact she had never refused her anything.

When she was asked about the insurance, she said that her mother told her how it was, but that she told her that if her father asked her about it, to tell him that she only got quarter benefit, that being £10.

She added that her mother had always thought as much of Sarah Jones, saying that she thought as much of her as she did herself.

A police inspector said that when he arrested the stepmother and charged her with murder, that she replied, 'It is not correct', and that her husband said, 'I have nothing to say. I know nothing'.

When the parents were to be called at the inquest, the Coroner said that as far as the step-father was concerned, that he would tell the jury that there was no evidence against him.

When the step-mother was called, she said that she had always liked Sarah Jones and had cared for her well. She said that they had all been heart broken when she had been sent back to the workhouse and had then asked for her to come back. She added that when she had been ill that the neighbours had been asked to see her and had had free access to her.

She said that when Sarah Jones died, that she missed her, and that that had been the trouble that she had referred to, when she had been asked why she had jumped into the water.

When the step-mother was questioned at the inquest she said that she had had 13 children, 12 of whom she had buried.

The Coroner said that he didn't like the idea of cross-examining the step-mother, and so he then summed up, noting at the outset that there was no evidence against the step-father.

The inquest heard that the mother owed money to some travelling drapers and had paid £8 for Sarah Jones's funeral. They were also told that the mother had once tried to commit suicide in a pond.

The Coroner then complimented the medical officer for the poor law authorities, stating that if it were not for him having the courage of mentioning his suspicions to the police that the inquiry would never have been made.

He then said that, dealing with the question of motive, that he pointed out that the step-mother had been in arrears on all her policies, and said that Sarah Jones had been a great encumbrance to somebody, but that Sarah Jones dead was a very useful asset to somebody.

The Coroner noted that a person might die from arsenic poisoning even though no arsenic was found in the body saying that it depended on the period during which the body had a chance to get rid of the poison.

He noted that Sarah Jones had been in bed for four days during which she was only able to take what was given to her adding that the mother was the only person in a position to carry out an unlawful act.

He also stated that the mother was in arrears in all seven of her insurance policies that she had in the house and that they were about to become void. He also noted that the mother owed money to the drapers.

He concluded that it was not common sense to suppose that Sarah Jones had administered the poison to herself in a number of smaller doses.

He said that it was not likely that Sarah Jones had taken the poison herself, and then asked who had been the most likely person to have administered it.

A man who had been engaged to a daughter of the mother accused said that he had eaten some cabbage which Sarah Jones had also eaten and said that it had made him poorly too.

Two women friends that had been to see Sarah Jones said that the mother had said to them 'Yes, I think she is dying as fast as she can. She won't be here at dinner-time'.

An insurance agent who had been to see Sarah Jones said that he remarked to the mother that there was something unnatural about Sarah Jones that he could not understand but said that the mother just nodded her head and appeared very upset.

The step-mother was tried at the Liverpool Assizes on 9 December 1904, but was found not guilty and discharged.

Her defence stated that all of her acts had been contrary to what the prosecution had suggested and added that it was possible that the tinned peas eaten at dinner, which had set up the illness, had been accidentally contaminated by colouring matter.

South John Street has since been redeveloped.