person of Thomas Farncomb Edgerton[a], a noted maker of tents and marquees. An inquest was held on the 20th of November, when the evidence showed that the deceased had been poisoned by having taken Burnett’s Disinfecting fluid, sent him by his London chemist in mistake for Dinneford’s fluid magnesia. After suffering from continual sickness, he had come to St. Leonards, and for three weeks had been prescribed for by Dr. Blakiston, but died from destruction of the stomach and consequent starvation. The chemist was summoned to the inquest, and admitted the mistake, which was made under peculiar circumstances, for which he had been truly sorry, and which he had done his utmost to remedy.
Politics and Passions
A political meeting was held in the St. Leonards Assembly room on the 7th of May, with Mr. Nelson Andrews in the chair. The meeting was addressed at great length by J. Ashley Warre, Esq., and J. Locke, jun. Esq., the Liberal candidates for the coming Parliamentary Election, at which they were unsuccessful. The proceedings of these gentlemen’s supporters at that election were of a degrading character, and to that circumstance was attributed by some persons, the defeat of the Liberal candidates. A report of that election will be found in the next chapter, but as the present writer (who voted for the Liberal candidates), like other quiet persons felt annoyed at the insults offered to the Conservative rivals, he could but endorse the sentiments contained in a letter by “Areopagus” which after the election appeared in the Hastings News as follows: —
- “All zeal for reform that gives offence
To peace and charity is mere pretence.” [Cowper]
- “All zeal for reform that gives offence
- The issue of the recent contest has been a great blow to the Liberal interest. — The Liberal party by the very vehemence of their efforts have done so much to secure their own defeat that it is a question whether they have not done more to lose the battle for themselves than their opponents have done to win it from them. During the agitation which preceded it the inhabitants were fated to hear the keenest sarcasms and the loudest fulminations against the Conservative candidates. The flashes of wit and gleams of wrath were applauded to the very echo, till the mere mention of Mr. Brisco’s name and that of Mr. Robertson caused a grin of merry anticipation to quiver through the meeting. All was enthusiasm and all was victory! Hastings was going ahead! Mr. Warre would, of course be returned, and Mr. Locke was equally sure of success. Two Liberals were to represent Hastings in Parliament and Conservatism was to be extinguished. But out of doors there -
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