THE TIMARU CASE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1328, 30 August 1886, Page 3

THE TIMARU CASE

MAGISTERIAL ENQUIRY. Timabd, August 30. Great excitement still prevails ii Timaru over the Hall case _ The Cour was crowded to its utmost this morning Mr J. Beewick, R M., and Meaan E. Elworthy and H. J. LeCren were or the Bench. The same counsel arc engaged as last week, except that Mr Martin, Crown Prosecutor, at Christchurch, appears with Mr White. Mr White stated the case for the proiecution at some length, and said that he would call evidence to show that Hall was in possession of a large quantity of antimony, and bad purchased a book, ‘‘Taylor on Poisons,” last year in Timaru, although “Thos. Hall, Dunedin, 1882,” was written in It. When arrested the male prisoner had attempted to destroy something in his pockets, and had otherwise acted in a manner to cause grave suspicion as to his motive. Hall was in a very bad financial position, and had forged a bill for £2OO in December last, while Mrs Hall’s life had been insured J for £6OOO in the Australian Mutual Provident Association. Evidence would bo given that a quantity of rags, soaked in I kerosene, had been found in Hall’s house, I

which must have been placed there by one or other of the prisoners He concluded by stating that if he could bring evidence to show the truth of half he had put forth in his address he would have made out more than a prima facie case The first witness called .vas Inspector Brohatn, who in company with Detjotive Kirby and two constables, arrested the accused. Accused made an attempt to get rid of something in his trousers pockets. Witness seized his hands and Houston tried to separate them. In one of Hall’s pockets was found a oorkless phial In which wore seme liquid and crystals, and the cork was found on the hearth rug Witness searched the home and had hermitically sealed the articles found there and sent them to Professor Black. Inspector Broham was under examination when the adjnuromennt was made.