THE TIMARU POISONING CASE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1332, 3 September 1886, Page 2

THE TIMARU POISONING CASE.

THURSDAY’S PROCEEDINGS. (Press Correspondent.) The cross-examination of Professor BUck having been completed, the next witness for the prosecution was Francis Ogston, who deposed—l am an 1 M.D. and CM. of Aberdeen, Lecturer on Medical Jurisprudence and Hygiene in the Otago University. I had six : months’ special course in the analysis ot 5 poi-ona in a laboratory devoted to that t purpose in the University of Prague, > Bohenila. lam also Lecturer on Toxi--3 cology (poisons) in Aberdeen University, • rnd also studied under Pro'essor Tardiell, Lecturer on Medical Jurisprudence in 1 Paris, France, during a summer session a 1 .was in C~u:t during the time Dr a Mvlutyre wss giving evidence, and he*rd f It 1 have best! the symptomi M> Hall was suffering under described by him.

Mr White— And F your opinion ? Mr Joynt—l object. I submit, sir, my learned friennd has no business to aik a puestlou affdotmg a specific complaint. Mr White—l am going to do nothing of the kind- This is my question, Were the symptoms described by Dr Mclntyre in your opinion due to any natural cause? None whatever.

Tx what would you ascribe hem. to what kind of poison I —Taken altogether 1 should aicribe the symptoms to the ac'.ion of some slow poison. I should .ascribe them first to one of the class of poisons which would cause vomiting ; to some of the ii r'.tant poisons. 1 assisted Professor Black in some chemical analyses, which he has described in the evidence which ho has given to-day. D j you agree with the evidence of Professor Black on the annalyses ?—Yes ; 1 fouud antimony in all the exhibits Professor Black and I analysed together ; as stated in the Professor's evidence, Tartar emetic is antimony, and antimony is an irritant poison. It would produce the symptoms which Dr Mclntyie stated Mrs Hall showed, I accompanied Dr Mclntyre to Mis Hall’s residence to examine the drainage and sanitary condition of the house. I went through the house and grounds. 1 found them in a la itary state.

Mr Joynt—l suppose your evidence as to the t 'Sts which you and Professor Black made will be confirmatory altogether of the results as stated some time ago by Professor Black ? —Yes, it would bo.

Mr Joynt—l will not cross-examine this witness, your Worship. Jane Turnbull, examined - by Mr Martin, said—l am a domestic servant, living in Dunedin and know Hall the prisoner and his wife Mrs C. Hall. 1 Has formerlly In their employ. I went there in November 1885, and left there this year. They were living at a house at Emgsdown, and then moved to Woodlands, North street. I knew Miss Houston about three months whilst I was there at Woodlands. Accused were good friends, lie called her “ Megrims,” and she called him “Tom” sometimes. 1 know where Miss Houston’s bedroom was —lt was next to Mr and Mrs Hall’s bedroom. Hall at this time slept in the same room as hia wiie. I have seen Hah come into Houston’s bedroom more than once—sem- times in the mornihg between seven and eight. Sometimes Miss Houston was up and out, sometimes she was not. He sometimes stayed in the room ten minutes. I could not say if this was the longest or shortest time Mise Houston was there. At this time they ware sometimes together; they seemed very friendly-—nothing more. Mr Joynt— I occupied the position of general servant in the house—the only servant. I usually rose at 6.30 in tot morning ; sometimes seven. My duties from the time 1 rose to eight wore to clean the dining-room, light the fire in the kitchen, and get the breakfast and sweep the hall. Both Mrs Hall’s and Mist Houston’s bedrooms were downstairs. Going to the dining-room from the kitchen I did not pass the bedroom doors. At Woodlands the bedrooms were not near the dining-room or kitchen ; they were in a different passage. The bedrooms are next to each other. It was at Eingsdown I saw Hall enter Mbs Houston’s bedroom, and when I saw him go I was engaged sweeping the ball. Miss HousUn’t room was next to the dining-room, and Mr and Mrs Hall’s bedroom door was opposite the dining-room door. The ball] was between them. Both bedroom doors were in the same passage, the female prisoner's room being opposite the kitchen: At this stage the Court adjourned.

TO-DAY’S PROCEEDINGS. Txmabu, September £. The evidence called this morning in the Hall case was that of the servants to prove familiarity between the prisoners. Jane Turnbull’s cross-examination by Messrs Jiyut and Bay lasted some time and elicited that she bad seen nothing between them to shew mote than friendliness, Mary Hansen, servant of Mrs Hall since May lasi, gave evidence that Miss Houston had on one occasion taken tea into Hall’s bedroom when occupying a separate room from his wife, fehe had remained there twenty minutes with a dressing gown on. She had also seen Hall palling Miss Houston about in (he iairy before breakfast —When c o?a----axamined by Mr Joynt, she admitted iho dH not regard Houston’s going into ;ha room as extraordinary at the time. >he had herself taken tea Into Hall’s 'oom when he was in bed. Davidson, local agent of the A.M.P. UaooiaMon, put iu proposals for insurance r , eceived from Sydney since he was exmined. The evidence this morning so far as , earing on the alleged crime itself, is of i Ittle importance. |j