THE CAIN MYSTERY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1411, 19 November 1886, Page 2

THE CAIN MYSTERY.

VKRDIOT OF WILFUL MURDER. The following *>vicU<aoe waa taken after *e went to pres* ye»'?r 'ay. William Arthur Mason, said that he had heard Gala aay that his grog diegreed with him, and that ha aonld not account for the circumstance. Willia m Georgo Gardiner, said that hearing Hill wanted a boose he had >fTared him his. Ball declined the offer, haying that he expected Captain Gain to die in a few days O. B. Eiohbanm, chemist, said that Hall purchased from him in November half au ounce of atropia. which is a strong poison, and the active principle of belladonna W. H. Will way, accountant to Mrs Watkins, produced books sh wi ig that Bill bought 2s worth of oolohicom wine in November 1835 George Kay said that he wen* to Gapta>n Gain’s in January last t > halo to nur.se him. H >ll came to the ho aa every day darmg the time witne.s was ther . Bail used to gt> into the a>ok room, and used to be alone whh Ca.tiio -Jain from five to ten minutes. Hall told witness several times to go oat of the non, Witness ooald not swear Hall bad told him he gave Gapiain Gam a drink when be wanted it, bat he believed he did so. The captain bad said to witness thst “ they" (which witness took to mean the inmates of the house) wonid be glad if they could get him out of the way. Dr Hogg (re-called) said that Oolohicnm and atropia are' both vegetable poisons Sickness similar to that described in the evidence would be prodoead by colohioum It might be by atropia, bat he was not quite sure The amount contained in his prescription of March, >BBS, would be about four grains to the ounce, and this wonid be enough to poison several people. Traces of the presence of such poisons as colohioum and atropia wonid not be discovered by analysis in the remains some months after death. This concluded the evidenpa. Mr White, la reply to the Ooroaer, said he did not intend to sum up, aa be did not consider It necessary. The Ooroner thought the jury would have little hesitation, after hearing the evidence of Dr Hogg, iu arriving at the conclusion that the late Oaptain Gala met his death by poiaon. The law was that if death was accelerated, no matter in what condition the victim might be it was murder. They had to consider who »ould benefit by the death of Caiti’n Cain, and fr >m Mr Knubley’a evid nee it was plain that Mrs Hall and Mrs Newton wonid alone benefit by the death The evidence, pointing to Had as being connected with the deceased, was that poison had been iin bis possess 1 © i since his arrest fur attempts 1 wife murder ; but there was no evidence to show poison had been found aiccs Gain died. The jury, having taken the Coroner's notes of the evidence, retired to consider their verdict, at 315 pm. The jury returned to Court at 3 45. The Foreman said, “T ;e jury are of opinion that Oaptain Cain's death was accelerated by poison, but by whom administered there is not sufficient evidence to show,” They therefore reinrned a ve diet of “ Wilful muHer ag .lnst some person or persins iinka- wi.”