TRIAL OF CAPTAIN JARVEY.

Evening Post, Issue 191, 18 September 1865, Page 3

TRIAL OF CAPTAIN JARVEY.

The trial of William Andrew Jarvey, master of the steamer Titania, for the murder of his wiffr on the 26th of September, 1864, was resumed at the Supreme Court, Dunedin, on the 11th instant, before Mr. Justice Richmond and a special jury. The case lost none of its interest by delay, and during the whole of the hearing the Court was crowded by persons more or less interested in the prisoner. The evidence produced differed but little from that given at the previous trial, and therefore need not be repeated here. The history of the case is as follows .—The prisoner, prior to the month of August, 1864, resided with his wife and family in Cumberland street, Dunedin. Soon after they removed to Caversham, a suburb of Dunedin* where they were living when Mrs. Jarvey died. The prisoner was a bad tempered man, did not live happily with his family, and from time to time subjected his wife and other members of his family to harsh treatment. A person named Sly resided near to his house. Shortly after going to Caversham the prisoner purchased at the shop of Mr. Isaacs, chemist, a compound of corrosive sublimate, and on the 18th of the same month strychnine, stating that he wanted to poison rats in the steamer Titania, then commanded and owned by him. Ou the evening of that day his wife took ill, and two days after recovered and waß able to go about the busi* noss of her house. On the 21st prisoner again went to Mr. Isaacs, and said that the stuff he had given him only made the rats sick, and asked for more poison. The chemist requested him to call again, and two days after he gav^ him sixty grains of pure strychnine. There is no evidence, however, of his- havinar used either lot of poison for the purpose alleged on board the vessel. On Sunday, the 25th of the same monSfi, prisoner obtained two powders of quinine. Quinine is a vegetable poicon, as well ns strychnine, and very bitter. The day "following Mrs. Jarvey was taken ill, and exhibited all the symptoms of those which follow the administration of strychnine. The following day Mrs. Jarvey died of tetanic convulsions. JNo medical man was called in to attend her, although one resided close at hand. Soon after the prisom r was suspected of foul treatment, and arrested. The body was exhumed, and the contents of the stomach spnt to Melbourne to be examined by Dr. Macadam, a skilled chemist, and strychnine was found. Jarvey was then committed for triel. The trial lasted several days, and excited considerable interest, but the jury failed to arrive at a verdict, and ultimately were dismissed. The evidence produced was sufficiently conclusive to justify the authorities in deciding to keep Jarvey in custody. Accordingly he was sent back to prison to the next sitting of the Court. At the next session, however, Dr. Mac adam, the principal witness; through illness, was unable to attend, and the second hearing of the case was consequently again postponed till the present sitting. Most of the witnesses who were examined during the first hearing were also examined during the second, but no additional evidence was produced. The trial occupied in hearing flve days, and was brought to a conclusion on Friday. A telegram forwarded to- Christchurch on the afternoon of that day states that "in Jarvey's case the jury retired at twelve o'clock to consider their verdict ; and that Jarvey fainted in the dock while the judge was charging the jury." The Lyttelton Times of Saturday says :—: — " We learn that telegraphic intelligence has bpen received from Dunedin, to the effect that the prisoner Jarvey has been found guilty."

The P.N.Z. and A.R.M. Uo.'s s s. Phoebe, Captain Ferguson, sailed from Lyttelton, at 12.30 noon Sunday, and arrived at this port at five thid morning, thus making another splendid run of 16J hours. Dead calm weather.