The Timaru Poisoning Case

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 34, 31 August 1886, Page 3

The Timaru Poisoning Case

-aDAMAGING STATEMENTS OF PROSECUTING COUNSEL.

£?EB CTXITED PEKSS ASSOCIATION.]

TIMARtJ, AujJUSt -30.

Great excitement still prevails in Timaru over the Hall ease, the court being crowded" to the utmost this morning. Messrs J. S. Beswick, JJ.M.., E. Elworthy, and H. j. Lecren were on the Bench. The same counsel'were engaged as last week, except that Mr Martin (Crown Prosecutor of Christchurch), who appears with Mr White!' Mr White stated the case for the prosecution at some length, and said that he would call evidence to show that Hall was in possession of large quantities. of antimony, and had purchased the bock " Taylor on Poisons" last year in Dunedin, although "Thomas Hall, of Dunedin, 1802," was written in'it. When arrested the male prisoner attempted to destroy something in his pockets, and had otherwise acted in a mauner to cause grave suspicion as to the motive. Hall was in a very t»ad financial position, and had forged a bill for £200 in December hist, while Mrs Hall's life had been insured fpr £6000 in the Australian Mutual Provident Assurance. Evidence would be given that a quantity of rags soaked in kerosine had been found in Hall's house, 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 before them in his address, he would have made out more than a prima facie case. The first witness called was Inspector Broham, who, in company with Detective Kirby and and two constables, arrested the accused. Hall made an attempt to get rid of something in his trowsers pocket. Witness seized his hand, and Houston tried to separate them. In one of Hall's pockets was found a corkless phial, in which was found some liquid and crj'stals, and a cork was found on the heart-rug. Witness searched the house, and had hermitically sealed articles found there and sent them to Professor Black. Broham was under examination when the luncheo* adjournment arrived. The evidence of Detective Kirby corroborated that of the Inspector, and at 4.30 p.m. the court adjourned to 10.30 the next day, the evidence being only half finished.