PROVINCIAL NEWS

Kumara Times, Issue 3067, 1 September 1886, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS

[united press association.! Dunedin, August 30. The City Council have decided to refer the various reports on the recent blasting accident to Mr Simpson (late R.M.) for his decision as to who was in charge of the works. The Mayor protested. George Rignold fell down a trap at

Princess Theatre a few minutes before the commencement of the entertainment this evening, and received some»hat severe injuries. The performance . was postponed. August 31. It is reported that Mr Bradshaw. M. H.R., is dying. Wellington, August 30. Arrived, barque Prince Albert, Captain Peterson, 106 days from Hambmg. Sin- has part cargo for Auckland. The steamer Hinemoa, which left her* this afternoon for Auckland via Bast Coast, took Mr Blackett, Government Marine Engineer, to Cuvir Island, to decide on a site for a new lighthouse. The Hinemoa during her northern trip will collect at various points along the coast the food which has been collected by the natives for the Tuhorangis in the Rotorua district. The Maoris have been very liberal in lending a helping hand to their brethren in distress, one tribe having set aside some excellent land for them. About 20 tons of provisions were sent from here. Napier, August 30. Fifteen Salvationists were charged to-day with a breach of the anti-proces-sion bye-law, and fined 5s and costs or 48 hours. In the course of the case mie defendant said that the “Devil made the laws and the Magistrates fired the balls.” He was ordered down for contempt, but before the rising of the Court he apologised and was let off. Several of the defendants elected to take it out in gaol, On the Court rising, the Salvationists, who had marched with music and banners to tho Court, again marched round and knelt down in the streets, showing their contempt for the decision of the Resident Magistrate. Wanganui, August 30. The case against Albert Stubbs for manslaughter in connection with the death of the Maori Ruhuruhi, is just finished. It has been before the court all day. The Magistrate said that the evidence as to the violence used in ejecting deceased was too conflicting to warrant a committal. The case was dismissed. Matthew Burnett, temperance lecturer, had a large meeting in the theatre on Saturday night and to night. This afternoon he held a very successful raveling with the natives. Fourteen leading chiefs and 110 natives took the pledge. Auckland, August 30. The Sydney footballers left for Hawera to day. It is improbable that Shaw, the Sydney captain, will play in the New Zealand matches owing to his injuries in Saturday’s match. One of the boys, an inmate of the Howe-street Home, had his leg broken to-day while playing football. The Tuhorangi natives at Rotorua, who are receiving relief rations from Government, have driven off a flock of sheep into the bush, and a young man named Farmer, a son of the owner, surprised the robbers shooting and skinning a sheep, when the natives fled. The police are now in pursuit. Sailed : the Rimutaka, for Wellington ; passengers, Mr and Mrs Trotten, Mr M'Kenzie, Mrs Buddie. The s.s. Whampoa, Captain Hunt, arrived from Foo Chow, which she left on August Bth with 319 tons of tea for Auckland, 520 for southern ports, 360 tons of sugar for Wellington, and 29 Chinese passengers for Melbourne and Sydney. She leaves for Welling, ton on Wednesday. CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED WIFE POISONING AT TIMARU. Timaru, August 30. Thomas Hall and Margaret Graham Houston were charged on remand today with attempted murder of the male prisoner’s wife, Catherine Hall. J. S. Beswick, Esq., R.M , E. Elworthy, G. G. Fitzgerald, and H. J, Lecren, Esqs,, were on the Bench, and the same counsel that were engaged before appeared in the case with the exception that Mr Martin appeared with Mr White for the prosecutrix. After Mr White had shortly stated the facts of the case, and the evidence he intended to lead, he called evidence, the principal of which is as follows Thomas Broham, Inspector of Police at Timaru, said he arrested the accused at 8.30 on the night of August 15, at Hall’s residence. He was accompanied by Detective Kirby and Constables Egan and Strickland. As witness was going in at the front door Hall was at the dining-room door, and, seeing them, turned back into the room. As witness and his companions got into the dining room, he (witness) saw Miss Houston come out of the smoking-room on the opposite side of the hall. He beckoned her to come into the dining room, which she did, and witness then told them both that he arrested them on a warrant on a charge of attempting to murder Mrs Hall by administering antimony to her. Miss Houston said,

“Ob, antimony ! (that’s what yon got for your photography.” Hall said to her, “ Be quiet, you’ve nothing to do with this,’’ and said to witness “ What shall I say ? I suppose a man should be careful with such a charge as this made against him.” Witness replied, “You can say what you please, or nothing at all, if you think fit!” He answered, “ I have used antimony for a long time. I got it to make up into cigarettes with other things for asthma. I have bought tartar emetic at Gunn’s and Erichbaum’s.” About that time Hall said, “Whatever I did in connection with this matter I did it by myself, there was no one else concerned in the matter,” He said that twice. He was standing with his back to the table and his face to the fire. About the time he made these remarks he put his hands partly into his trousers’ pockets. Witness said to him “ Take your hands out! don’t do that, please !” which was repeated. Hall began to get very weak and asked for a nip, and witness sent Constable Egan out to get it. Witness and Kirby were about to search Hall, when he seemed as if he were going to faint, and he again asked for something to drink, and Kirby went to fetch it by witness’s instructions. By this time Hall had changed his position and was standing with his back to the fire. Kiiby left the room, and directly he did so Hall put his hands into his trousers’ pockets. Witness told him to take them out, but he did not do so, and he seized Hall’s wrists at once and tried to force them out of the pockets. Miss Houston then gave a cry, ran between them, and a struggle ensued, the female prisoner doing all she could to separate them. Witness called out to Detective Kirby two or three times, as it was evident Hall wanted to throw something into the fire. On Kirby entering the room, Miss Houston ceased her efforts at separation. Witness told Kerby that Hall was trying to throw something into the fire, and added “ He has thrown something on the floor.” Witness said that he bad succeeded in getting Hall some distance from the fire, as he was kicking a cork towards the fender. Witness then held prisoner’s hands while Kirby searched him, and saw the latter take a small phial, uncorked, out of Hall’s right hand trousers’ pocket. The bottle contained a few drops of liquid and some crystals. Put the phial up in a parcel and sent it to Professor Black, with fourteen other parcels; also saw Kirby take from Hall’s pocket a small paper, marked “ Tartar emetic.” The cork already mentioned fitted the phial. Witness also saw Kirby pick up a few particles of powder which were lying about, Kirby turned the right hand trousers’ pocket inside out, and a portion of the bottom of the pocket was wet. Having searched Hall witness said that they would now go to the bedroom and search that. Prisoner said “You’ll find antimony there.” Went up to the bedroom, and as they were approaching a table on which a book, “ Taylor on Poisons” (produced) was lying, Hall look it up and said, “I suppose this also will tell against me.” Further search disclosed a packet of tartar emetic, a bottle containing colchicum wine, with Watkin’s label on it, A packet containing white powder, and some ordinary cigarettes smoked by asthmatic persons. All these things were given to Detective Kirby. In the passage was found a bottle of lime water. Before going upstairs brandy was brought into the dining room by witness, Constable Egan. Witness noticed that there was some cloudy substance in the liquid, and said to Hall that there was something the matter with it, and he replied “fto, there’s not.” Witness said “ There is,” and Hall was about to drink some that was poured out, either by himself or witness, when the latter stopped him, Mrs Ellison, the nurse, gave witness some ice water in a jug, which she said was got from the kitchen, and gave the brandy and the jug to Detective Kirby, and saw the articles again the following afternoon, and received them in the presence of Dr. M'lntyre and Constable Daly, Dr. M'lntyre also handed witness three bottles at that time. He likewise received two packets' from Detective Kirby, which he had not seen in that state before, and a small cork from Constable Strickland, which Dr M'lntyre cut in two longitudinally. The latter was made up in parcels and sent to Professor Black, together with the other things by the hands of Constable Daly. Witness put a number on each. On the 18»h witness went to Hall's house, and took ftom there a colander, a piece of flannel, a piece of gauze cloth, and a piece of sacking, which were made up into a parcel, and given to Constable Egan, who also was given a bottle received hv wituess from Dr. MTntyre. Constable Egan was to have taken these things to

Professor Black on the ]3ih, but the line was down and he could not go. Received the exhibits last mentioned (the colander, &c) from Mrs Ellison, the nurse. The gauz o cloth and sacking were in the bathroom, but witness could not say where the other things came from. Went again to the house of accused on Saturday, 21st inst., and Mrs Ellison showed witness up stairs to the loft or attic, to reach which it was necessary to go through Hall’s bedroom. A small room leads off the latter to the right. Here is an opening in the wall about feet by 18 inches, to which there is a small door. Witness smelt kerosene very strongly in this room. The cupboard door was closed, and on opening it the smell was much greater. Went inside, and there found a large quantity of old rags, somewhat similar to the sweepings of a dressmaker’s shop. By far the largest portion of the rags was of an old 1001 b flour bag. The bag produced was the one witness saw. The other rags and combustible matter were lying beside the bag, All were more or less impregnated with kerosene. On coming down staiis Mrs Ellison showed wituess a new tin of kerosene of the “Crystal” brand. After finding the things enumerated, witness came down and got an express and assistance to take them away. Went back to the house in company with Constable Casey and brought the various articles produced in Court to-day to the police station. The kerosene tin had been opened and was about three-fourths full. Joynt and Hay, counsel for prisoners, in answer to the Bench, said that they would not cross-examine the witness. The evidence of Detective Kirby corroborated that of the Inspector, and the Court adjourned to 10.30 next day Kirby’s evidence being only half finished. August 31. The Hall-Houston attempted murder case was resumed at the R.M, Court 'his morning, at 10.30 a.m. Justices and counsel were the same as on Monday. The first witness called was— Austin Kirby, whose evidence was not concluded when the Court rose on Monday evening. The witness said he wished to correct a statement he made yesterday in his evidence concerning giving the accused some brandy. Joynt wished the evidence to remain as it was taken down yesterday. The witness could make another statement if he wished to do so. Witness then said—Hall had some brandy before we went upstairs to search the sleeping apartment. This was the brandy given to the constable by Mrs Ellison, and subsequently brought to the Police Station. It was the brandy Broham remarked was “ cloudy.” Witness then corroborated Broham’s evidence respecting the hi tides found on the male prisoner at the time of the arrest; and continued— The hook produced, “Taylor on Poisons,” I found in the bedroom. The book is in the same state as when it was taken from the bouse. I did not examine the book to see if there was any writing in it till the following morning. I then saw—lnspector Broliam being present at the time—the words “T. Hall, 1882,” written on the front leaf. On the hack leaf there was “T. Hall, Dunedin, 1882.” The writing is in pencil. The book had never been out of my custody until I saw the writing next day. The leaf that is torn out was to in out hefoie I took possession. 1 did not part with any of the exhibits from the 15th until they were sealed up by the Inspector on the 16th. Cross-examined by Mr Hay. The female accused exclaimed “Antimony?” immediately after the charge had been stated by Mr Broham. She repeated the word antimony. Miss Houston said, “Oh, you use antimony in photography.” Immediately afterwards she was addressing Hall in the presence of the others. lam quite certain that (he words used were not “Oh, that was what you were going to «ot to do some experiment.” I had no°returned to the room when Miss Houston is said to have interfered between Hall and the Inspector. [After the evidence of several other witnesses had been taken the Court adjourned till 10.30 a.m. next day.]