THE ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO POISON IN WELLINGTON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIIL, Issue 109, 8 May 1878, Page 4

THE ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO POISON IN WELLINGTON.

The following report of the Court proceedings in this extraordinary case . is from the Evening Post t — William O'Connor was charged, on remand, with attempting to administer to William Light, a quantity of strychnine, with intent to murder the said William Light. Mr. Buckley appeared for the prosecution ; Mr Gordon Allan defended. William Light said he was proprietor of Barretts Hotel, Lambfcon Quay. The prisoner had been staying at hia house for three weeks. On Sunday evening last, about twenty minutes to eleven o'clock, the prisoner and a Mr. Pye were in the bar parlor. Witness passed through, and went into the bar, which communicated directly with the parlor, and about eleven o'clock he returned to the parlor, and told the prisoner and Mr. Pye that it was eleven o'clock, and he must close the house. Mr. Pye said, " All right, father ; I won't keep you up," and he left the house after shaking hands' with witness. Pye was not a lodger. He left by the bar. There was a door leading from the parlor to the passage, but this door was then locked, the key being on the inside. Connor remained in the room and soon after Pye left he called witness into the room, and said, « Mr; Light, I'll be leaving you to-morrow ; it's a week, and I'd better pay you." He handed witness £2, and he gave him the proper change, saying " We'd better have a ■ drink together." Prisoner responded " I'll have a drop of Irish whisky," and witness went and got the spirit from the shelf in the bar, taking some Scotch whisky himself. He took the whisky into the parlor in tumblers, the glasses, which were quite clean, being taken off the shelf below the decanters, where they were standing bottom upwards. There was a window between the bar and the parlor, and witness held them up before the window, that he might see how much whisky he put in, the bar being dark. The glasses were dry and quite clean. He then took the drinks into the. next room, and gave O'Connor one glass, while he placed the other where be intended to sit. Immediately afterwards he went to answer a bell which had rung. When he returned the.glass was on the table, where he hadleft.it, and witness sat down before it. He was going to drink, when he noticed something like white powder on the side of the glass, running in a line from the edge of the liquor. He said " Good God, what's this ?" when prisoner said "I suppose it's a dirty glass you're got" Witness would swear positively that the powder was not in the glass when he took it into the room. He run his finger round the upper and dry portion of the glass, and then touched his tongue with hia finger. He exclaimed " What a beastly taste ?" and took the glass into the bar. While this was going on prisoner drank his whisky, sayiog," Well, here's to your health." When he had placed his glass in the bar he ran back into the room, rubbing his tongue. Prisoner wbb then* getting up, and he pushed by witness, and saying "Good night," unlocked the side door and went upstairs. Witness again locked the door, and saw that the bar door was bolted. He then again took the tumbler, and turned on the gaß in the bar, when he aaw come crystals in the bottom of the glass, as well as some on the top edge. He next took the glass into his own room, and, sitting down, wrote a memorandum of the circumstances [produced]. He did Ibis because he thought he was poisoned. He put the paper on the top ihelf, pitted the glass on the paper,

and then pulled some cigar boxes in front of it. He then went back into the bar parlor, and looked on the table, but could see no powder on the table. He thought some must have been opilt, and went on his hands and knees over the place where O'Connor had been sitting. He found several small crystals on the hearthrug, but be was so nervous that be could not manage to pick them up. On the following morning be saw that the glass was in the same place, «nd he then went out to look for Mr Fife. He met Mr Fife, and he returned to the house and saw the glass. From what be said witness gave the glass to Sergeant Price, in the presence of Sergeant Smith, Subsequently Sergeant Smith came and took away the hearthfug After O'Connor went upstairs on Sunday night he returned and knocked at the bar door, when witness was counting the money. Witness said, " Who's there ?" to which O'Connor replied, " Give me some brandy." Witness found it out, and gave it to him, when he said, " Give me some brandy and lemonade ; I think I've been drinking to much." He presented the most ghastly appearance which witness ever saw, but whn.n he went to bed appeared oil right and hnppy, and was certainly not drunk. He took the lemonade, and went upstairs. Witness went into the kitchen, and looked up at O'Connor's window, and caw the light go out about ten minutee afterwards. On the following morning O'Connor came into the bar, and, after asking for a glass of beer, said, " If any letters come for me, send them to Patea." Witness replied, ««I believe you will have to stop and answer some questions about what occurred last night." Mr Buckley said he was obliged to ask for a remand for eight drys, for the production of scientific evidence. Mr Gordon Allan said he would in that case reserve his cross-examination. He hoped Mr Buckley would be able to complete the case without any. further remands. Mr Buckley ssid he intended to complete the cage for the prosecution in another day's hearing. .Prisoner was then remanded, until: 'Thursday nexr. ' ' '' ' •■-'■• Mr Gordon Allan applied for hail. Mr Buckley, was under the . imprest sioh that "no 'bail was allowable in charges of Pttempted murder. If it were granted, he must press for a heHvy amount, and good sureties. After consulting with his brother magistrates, Mr Crawford said they declined to grant bail.