THE SYDNEY POISONING CASE.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8173, 3 May 1895, Page 4

THE SYDNEY POISONING CASE.

Tho case of George Doan is attracting much attention in Sydney. Whon the gnol authorities communicated to him the news of his reprieve he remarked that less than ten years' undeserved incarceration would kill him, and he would sooner go to the ■^caflold at once. He asserts his nnocence with vehemence, and claims that ho had nob an impartial trial. Mo has been visiteJ by a largo number r>f friends, among them being Captain Millie, under whom ho was employed when ho first joined tho Nor h Shoro ft'iiy service. Speaking to tho captain, he and : " Whon tho judge was summing up nay indignation reached t l o boiling point. I had to grasp tho tho dock tailings tightly to prevent) my oroaking out." Iho unkindesb cub of all, he considered, was tho judge s absortion that he was as assured of his «uilt as if he had seen him p'aco tho poison in the cup. "As I stand here," ho exclaimed, " T am innocent, and 'he day will corao when ib will bo proved. I never handled any poison, and never bought any. ' A discussion on the case took place in the Assembly last week on a motion for adjournment moved by Mr Click. It was declared by that hon. member that Dean had been convicted on wholly untrustworthy evidenco. The Government) had promised that l)eforo the Cabinet considered his caso an opportunity would bo given him of bringing forward fresh evidence, bub that promise had been broken, and also one that tho detective reports as to tho character of tho women concerned should be accessible to him. Throughout the Government had acted unfairly. For the first timo for lifteen years tho Atcornoy.Genci\»ll had prosecuted, and afterwards had attonded the meeting of tho Cabinet when the case was considered. The Afcforney-Gpneral, too, made an absurd statement that the woman's !ifo had only been saved owing to tho -.trychnino and atonic administered l>y the prison* r acting antagouistica'ly, ouo neutralising tho other. The case 'igainsb Dn&n would have been nothing hut for this precious fact. Medical men asserted that there was absolute'y no foundotion for the statement. Thig point was sprung on Dean, and was nob mentioned ab the North Shore PjHjo Court, but only in the Supremo Court, when the prisoner had no dunce of rebutting ib. Mr Crick strongly condemned Mr Justice VVindeyer. This judge had said he was as certain that Dean had poisoned liis wife as if ho had seen him. Could thejudgo believe the evidonco of his own eyes? A short time ago this judge was prepared to swear on tho evidence of his own oyes that Mrs Mellon could raise spirits at her sweeb will, bub a lighted match showed tho spirits to be bogus. Tho Speaker stopped all personal reference to Mr Justice Windeyor, ruling tnat tho judge's action could not bo impugned on a motion for adjournment. Tho fcJpeakor'B decision was received with with decided signs of regret, and members cheerod emphatically ab every condemnation of Mr Justico Windeyer. Mr Crick wenb on to say thab the evidence of Mrs Dean and Mrs Seymour could nob be relied upon. If tho Cabineb promised to postpone consideration of tho case witnesses could bo brought to support serious charges ogainst those women. Tho Premier intimated that if it were desired that tho case should be reopened ib could be done on pctibion,

If a coab of paiDt were applied to the skin of a human beiDg, death would ensue in five hours. A certain cynical statistical! estimates that a period of twenty months will cover the average widowhood of women under 35. A London stationer has had to pay L 65 damages for infringing a copy, tight by transferring a picture on to a magic lantom slide. Ab a sale of the eflecbs of the late Edmund Yates>, a polished wood writing slope used by Dickens on the day of his death realised LlO5, | Eighteen hundred and ninety-four, after all, was anything bub a wot year, taking England a 9a 9 a, whole, while it was a dry year so far *« ono.fif.tb of the gowutry w^ gott .