THE CAIN POISONING CASE. EVIDENCE IMPLICATING HALL. An Important Witness Driven Insane. Timaru, Nov. 18.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 180, 27 November 1886, Page 5

THE CAIN POISONING CASE. EVIDENCE IMPLICATING HALL. An Important Witness Driven Insane. Timaru, Nov. 18.

Contrary to general expectation, the inquest on the remains of Captain Cain terminated yesterday afternoon, when the Jury returned a verdict that wilful murder had been committed by some person or persons unknown. The police have been ~very active and energetic in getting up the ■evidence, but so far they seem to have failed in obtaining any direct testimony as to the villains who perpetrated the dastardly crime of poisoning the poor old man. Yesterday's evidence was mainly confined to an attempt i;o connect the convict Hall with the deed, and several somewhat startling facts were elicited. It may be mentioned here that Hall, who was again present, looked better than he did a fortnight ago, so far as his physical aspect went. As foefore, he occupied himself with making notes, but he did not consult his lawyer so often as on his last appearance in Court. By the way, a little breeze sprang up during the inquiry between Mr Perry and ishe Coroner. The former, at the close of Mis 3 Gillon's evidence, notified that he did not intend taking any further part in the Inquest, as he did not consider that he or his client had received fair play. Some ■warm words thereupon passed between Mr Beawick and the solicitor, the end being that the latter, though he took notes of the evidence, put no questions to any of the witnesses. Mi? 3 Florence G'llon was the first witness called, and she gave her evidence with great clearness. She had boon on a visit to Woodlands at Christum? time, and narrated the various incidents that occurred. Hall, it appears, was a frequent visitor at the house, and Miss Gillon used to visit Mrs Hall at her house at Oornatall. During one of the*e visits an inquiry was made a3 to a certain Mrs Peters. It may interest your readers to know who Mrg Peters is, as her namo has not been previously mentioned in the case. She was housekeeper to the Halls, and early after the marriage left. Her suspicions tvere aroused "that some crime was being committed, and she went so far as to accuse Hall of trying topoiaouhis wife. Ho, however, explained that he would not benefit by hBr death, and Airs Pereri-'e doubti were quietened. Hall, it is currently reported oa good authority, ■did not feel easy about the woaian, and tried all he could to get her committed to the a*yhim a3 a lunatic. Now we know how well-founded were the old woman's suspicions. But the saddest part of her story is to come. During the hearing of the magisterial inquiry, Mrs Peters, who ia of a nervous temperament, wa3 so beset by a dread lest she ehould bo called as a witneaa that it prayed upon her mind, with the reault that she went raving mad, and had to be committed to the Sunny&ide Asylum, where she now i 9, another victim to the diabolical villain Hall. Read by the light of after events, there ia a grim satire in the remark of Mr 3 Hall,' as recorded in the evidence of Miss Gillon, when the innocent wife said of the husband who was engaged in plotting her death : — Tom is always reading ' Taylor on Poisons,' and 1 don't half like it ! Was evor a more terrible true word spoken in jest ? Following Miss Cillon came Mrs Ostler, "who tella of a mysterious sicknes3 which attacked. Captain Cain at a dinner after xeceiving a glass of liquor poured out at a cupboard by flail ; and then Mr F, Lecran, who was a co-trustee with Captain C»in in the settlement mado upon Mrs Hall prior to her marriage, told how anxious Hall was to get the money into his own hands. Captain Cain, however, was strongly opposed to this, and Mr Lecren was certain the deceased would not have given way in this matter had he lived The rest of the evidence was not, of creat importance. The •Coroner occupied but short time in summing up, and after the jury had been absent half-an-hour, they returned and gave the verdict recorded above. It i 3 scarcely likely that the police will allow the matte»" to rest here, though I understand that, so far, they have not managed to obtain a clue as to the procuring of antimony by any person who had access to Captain Cain and had any motive for taking the old man's life. A rumour is abroad that a friend of Hall's who is said to be on hia way back to th 9 colony was asked to send out some antimony to him, but I only give it as hearsay, and there may be in it. William Arthur Mason, clerk, deposed : I was a good deal with the late Captain Cain some months before his death in the •evenings. Hall was very seldom there ■when I was. The Captain suffered from sickness some considerable time before his death. On one occasion he told me that his grog disagreed with him I «aid thio was strange, as he had been accustomed to take grog all hi 9 life. I was at Woodlands the night before Captain Cain died, and he was then about the same as he had been for some time before — neither better nor worse. William George Gardiner deposed : Towards the end of January, having heard Hall wanted a house, I offered to rent him mine. He said that he could not take a house, a3 he expected Captain Cain to die within a few days. That is wh jt he said, to the best of my recollection. Chag. Blenheim Eichbaum, chemist in Timaru, deposed : — Hall purchased from me in November half an ounce of atrophia, on January 28th haft an ounce of erydroos, which I take to be atrophia. Atrophia ia a strong poison, aud the active principle of belladonna. The proscription for the medicine which I sold was for a horse. It was dated March, 1885. Colchicum is an irriant poison, and would cause depression. William Henry Willway, assistant to Mr Watkins, depoeed : I produce books which showthatHall bought 2d worth of colchicum wine on November 13th, 1885. F, W. Stubbs deposed : I first went to visit Captain Cain in January last, when he waa ill. I was an old friend. I gave him come champagne out of a bottle with a patent eyphon ; did not open the bottle myself. Erom that day till the time of his death I was at the house every day. I only saw Hall there two or three times during that period. I saw him there on the day after the invalid's bed came to the house. I asked him how the Captain was that day. He said he thought he was worse, adding he did not think he could get through the night. I never saw Captain Cain take any solid food— nothing but jellies. He was not generally sick after taking these, but I have seen him so on several occasions. The first time I saw, him sick was after he had taken some whisky, and the spirits had the same effect on other occasions. George Day, labourer, living in Timaru, ■deposed : I went to the late Captain Cain r s in January last to help to, nurse him. Hall came to the house every day during the time I was there. I and Wren took the nursing week about. I believe I have seen Hall there, and he used to go into the sick xoom. He used to be alone with. Captain 'dam for five to ten minutes, and I usually v eft the room. Hall told me several times to go out. I cannot gwear that Hall hoe

told me to give Captain Gain a drink when he wanted one, but I r bQU^ve v .he,djd, so. Spirits were kept on a table in the sick room with the medipine: r During, part' of the time the Captain^ was often cick, but I can't remember if these sicknesses came on after Hall's visit. - I was in the house the night. before the Captain, died. Hall was not there to my knowledge. The Captain has said to me that' they tand I took him to mean tue inmatee of the house) would be, glad if they could get him out of the way. He was quite sensible at the time he said this. To the jury : I was not in the habit of taking the whisky, but I took port wina now and again, but not much. I used to drink the champagne sometimes, but I can't remember whether I did bo on the day Jackson brought the bed. Kichard Bowen Hogg, recalled, said : Colchium and atrophia are both veritable poisons, * Sickness similar to that described in the evidence would be produced by colchicum. It might be by atrophia, but I am not quite sure. The amount contained - in my prescription of March, 1885, would be about four grains to the ounce, and this veould be enough to poison several poople Traces of the presence of such poisons aa colchicum and atrophia would not be discovered by analysis on the remains some months after death. This concluded the evidence, and Mr White said ho did not intend to sum up, aa he did not considor it necessary. The Coroner briefly summed up, and the jury retired at 35. At a quarter to 4 they returned, and in answer to the Coroner the foreman said : Tho jury are of opinion that Captain Cain's death vras accelerated by poison, but by whom administered there ia not sufficient ovidence to show. They therefore roturn a verdictof " Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown."