DASTARDLY ATTEMPT TO POISON.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1041, 9 December 1882, Page 3

DASTARDLY ATTEMPT TO POISON.

At the Criminal Sessions at Darlinghurst Court House, before his Honor Judge Windeyer, and a common jury, Charles Robertson was charged with having, on Bth October last, at Warren, feloniously attempted to administer to one Billy Bogan, an aboriginal black trooper, a quantity of strychnine (10 grains), with intent to wilfully murder him. The prisoner, who was undefended, pleaded Not Guilty, Prom the facts elicited in evidence, it appeared that the prisoner, who was out on bail on two charges of larceny, being accused of stealing forage from the police station at Warren, the property of the Government, offered an important witness against him—a black tracker named Billy Bogan—£lo. on 25th September, to swear that he did not see the theft committed from the police staoles, Billy, however, refused the bribe, and in consequence, as it was alleged, prisoner contempplated to put him out of the way. The charge of larceny was hoard at the Circuit Court held at Dubbo on 18th October, and resulted in Robertson being then sentenced to two years’ hard labor in Darlinghurst gaol. On Sunday night, Bth October, prisoner tried to induce the black tracker to drink some whisky, which he (Robertson) had obtained from a publichouse at Warren, kept by Mrs. Pearce. This whisky the blackfellow (although pressed very much) did not take, as it had a suspicious appearance. Senior-constable Piggot. happening to come up at the time observed the prisoner handing the whisky to the tracker, and overheard him tell the latter to drink it up quickly. The tracker at first said he would drink some, and was about to do so when he was interrupted by Piggot, who took the deadly poison from him. The whisky being sent to Sydney for analysis by Mr Watt, was by him declared to be poisoned, there being fully ten grains of strychnine in the bottle, enough to poison a dozen men. The jury, after a very short deliberation, found the prisoner Guilty. He asked his Honor to be merciful to him on the ground that he had a wife and a little family dependent on him. Constable Piggot having deposed to the prisoner’s criminal antecedents and bad character, his Honor sentenced the prisoner to 15 years’ hard labor on the road.