THE CAIN MURDER CASE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1545, 27 January 1887, Page 3

THE CAIN MURDER CASE.

THE CHARGE OF WILFUL MURDEK AGAINST THOMAS HALL. SECOND DAY. [B* Telegbaph], From Our Special Correspondent. (Before His Honor Justice Johnston, and a Special Jury.) The hearing of the above case was resumed on Tuesday. Dennis Wren was examined, but nothing new came out in his evidence. Margaret Graham Houston gave evidence similar to that given by her at the Magisterial inquiry, but in the middle of it Bhe burst out in a fit of hys. terical crying, and «>he had to leave the box. Subsequently she was recalled, and she spoke so low that Mr Haggitt had to stand by her, and repeat her answers, so that they might be heard by the Court. She said that Captain Cain's temper and appetite vrere changeable and irregular. She never could tell what made him sick. No one looked on his sickness as of any consequence. He persisted in having the room dark, Mr Haagitt • Did yon know him to fancy be saw something 1 Mr Dennistoun objected to this, as be* ing a leading question. Witness 5 i never notioed anything of the kind. Mr Haggitt; Take time to answer this question. Did you ever nurse any other person who exhibited the same symptoms of sickness, thirst, and was at the same time subject to diarrhoea 1 Vi itness : No. I only nursed one other man with dropsy. Mr Haggitt: But I asked you any other person ? 1 Mr Chapman said thU was the question i I objected to" whfch had been hinted at > I seVeral times. He would objeat.

M r ftaggitt said he would argue the qntistion. They both knew what he niHint. fir Chapman Baid the evidence t»as inadmissible, because it went outside the history of the case altogether, and into subjects not in existence at the time re* ferred to by the evidence, and into matters which should not be allowed to affect the issue now before the Court. His Honor eiid he bad considered the caseß very carefully, and his opinion was that up to a certain point the evidence proposed to be tendered was admissible evidence. ' Witness continued and said she had never attended any one with symptoms similar to Cain's. Mrs Hall in her illness whs sick, very sallow and weak, and sometimes lost her appetite for a day or two. She thought the sickness was the worst symptom Mr Chapman objected. Witness added that prisoner lived in the same house and gave her food. She then described giving the ice water and oysters to Mrs Hail. Hall sat up with Cain two half»nights consecutively. Cross-examined by Mr Dennistoun Witness said there was nothing in Mrs Hall's illness to remind her of Cain's. When she took the oysters to Mrs Hall no one could have had the slightest idea that they were goiog to Mrs Hall. The general opinion in the household was that Cain would not recover, and she expressed that opinion to Hall. The liquor was never locked up, and Kayo could take anything he liked but port wine. Mrs Newton thought they should get cheaper stuff for him. She remembered one of Hall's dogs being ill, and Hall had a mixture to put in the dog's eye, and the result was that the pupil of the eye be« came dilated. Miss Gillon gave evidence, but the only thing new in it was that she beard of no restriction being put upon the two men working at Cain's as to what they might drink until she gave one bottle to them, when Bhe heard afterwards from Hall of a epecinl wine being provided for the men. There was nothing to prevent them taking champagne from the bottle in use. William A. Mason stated that Captain Cain complained that his whisky disagreed with him. Francis Worcester Stubbß said be frequently visited Cain during his last illness and for some time after the 13th January sat up alternate nights with him. Captain Cain never slept long together, and he always wanted something when he awoke. Witness gave him jelly, custards, and champagne. Tbe custards and jellies never seemed to disagree with him, and he never knew him sick after taking them. He was sick after taking whisky on several occasions, and once or twice after taking medicine. One after* noon Cain asked for whisky as he was tired of champagne, and witness gave him Borne. He was sick. A day or two after he asked for more whisky, aod, witness him some out of the same bottle, he was sick again. Witness and Kaye sat up with Cain on the night he died. He had spells of sleep of about half an hour. He talked of his sufferings, and wished he waa away. Either Kaye or witness gave him champagne, and he thought cough mixture. Cam slept till 12.30, when they noticed a change in his breathing. They called Mrs Newton and Misa Gillon. The Captain had an attpek of coughing, and seemed to revive. He was taken up, and, after being made comfoitable, put to bed again, when he slept till witness left at 5 a.m., and be (witness) was told that he never woke from that sleep. So far as he could recollect, Cain was not sick at all that evening. The Court adjourned at 5.30 p,m.