THE HALL POISONING CASE. YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. (BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch, Monday.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2228, 19 October 1886, Page 3

THE HALL POISONING CASE. YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDING S. (BY TELEGRAP H— PRESS ASSOCIA TION.) Christc hurch, Monday.

Thk cn=p for the pto-erition closed to-day, .tnd the defence was opened .it 11.20 a.m. Mi Joynt s,ud tli.it befoie calling witnesses hi, vv.-hed to state a few piopo«itions -•Teatnn. Hi> submitted in the Hi-t place that tlie iri'li^tin •'nt discl<'-r>d no '>tf< jSice, hi'iMii-o antimony w as the name givtn tv tif' poison in it-, pti.i.iry -en-p. Hh Il'i'i'»,u : Whit is it-, pi unary sense 'i Mi Joynt : A nietii, and nothing eKe. Hh HotK/iir : Wh.it i- yoiu authority for tint? Mr .Foynt • Wo In y e e\ id? nee for it in the oest w.itne-s called In the Cmun, Dr. f>!ick. I ~- iy tie indictment is had, because what is cal'ed " d<- idly poison '' is not a poison. It is sho'vn by the evidence thai" anti ii'iny, if id«nmi>teicd properly, i-> not a p"i-on. His Honour : What you really mean is that the indictment is not proved? Mr Jovnt cone-mud that the evidence -huwed that the indictment w as not borne out bv the evidence. What was spoken of in the indictment as deadly powm was shown to b» cihiely innocuous. His llonoiu snd tt 1 )' 1 point was whether or no antimony wa> sufficiently described as the article as it wa«. regularly knr>wn, and not l>y it- scientific name. Mr Jovnt -ulinitted tliat " o\ide of antimony " or " tait.u^ed antimony ' were the woid- that -hould have appeared in the indictment after "deadly poison." Hi-. Honom -ud the point was thi*, s?eui£ th.it the language of the indictment wa- langm^e in which th^ poi-on in ques. tion was jxipul. uly known. Was it »umcient for the mfoimation gnen to the perh'in accused of the ottencv with which he was charged. Mr .loynt : So far as T have been able to ascertain from the reported cases, the poi.son ch.uped in the indictment has always received its scientific description and not its popular docuption. His Honom : I am not aware of that at ill. Has the point ever been mooted and sustained that the popular description as du-closed in the indietnunt is at \arance with the scientific descuption ? Mr Jovnt could not say thnt it had. In Dr. t'ntchard's case it was called "tartarised antimony." He urged that it would be equally right to say that silver meant nitiate of silver, as to say that antimony meant oxide of antimony. Dr. Sym had Mid that it would be wrong to desciibe nitiateot siheras silver. In the Sale of Poisnn-, Act, of 1871, there was no mention of antimony, though tarter emetic was enumerated. The Legislature had given the proper name to poisoning ingredient of antimony, vi/., tai tar emetic. If pei*ons choose to u-e popular, loose, and inaccurate expressions that should not be suthcient for the purposes indicated when the language wa* clearly incorrect. Antimony was, undoubtedly, primarily a metal, and that was its well known meaning. Another proposition vras that if it be proper to call [ poisoning salt of antimony by the name of antimony, then the indictment would be bad, for being so general, because the name was equally applicable to anyone <>f the poisonous salts, and the evidence showed there were several. If Hall were now acquitted :v fie-h indictment for another kind of .salt could be laid. The point was le^eived. Mr Joynt stated that he had no evidence to call on behalf of flail, but they would call evidence as to Houston's ch.uactei. Dr. Key worth, v\ho had been present at Houston's buth, and had known her all hex life, deposed that her chaiactei was coireet in eveiy lespect. The Rev. J. C. West also give her a go >d charactet, as also did Mi W C. Matthia*, accountant of the Bank of New ZeahnJ. Dr. (iuthne deposed that he had examined her professionally, and found all tli' 1 evidences of vuginity piesent. He -poke with the gieatest ceit.uuty. Sir li. Stout addie-sed the jury for the Crown. He ewe up his light of loply, and summed foi the Crown on the evidence that had been adduced. He asked the jury to letnrn a fair verdict, and if theie was any leasonable explanation consist* nt with their innocence to acquit the piihoneis, but not to fail in their duty to convict them if satisfied of their guilt. Sir Joynt addressed the inry on behalf of Hall. He blamed the Crown for not calling Mi- Hall, and canvassed the evidence, poait'iig out every point m his client's favour. The learned counsel had not eoneluded his addiess. when the couit adjoin ned. The general impression is that Hall will be convicted, and Houston acquitted.

V Hi'M'HMvx oi Coior n.— A n.uutei. Thk waste cuttings of cork ate now b"ing employed for making bricks, which can be used for ualls, impeivious alike to In at or damp. The cot k cuttings are reduced to pow der in a mortar and mixed with lime or clay, and fiom this composition the bricks aie made in the usual way.