THE TIMARU MURDER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2248, 4 December 1886, Page 2

THE TIMARU MURDER.

TUT TELEUU.U'H. — I'UKSS ASSOCIATION, J Timaiuj, Thursday. The hearing of tho charge of murder aj,'ain4 Thomas Hall was lesumed to-day. The prisoner again occupied the dock, and was closely guarded by the winders. On the Court opening, Dr Hogg took his place in the box, and in reply to Mr Perry described the various tests mod in the analyses. Re-examined by Mr White : Serious results might follow if a healthy pennn took internally a grain of atropia. A grain and a-half or two would be likely copinduco death. A grain would acceleiate the deith of a person in the state Cain was some two or three mouths before his death, but as I was not his medical attendant, an 1 cannot say decidedly what state Ijq was in, I would not like this to^ bo taken as a positive answer. At Mr White's request, Mr Perry concurring, His Worship read from hi-, notes Dr Macintyre's evidence respecting the captain* state. Mr White : Having he.ird the symptoms thus described, doctor, wii.it quantity of atropia, in your opinion, would cause death ? Witness : A grain : and an to antimony, two to five grains might cause the death of a healthy child or adult. To a person in Captain Cain's condition perhaps two grains of antimony would cause death if administered three months before. In a healthy person two drachms to half an ounce of wine of colehicum would be likely to cause death, and two drachms would be likely to cause the death of a person in the state of health Captain Cain was. Dr. Hedley Vicar*. Drew said : I saw the late Captain Cain on tho afternoon before his death. I felt his pulse and found it stronger than I expected in a man in his condition. I stayed with him about a quarter of an hour. T found him "sitting up in bed, and he spoke calmly tho whole time, coughing now and again. I heard of his death the next evening, and was surpiNed, because the impression I got the previous day was that he was brtter than ha had been previously. I went to see the captain at the suggestion of Mr Y. LeCren, who a.sked me to call as a friend. I went to the house between throe and four in tho afternoon. The impression I have formed since the post mortem closed is that I would expect such a pulse in a person suffering from aortic disease. Peter William Hutton said : I am a stationer in Timaru. On the 9th May, 1885, Hall purchased from me this book (produced), entitled " Healand's Action of Medicines." Hall came, into tho shop and purchased it, and inquired if 1 had any book touching on antimony. I took this book down, and referring to the index found the chapter on what Hall inquired for, and turned to page 341, and held the book with uncut leaves open, and made the remaik, " Heie, Mr Hall, is what you have been asking for." With my permission the leaves were cut about the chapter on antimony. Ho took the book away with him. He came to the shop again about a month afterwards, and asked me if I would lend him " Taylor on Poisons," and I said "Yes." He borrowed it and returned it, and borrowed it a second time. On his returning it the second time I said, " Mr Hall, you've borrowed the book two or three times, you h.id batter purchase it," which he did, and paid for it in cash, m iking the remark " You had better not book it." In my presence he opened the book, and with a pencil wrote on the cover at the beginning and end. I did not see what he wrote. I now find wiitten at the beginning "T. Half, 1882." From my knowledge of Hall's signature I believe the writing to ba hi-. [n the book "Action of Medicines," when it was returned by Hall I found the chapter on "Neurotics" cut. This treats of narcotics, etc. I found the chapter on " Iron, Antimony," cut. To Mr Perry : I or Hall cut the chapter on antimony before the book was taken away. William Gunn said : I am a chemist in Timaru. The book produced is my Sale of Poisons Register Book from 1882 to 18S0, the entries closing on the 31&t October, 1886. Turning to May 5, 188."), I find one entry of the sale of two drachms of tartar of antimony to T. Hall. The whole of the, entry, except the signature "T. Hall," is in my handwnting. I have seen Hall's signature onc3 or twice, and believe this to be prisoner's, .signature. On the23id May I lent prisoner a mortar and pestle, a set of scale-, and a 20/, measure. The weight-* ran from tv^o drachms down to one grain. He never returner! these article". On June 18, of this year, I sold him two drachms of antimony. Mr Perry submitted that this was not relevant. Cain died in January. His Worship said it was admissible to show that Hall was in the habit of buying poisons at Gunn's. Mr White said that the evidence was quite relevant, and quoted the famous case of (Peering in the Supreme Court. Witness to Mr White : On the 2b'th June, 1880, I also sold Hall 2 drachms of antimony, on the 2") th July 2oz of colehicum, on 18th and 31st July, and 11th August, I also sold him 2oz of colehicum wine. In the Register the reason given for the purchase of antimony is "medicinal," but whether this idea was Hall's or tninu I cannot now say. TliB word " Medicinal " was there and the entry fully made when Hall signed for it. When he purchased antimony on 18th June, 1880, he said he wanted it for making into cigarettes for asthma. To Mr Perry : I have no personal recol lection of the first sale in 1885. I found this entry out by examining the book last week. A man came into my .shop, and wanted to buy some poison, which I didn't want to sell him. I was showing the customer where to sign in the book, when I accidentally came across it. I believe that I suggested that Hall should take the scales for the purpose of weighing out chemicals for photogiaphy. Charles Blenheim Eichbaum said : I produce my diybook for 1885. On the 20th March, 1885, I sold Hall half-ounce of atropia eye water ; on the 4th November, I tlso sold Hall half-ounce atropia eye-water; on the 28th of J.inuaiy, ISBS, Hall bought from my shop half an ounce of what is entered as atrowia eye drops. These entiies ire in the hand wilting of Hitchens, my late assistant. I rendered accounts for the-.; thing-, to Hall, and he made no objection to them. On the 3id June, 1880, there is an entry, " one ounce of solution of atropi.i ''; on the 12oh Juno, " two ounces of antimonial wi le ''; on the Oth July, "one ounce ot tincture of colehicum." That was returned by H ill, and on the same day I sold him two ouiues of wine of colehicum. On the 4th August L sold him half an ounce of tartar emetic. To Mr Perry : Tiie strength of the atropia solution is four grains of atropia to the ounce. To His Worship : T sold atropia to Hill in June myself. I sold everything myself to Hall aftpr Juno l«t of this year, my assistant having left in March. Hodeiiolc Fraser Stewart .said- I am a chemist in the employ of Mis WatkiiH. I was .so on the 30th November last year. On that day 1 find an entry in the day hook in my handwriting of the sale to piisoner of 2 >/.s. of wine of colehicum, also a bottle of Shollat's rheumatic remedy. I do not rjinomber selling the articles to Hall. Thomas Broham said : I am Inspector of Police for Timaru. I produce the certified of the death of the, late Homy Cain. On tho 15th August la*t I arrested the. piisoner on the charge of attempting to murder his wife by the administration of antimony. He replied, on my charging him Mr Perry objected, but His Worship disallowed it. Witness, to Mr White, he said: "I\e used antimony for a long time. I have bought tartar emetic at Gunns and Eichbaum's, which I have made into cigarettes with other things for asthma. You know I suffer from asthma." At the time of the arrest Hall was pearched in my presence by Detective Kirby. I saw him take a small packet from Hall's trousers' pocket marked " tartar emetic." He also found a Mnall phial on him, and another picket of tartar emetic in his bedroom. We also found the book " Taylor on Poison*-.'' 1 have heard that the contents of the phial was tartar emetic. Mr Perry objected very strongly to this going in. He was surprised at the Crown Solicitor leading such evidence in a case of this nature. Mr White said the evidence was immaterial, „nd would not press for its admission. Witness to Mr White: We also found colehicum wine in the room. When we saw the book Hall took it, and said, " I suppose this will tell against me." Mr Peiry objected, and his Worship held with him, holding that such evidence was not admissible. After the Inspector had signed his deposi tions, Mr White said that was all the evidence he proposed to deal with now. He had intended to call W. H. Tnlford, Henry Gardner and John Wilson had tho

drfi-nc; ti ied to prove the possession by Hall (»f .itropia for other hum th m .1-. ->t .it tj'i I y the prosecution ; but, as it tin net! out, it w.h nnneeess iry to cill the evidence here. He aaked for an adjournment to give time for one witne-.i to .irrne in the colony, and .'«t the iidj'iin iiinent most likely the piofo Hord' evidence would be got in. Mr I*ls1 I .y lioped the Ciown would c.ill the piofcsaurs. It w.is most in.iteii.il th it thp defence should know the whole n.itiue i)f the charge, and were the i>rt>fessor-» not railed the defence would to a certain extent be left in the d.irk. Mi White -riul they were not in the d irk. Dr Hogg, omo of the analysts, ,w.n put in fit* bo\, and C'tuld have been examined as much as the defence wished, as it was only necessary fni the pro-.t>cution to now i>ho\v th.it there w.<h .1 pinni fame c.ise against thR pri-toiier. Fha prnfc>, »r->' ev.donce would t>nly b* Mipplemriitaiy, and as they lived in Dunodin it would be an inconvenience fni them .md f\|)Mi«ive for tho c mntry to bunu them up :is witne-^os. Mr lVriy : There i.s my client to bo considered. Mr White ; Tt is absurd to talk about such a question. If Dr Hosrg'a evidence h.id been bro!:en down it would have b^n \ i-ry necesi.uy to call the other analv-ts, but an it is Dr Hoggs evidence has not been impeached in ,ny way. Why, therefore, f> on piling up evidence on the one point. Mr P.irry : I don't wish to dispirajre Dr Hour's evidpnee in any way, but as thievidence is mo>t important, I shall, if the professors aip not c.illed, h.ivo to ask for a remand so as to pet time to call them. I trust thtj Crown, in justice to the accused and fair pl-iy, will every opportunity of hearing the whole of their case. As to such a thing being absurd, I think Mr White's objection is absurd. Mr White then said that before closing that day he would call Mr Willway. Win. Willway said : I am accountant to Mrs Watkins. On November 13th, 188.}, I find an entry in the ledger in my writing, posted from any entry in the day-book in the writing of Mr Stewart. The account was rendeied on the Ist Januaiy, 1885, and paid on tho sth January. It was paid by Hall'a cheque of t'"» 7s. His Worship then adjourned the cisc till eleven a.m. on Friday, December 10, Mr White undertaking to close his case on that day. -—^— -— ™-«^m«