THE TIBIARU SENSATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 207, 3 September 1886, Page 3

THE TIBIARU SENSATION.

I Trial F«r Attempted Murder.

(by tei kqraph—own correspondent.)

TiMARn r this .day. The evidence given in the Hall-Houston case was of a decidedly sensational character, and was generally regarded as telling strongly against the male prieoner,although there ia little to connect Mies Houston with the alleged crime. Professor Black, after giving his qualifl cations, stated that on tho 18th received a box from the hands of Constable Daly, a witness in the case. Tho box was tied with a cord, and sealed. There were 15 articles in tho box, and they wore all numbered from Ito 15. He made an analysis of thoso articles. Tho phial found in the right hand pocket of Hall's trousers contained tartar emetic, as did also the powder pickod up by Mr Kirby on the hearthrug. The colchicum wine contained antimony in some form, and the powder in Hall's bedroom was tartar emetic. The brandy received from the nurse, Mrs Ellison, by Constable Egan, Bhowed no traces of antimony, nor did the ice-water obtained by Mr Broham from the nurse. The vomit which followed the taking of the ice-water given by Hall to his wife showed traces of antimony in it. The urine and the vomit of the loth (tho day before tho arrest of the aocused) showed decisive signs of antimony. These were the salient points in the examination in chief.

Mr Joynt, in cross-examination, asked a number of questions as to the manner in which tho testing was carried out, In answer to questions on this point tho Professor said : The tosts I employed wore not the same in every case. In exhibit A (the phial fouiid in Hall's pocket) I shook up tho contents, and diluted with a little distilled water. Portions of that I acidified with hydrochloric acid I passed sulphuretted hydrogen gas through it for some timo, and got a voluminous orange-coloured precipitate. A portion of this procipitato I dissolved in ciustic potash ; in another portion I found insoluble ammonia. The sulphide from this I ro-precipitated with hydrochloric acid. Another portion of the orange preclpitato I washed with disti,led water and dissolved it with strong hydrochloric acid with tho aid of heat. Whilo heating it I sußpendod a pioco of whito blotting paper moistonod with a solution of nitre of lead in tho'fumos. Tho lead paper was blacker.od, and the gas smelt of rotten eggs, proving the presence of sulphurottod hydrogen. I then evaporated down the hydrochloric ncid solution to near drynoss, I placed a portion of this in a clean platinum lid, adding a little water, and placing a small piece of zinc in it. A black deposit was immediately formed on the platinum, I used out the contents of'tho lid without rubbing the deposit still remaining. |, I then dissolved this doposit in hot hydrochloric - acid, diluted the -solution with water, passed sulphuretted hydrogen gas through it, and got an orange precipitato. To another. portion ,of the hydrochoric acid solution I added much water, and got a white precipitate of oxy chloride of antimony. I found this precipitate easily soluble in a strong solution of tartaric ncid, in which the. sulphuretted hydrogen gave an orange colour. Another portion of the i white oxy chloride was coloured orange by the Addition of sulphuretted hydrogen. Td another portion of the contents of the phial, I added sulphate of ammonia, and got an orango precipitate in oxcess of the sulphate. Another .portion was placod in a Horsham capsulo ; spme hydrochloric acid was added ; a small pieco of copper coil was then introduced, and the contents were boiled for a few minutes. A bluish black doposit was formed on the copper, and this was found to bo antimony by the following test: —The deposit was firmly attached to tbo copper so that rubbing would not remove it. The doposit was not removed by heating cautiously in a spirit lamp flame. Tho copper with the doposit on it was boiled for a few minutes In a test tube, with a solution of pitmahganafo of potash, andthon made slightly alkaline with caustic potash. Tho colon/ of the permanganate was Boon discharged, a greyish procipitate was formed in the tost tube, and tho contents of tho test tubo wero then filtered, and tho filternte acidified with hydrochloric acid. Sulphuretted hydrogon was then passed through the liquid, and this gave an orango procipitato, tho characteristic of antimony. At Dr. Ogeten'a requost I applied another tost to a portion of the original contents of the phial. To a few drops I added a drop of diluted hydrochloric acid and a small , pic.cc of tinfoil. The tin was blackened in a few seconds.. Professor Black went on to deal with the experiments made, but the result was throughout virtually tho same—antimony being found in all tho exhibits in which Br. Maclntyro had found it.

It waa lunch time before tho Professor had conc'uded his ovidence, and on tho Court resuming a witness was called to prove that the two prisoners had visited a farm in Totara Valley together, and had gone into a bedroom in Mr Newton's houso, but bis evidence was not very conclusive. Messrs Joynt and Hay both examined him at some length, and it appeared that he could not swoar that tho two prisoners were together alone for any longth of time. Professor Black was then recalled, and gave evidence that the urine and vomit of August 15th,. received from Dr. Maclntyro since ho arrived .in I'imaru,, bad been analysed and shown to contain traces of antimony. Br. Ogston was then called, and depoied as follows: I am an M.D. and CM. of Aberdeen, arid lecturer on medical jurisprudence and hygerie in tho Otago University. I ha:l six months' special course in tho analysis of poisons in the laboratory devoted to that purpose in the University of Prague, Bohemia. I. was also lecturer on toxicology in tho Aberdeen Univorsity. I also studied under Professor Tardier, lecturer on medical jurisprudence in tbo University of Paris. I was in Court yesterday during the time Dr. Maclntyro was giving evidence. I heard the symptoms of Mrs Hall as described by him. The whole of those symptoms are in my opinion not ascribable to any natural causes I should say. taken altogether, tbey were ascribable to slow poisoning. I should describe them first to be of the class of poisons which would cause vomiting, namely, come of the irritant poisons. I have assisted in ihaking jiome of the analyses described by Professor Black in the evidence be has given to-day. I quite agree with his evidence in respect to those substances which we analysed together. I found antimony in the whole of the exhibits we analysed together in which Professor Black states that antimony bad been found. Tartar emetic is antimony. Antimony is an irritant poison. Antimony would produce the symptoms described by Dr. Maclntyre in his evidence. I accompanied Dr. Mclntyro to the residence of Mrs Hall eince my arrival in Timaru for the purpose of examining the drainage. I went through the house and tbe grounds adjacent, and found the place in a sanitary state.

Cross-examined by Mr Joynt: My evidence as to the tests used is as described by Professor Black, and the result arrived at is confirmatory.

Jane Turnbull, a servant formerly in tho employ of Hall, and now living in Dunedin, was called, ond deposed :—I know Miss Houston, and Bhe was living with Hall about three months whilst I waa there. At Wooodlands the accused were good friends. Ho called her "Megrims" ond she called him "Tom" sometimes. I know where Misß Houston's bedroom was. It was next to Mr and Mrs Hall's bedroom. Hall at this time Blept in tha samp room as his wife. Have seen Hall go into Mies Houston's bedroom more than once, sometimes .in the morning between seven and eight. Sometimes Mies Houston was up, and sometimes Bhe was not. He sometimes stayed in the room ten minutes. Could not say if this was the longest or shortest time. The Court at this stage adjourned.