THE TIMARU POISONING CASE.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 247, 20 October 1886, Page 2

THE TIMARU POISONING CASE.

[BY TELKCKAIMt OWJJ COBRKSI'ONDKNT.]

Tile tlosinjj Scene

PUBLIC OPINION OF THE RESULT.

Tho Vilcat Criminal Ever Tried.

CmusTCnuiifH, thu day. Arrmi v trial oxtonding over eight days, tho charge against Thoa Hall and Margaret Graham Houston waa yealcrdtiy aftornoon . brought to a termination—tho verdict being ono that was in accordance with public fooling, and accordingly ono lint has boon very generally approved of, When tho curtain was rung up yesterday morning on tho final net of this tragedy (tho most torriblo that has been onae>ed in the annals of crime in Now Zealand), Mr Joynt resumed his ftddrofS on bohnlf of tho ma!o pri-onor, and Booing tho fearfully uphill battle ho had to tight in defending ono concerning who?o guilt tho ovidouco waa ovorvvholming, ho mndo a plucky light for his client's liborty. Mr Hay followed on bohalf of tho female prisoner, and asked not for an a-iquittal mcroly, but for a vindication. This advocate, who was delivering his maidou addve.-s, epoko with groat earnestness and cousidorablo brilliancy, and quito olectrilied many of thoao in Court, who, having found him exceedingly woak in cross-examination, wero not prepared to listen to no masterly an uddrees. Ho cleared up tho iloubtful points as to Mhi> Houston's guilt, anil wlion horoSUlnod his Boat, almost everyone in Court was propared to find that his appeal to tho jury would not bo without elloct, and that not only would tho lady bo discharged, but that aho would leave tho Court without a blemish on her character. As Mr Hay put it, this was tho only reparation left hor for tho euflorings eho had undergone pinco hor arrojt ; and in justice to Miss Houston I propc-o later on to filiieo beforo your readers the very comploto answer made on hor behalf to tlio various incidents charged against her us tho supposed accomplice in tho crime.

Aftor tho luncheon adjournment came a plovant surprise. In thocourao of tho tiial His Honor had etitod that he should roqir'rj tho greater pirt of a day to road ovor his. notes and gum up, and so whon Mr .lufti;o Johnston commenced to sum up just Loforo two o'clock, it was anticipated that tho jury would not rotire to ddiborato before nn »advancod hour at night; but, as has born ropoiitodly said of politics, it is tho unexpected that always happen*. lIIn Honor hardly rof< iro Ito his notes, nvrolydl oct'i g 'ho jury sl:otly, and stating with rognrd to tho fonrilo accused, that tho theory of hor guilt rcslol on the supposition that tlicro wan a guilty passion, tho object of which was to mako hor Mrs II ill.- successor. This supposition, or tho supposition that Hull required hor forvico al* nin accomplice, llis Honor dismissed as quito untonablo. His Honor only spoko for an hour; but if any uncertainty had previously existed as to .Miss Houston's fate, ho had said enough to satisfy the jury that their duty wuh plain, and that who wo* entitled to an immediate acquittal at their hands.

Tho jury practically returned (heir vcrdiot without leaving tho bjx, for thoy woro only abxont about sovon minute.o, and this timo was probably occupied in considering the rider ad regarded Miaa Houston—that she loft tho Court without tho Mighto»t ptuin on her character. When this announcement was made, there was just tho faintest outburst. Miss Houston was at onco discharged, and she hurried from tho dock attended by her counsol, and wa3 driven off. Throughout, tho trial she w;aa exceedingly calm, and those who havo watched her intently affirm that, eho nover exchanged a glanco with tho fullow-prisoner standing alongside her.

On Hall being failed on ho aaid nothing, am! lli^ Honor, in sentencing him, epoko with grout warmth. Jlo said that II;ill win worse than a murderer J thiit ho lmd achiovod tho distinction of being tho vilist criminal who had ever been tried in our law Court; and that had tho law not been altered, ho would cor tainly havo forfeited hi.-- life, and thoro would not havo boon any chance of commutation of his sentence. Aftgr stricturos of so sevoro a nature no ono was surprised at tho denouement which followed—tho sentencing of tho prisonor to penal

servitude for tho term of liis natural lifo. His Honor specially omphaai>od tho word "natural," and, no doubt, the majority of your readers will at onco recognise what that means. Aftsr sentence was pronounced, Hall leant over tho dock and had somo slight conversation with his solicitor, and oxpreesod a wish to poo him on Saturday "to sott'o some matteis of businons," after which ho was hurried out of Court, and tho Timuru cimm eclehre wuh nt an end.

Hall'u solf-posecsfion is roally something ward change was observable after sentence had been pronounced, hia conduct boing on a par with that ho had shown throughout the trial; hia itiok immobile, nnd hia do meanour calm and eelf-contuined.

Of eour*e ouo hoars tlio cuse, tho whole caso, and nothing but tho oato and it* conclusion discussed, and 1 havo not hoard O'io person i-lissont from the Huding of tho jury. Thcro aro some, h'jwovor, who think tlmt Miss Houston has been v martyr to circum.-tlancos, aud that it was thu duly of tho Crown not to havo pressed tho prosecution against her aftor tho motive of guilty passion had been broUond</Wn; but!tho*ujpaoplo arouaiminrlful of tho fact that tho case a* now prosontcd to tlio Court boars a very different aspoct to what it did at tiiu time of the magisterial investigation, und when the bills wcro beforo tho Grand .lury ; and that had sho not stood her trial eho would not havo had an opportunity of a triumphant refutation of tho serious accusations made against her character. Tho defence certainly took a wieejstepin calling Dr.Guthricy>ndlhavo]no hesitation in saying that, had Miss Houston not boon put on her defonco, fho would not havo boon without detractors in tho colony, who will, however, bo satisfied us to her chastity, and (hoabsoncoof impropriety with Hall, by tho ooumo that has boon adopted. Dr. Mclr tyro's conduct has been favourably commended upon on nil sidos, In taking tho responsibility of tinning the information against tho accused vrhon tho police refused to act on their own motion, he risked lons of reputation and po-ition and all he possessed, had his suspicions of autimonial poisoning boon proved unfounded.

Tho " Lyttolton Times" cays :— "Tho gravest crimo in our criminal annals has received its meed of punishment after an investigation of tho most complete fair, and painstaking charaotor. In tho enso of Misß Ilouston the judge's verdict must meet with general approval.*"' Tho defence were successful in establishing a theory which accounted for all tho f.ictH in her ca=o, and when there wcro two theories oach accounting for a ficfc of circumstances, tho accused (as was laid down in Butler's capo by Justico Williams) had a right to tho benefit thus created.

Sir Roboit Stout and Mr Lockio, his Privato Secretary, left by tho Southern express to-day, and will remain in Dunedin tor a week. Can tlio Vordlci bo Hpsot.'

I hear that an attempt will bo made to upset tho vordict in Hall's case, but on what ground cannot ascertain.