THE TIMARU POISONING CASE.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 247, 20 October 1886, Page 6

THE TIMARU POISONING CASE.

Tuesdays Sitting (Concluded).

H4LL SENTENCED FOR LIFE

MISS HOUSTON ACaUITTED.

(BY TEI.KORAPH—S ECIAL REPORTER )

Chriktchuiu'll, this day. Mr Hay, counsel for Miss Houston, in tho course of his address said, concerning the " stays " incident, he had explained that being a bachelor he was not aware of the customs of dressing, but had been coached for the occasion, whereupon Mr Joynt set everyone off laughing by denying he had been the coach as a matter of fact,

Mr Hay continued : It ie the girl's drees that Hall fastened, and her evidenco on tho point was a pure piece of spite, malice, and vindictivoness. Supposing that the suggestion made by th.; Crown had all been proved, he put it that a person of especially pure mind genorally got into awkward complications. It was an agreeable relief to turn from the domestics, Hassen and TurnbulU to the witnefs called on Monday to speak of Miss Houston's character. He had called the matron of Wellington Hospital because that institution was prolific of scandal, and that witness, like Dr. Koyworth and the Rev. Mr West, spoke favourably concerning her. It had been shown that Mies Houston had no pockets in her dress, and if she were to be an instrument for the administration of poison, surely she would have pockets whore she could conceal antimony. Bo far as the female prisoner went, it was clear there could bo no motive for tho commission of this tragedy on her part. The Crown had charged all sorts of iniquities against Hall, but they could not say he was the gort of man to marry a girl. Her nature wan kindly and generous, and it was quite inconceivable that a woman with such feelings would havestood by quietly had ehe suspected that one whom Bhe had got to regard as a sister was being poisoned, be asked no other redress for the sufferings she had been recently subjected to at their hands but a verdict not merely of acquittal, but such as would carry with it thoir sense of tho injustice which she had been under. His Honor : I must direct tho jury to find a verdict, and nothing else. Mr Hay, in conclusion, said he looked to the jury for a verdict that would emphatically establish that Miss Houston left the Court without a blemish on that life which they had been informed she had borne from her childhood till now, entirely without reproach. His Honor's summing up was ptrongly in favour of MifS Houston. He denied that tho analysis had been at all soriously impugned. The jury were only out for loven minute?. They acquitted Miss Houston without ft blomish on her character. This verdict wa* received with applause.