Untitled

Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 128, 14 October 1886, Page 2

TIMARU POISONING CASE.

Witness— Woll, if you ask mo if ico is a« antidote to antimony, I say at onco, no. Mr. Jojnt— l want you to toll me now whether the administration of ico by tho mouth was a preventive of further poisoning or an antidote. Witness— lt was intended to prevent tho administration of further poison. Mr. Joynt— Now tell us how it could act as a proventivo to tho administration of poison. Witness— Well, I don't thiuk you can. poison anyone with ice. Mr. Joynt— That is a very sensiblo answer. Now, I ask you, how could ico act as a provontivo of poisoning ? Witnoss — Wo gavo orders that nothing should bo givon by tho mouth oxcopt icewater/ If nothing but ice-wator was givou by tho mouth, sho could not bo poisoned. If only ico-wator was givou by the mouth, it was not probablo that poison could bo given in tho other food. Mr. Joynt— But supposing poison wero given in tho ice-water through some other vessol ? Witness— We ordored that nothing but ice-water was to be given, and if theso ordors wero implioitly obeyed, she could not possibly bo poisoned through the mouth. Mr. Joynt— Now tell us tho reason, if you can, why no ono montioned tho poison at tho consultation on tho 12th V Witness— Because Dr. Lovegroyo, from tho questions ho put, had a olear idoa that poison was being administered. His Honour— Was anything- said that would load Dr. Lovogroye to beliovo that yon shared the samo idoa ? Witnoss— From tho examinations I made, Dr. Lovogrove must haro known of tho suepicion. Mr. Joynt— Now givo a roason for poi&ou not being inontioned amongst you. Witness— Mr. Hall's position. Mr. Joynt — It mattors not if it was a king. Tell us what yon mean? AVitness— Ani I obligod to answer this question? His Honour— Yos. Witness— l shall havo to givo a roason. His Honour— Well, give us your roabon. AVitness — I have no roason. His Honour— Now, Dr. Drow, is this tlio reason why you didn't discuss tho question amongst yourselves, that Mr. Hall's position was such as to make a discussion of this kind amongst throe doctors a fearful subject. Witnoss — I am unable to say. Mr. Joynt— Did_ you take any stops to provent the administration of othor poison .- Witness— We did what I told yon. L didn't know what Dr. M'lntyro did. He went out of tho room to soo tho nurse. Mr. Joynt — Were you on friendly term* with the prisoners ? Witnoss — No. I was neither on friendly nor unfriendly terms. I used to say " good day." Irefusod tho consultation foo us I ofton go and assist tho doctors in consultations, and when I havo an operation nt tho Hospital as I have no staff I oxpoot thorn to help me. Mr. Joynt— Was Hall dosirous of having these consultations P Witnoss— l do not know. Mr. Joynt — Was ho solicitous about hu wifo's health ? AVitness— Yes. Mr. Joynt — And desirous of having thoso analyses mado from time to timo, so far ac you know ? AVitness— Yes. Mr. Joynt— When Hall said that Dr. M'lntyro shouldn't outer his houso again after this caso was over, did you thiuk lie meant that Dr. M'lntyro hadn't boon attentive) onough ? AVitnoss— That was tho inferouoo fioin what ho said. DR. DREW'S OPINION OF MI6S nOUKTON. Mr. Hay's oross-oxamination was briol', but he suoooedod in establishing that during: tho time Miss Houston was at servico at tho Timaru Hospital, and occupying tho somewhat rosponsiblo position of liond nuri-o in a malo ward, she acquitted horsolf as id lady, and that her disposition was not doceitful nor underhand. As this ovidouoo is suro to play an important part in tho dofeneo for tho female prisonor, I give it 111 extenso. Mr. Hay — I boiiovo Miss Houston occupied tho position of nurse in your Hospital ? Witness— Yes, from Ist August, 1884, to tho 30th April, 1885. Mr. Hay — What was her position ? Witnoss— Sho was head nurso in the malo ward. As such sho would havo to attend to patients and perform all the ordinary duties of a nurse. Mr. Hay— Would a poreon occupying tho position of a nurse in a malo word think it k droadful thing to tuko a cup of toa into v sick man's room. AVitnoss— l should think not. Mr. Hay— What was Miss Houston* character in tho Hospital ? AVitness— l and tho others considered her a very good-naturod girl. She was also a great favourite with tho patients. Mr. Hay — Do you know if sho had boou in any other hospital ? Witness— Sho had boon in Wollington. Mr. Hay — And she conducted hersolf iv every way as a lady should P AVitness— So far as I know, in tho Timaru Hospital, yoB. I think her disposition was frank — not deceitful nor underhand. I never saw her deceitful during the timo sho was with us ; she was very frank. The witness further stated that he was not awaro that Miss Houston was acquainted with Miss Cain nor Mrs. Hall, or that tho latter used to take Miss Houston for a drive when she was at tho Timaru Hospital. HALL A PHOTOGRAPHER. Tho witness said ho had boon to Mr. Hall's houso at Kingsdown, and had seen a photograph thore which Hall said ho had taken. His Honour then wanted to know whotuor antimony was used in photography, but tho Crown promised to call export photographers on that point. DR. DREW EXPLAINS HIMSELF. The Attornoy-Gonoral, in re-examination, got Dr. Drow to explain that in answor to Mr. Joynt he meant to say that none but an adept would attempt to givo poison by injection, and that ico wator could not be poisoned. Tho witness was done with, and the third day's sitting was brought to a clone

+ '■ YESTEKDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. |By Telegraph.] ! (FROM OUR SPECIAL GOE- ; RESPONDENT.) Chhistchukch, 13th October. DB. M'INTYBB'S TOhITION. Tho feature of to-day's proceedings was tho examination of Dr. M'lntyre, tho professional gentleman who had attended Mrs. Hall all through hor illness, who had singly fought against tho invisible agonoy which was slowly eatinpr hor life away, who had 1 first suspected foul play, and who had taken the responsibility of setting the law in [ motion and having the accused arrested. . To quote tho languago of one of tho local \ newspapers— " Dr. M'lntyre is the gentlo- [ man who, standing forward in defence of his patient, has sot all the machinery in motion; ' ho stands, thoroforo, the central figure in tho case for tho Crown. As he faces us in the witness-box we see in him a young man i of a manner quick without ceasing to be de3 liberate, of a face pleasant, yet with a latent , possibility of inscrutability ; neatly dressed and trimmed as becomes a professional man in fashionable practice, ono who does not altogether look like a man strong enough to do what he has done, yet we feel that ho has done it— who has in a high degree the discriminative habit of observation developed 1 in tho medical calling, and who, boing onB dowed with a sense of proportion, values tho j} importance of things. Everyone takes note 4 of the man booauso of the tromendous issue y at stake." His evidence was_ given with 0 great clearness and deliberation. When * his cross-examination commenced unusual * interest was manifested in tho proceedings, 0 for inasmuch as Dr. M'lntyre was tho main V witness for the prosecution, it was clear that 1 if his testimony conld be Bhaken the case for 0 the Crown must bo materially weakened. c Ho was closely questioned by Messrs. Joynt ; " and Hay, but he was very decisive in his 1 replies, and nothing sensational occurred, ■' much to tho disappointment of those who ■J had been led to anticipate some startling J development of the case. Tho witness was * extremely positive in his statement that the s consultations were all mado by hjs sugges- | tion and not on the expressed wish of the * male prisoner in the first instance. Eeplying a to Mr. Hay, ho admitted that when he caused 1 Miss Houston to be arrested it was merely 1 because he suspected her of being associated £ with the affair from her cooking the meals * for Mrs. Hall. On this slender thread he V took the responsibility of the woman's 1 arrest, and any evidence that has been 3 created against her was discovered sub- ? sequently to the warrant being executed. Further cross-examination— The following J points were elicited in the witnesses cross- " examination beyond those wired yesterday : 8 — I was much struck with the similarity of 3 tho symptoms with those caused by an irritant poison. All irritant poisons produce irritation of the digestive organs, and geneI rally sickness and vomiting. I supposed that if it were poison most probably it was arsenic or antimony. That impresbion on my mind was spontaneous, and not caused by communication from anybody. It was entirely spontaneous. A few days before 12th August Dr. Drew met me in the street, and asking me how Mrs. Hall was progressing I said she was not progressing, was not any better, but, if anything, was I worse. From tho way he put tho question, ' I could not help asking him, " Why do you ask ? Aro y ou thinking of antimony ? " He made no answer that I took any notice of. I had had no communication from a chemist's shop about anyone purchasing antimony on 12th August. Though Dr. Drew and I had suspicions of antimony, we did not communi3 cate them to Dr. Lovegrove at the consultation. Dr. Lovogrovo, I think, appeared to be quito at f anlt as to the cause of the illness. I have known Mrs. Hall 15 years. She was ill about two or three years ago. That was B the first time I remember her being my B patient. Tho illness was of several weeks' 8 duration. Very likoly I have attended her several times since, but I do not recollect any other severe illness. She was in a state I of collapse at 1.30 p.m. on 15th August. She was, as far as I understand, unablo to retain anything at all. She was just recovering from a severe attack of vomiting. * She was still having injections, and 1 allowed * her a cup of tea that day at half past 1. I 3 don't remember anything else. I don't - recollect beef tea or beef lozenges She 3 had tried a beef lozenge before, but did 1 not care for it. If sho could have reB taincd it it would have probably been useful - to her. Tannin is considered to be an anti3 dote to antimony. The tea was not rejected ' by tho fetomach. She vomited, I believe, - late on Saturday night and again on Sunday 1 night, on the latter occasion probably 7 owing to the shock of hor husband's arrest. ' WHY MISS HOUSTON WAS AERESTED. { Mr. Hay — From the beginning of your 1 evidence to the end you have not mentioned j Miss Houston's name. How was it you 3 gave information to tho police which caused .' her arrest ? j Witness — I suspected she was involved 3 from her being associated with the cooking of the food for Mrs. Hall. I Mr. Hay— Was not Miss Mary Hassen . more associated? y Witness— l was led to understand that B Miss Houston had more to do with the 3 cookery than Mary Hassen. In tho preliminary investigation bofore tho Kesident j Magistrate 1 was represented by counsel in I addition to counsel retained by the Crown. Mr. Hainersley was my counsel. ', Mr. Hay — Can you tell us why you were , represented by counsel ? t Witness— On account of my personally 5 having laid the information. The circumstance of my being specially represented [ by counsel had nothing to do with my i having laid the information against Miss Houston. The symptoms displayed by J Mrs. Hall in November last were such as r those attendant on irritant poison so far as , sickness, vomiting, &c, are concerned. , The vomiting and retching at the time when | Mrs. Hall had inflammation of the breast would not be reliable evidence of poisoning. \ On June sth I prescribed bismuth for Mrs. Hall, in effervescing mixtures. Bismuth is an irritant poison, and resembles antimony in its effects. lam aware Miss Houston used, by Dr. Stackpool's request, to write daily of Mrs. Hall's health. If Mrs. Hall took too much food, or of a kind not suited to her, she might vomit, though no poisonous matter were administered. Dr. Batchelor was written to by Mr. Hall, witness describing his wife's symptoms. The doctor never came to Woodlands. He merely communicated by telegraph. On tho Sunday afternoon I parted good friends with Miss Honston. It was only after the analysis of the iced water was made later in the afternoon that I decided to give information to to the police. DB. DREW IN THE WITNESS BOX. Dr. Drew, a perky little gentleman, who is house surgeon at the Timaru Hospital, was called to give corroborative evidence as to the two consultations in which he assisted, and the condition of Mrs. Hall on the occasion of those visists. THE DOCTOR PUZZLED. In croBS-examination, however, he got himself into a mess, as the following extract from his evidence will show :—: — Mr. Joynt— lf antinvii'al poisoning had been persisted in after the ice had been given would it act as an antidote ? Witness— The ice would alleviate the sufferings of the patient. Mr. Joynt— That is not an answer to my