The Timaru Poisoning Case

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 54, 16 October 1886, Page 2

The Timaru Poisoning Case

[PER UNITED PHEBB ASSOCIATION.] Chbistchubch, October 14. The big case progressed more quickly to-day, all the police evidence and sereu witnesses being disposed of, and the examination by the Crown of Professor Black was nearly completed before the court adjourned. It came out in evidence to-day that a little rnse was adopted by the police in order to prevent any hitch at the outset, and Constable Egan who was not well known in Timaru, who was sent to the front door to gain admittance. He was answered by Miss Houston, who, in reply to his query, said Mr Hall was in, and the constable then wared his hat as a signal foi Broham and Kirby to advance, Constable Strickland having been told off to mount guard at the back of the premises. Miss Houston appears to have retired after answering the door for when the Inspector entered he saw her coming out of the smoking . room. The three police officers and the two i prisoners assemble in the diniag-room, and as soon as the charge was stated by the Inspector they both repeated the word " antimony" more than once, and Miss Houston, turning to Hall, used the expression, which was the subject of much cross-examination, " Antimony, why that's what you use for photography," or " Oh ! you use antimony in photographing." The inspector watched Hall's hands narrowly, and saw his determination to put them in his trouser pockets, in one of which was afterwards found a phial containing a few drops of a solution of tartar emetic, and in the ether pocket a powder of the same poison. Hall then rocovered himself and thrust both hands into his pockets. The detective seized his hands, and it was then that Miss Houston, uttering a cry ran up and used all her force to try and separate them. Mr Hay gave the gratifying information that amohgt all the. bottles, &c, taken from Miss Houston's room, nothing had been found to implicate her. All the pockets had been cut from her dresses, but the detective did not hint that anything suspicious had been found in then. Constable Hicks, the watchhouse keeper, showed that he heard Hall say to Miss Houston, in his ordinary toue of voice, " You are all right, and will get clear, it is I who am in for it, I cannot get off." Professor Black was called. He told in clear and unmistakeable language the result <>f his analysis ; how he had found tartar emetic, which contains about 38 per cent of antimony, in the ice-water. From the cup in the phial taken from Hall's pocket, iv the pockets themselves, in the vomit and urine, and in the various packets submitted to him. October 15. The prisoners, as the case proceeds, have anxiety more strongly visible on their faces. Miss Houston's face this morning looks drawn and thinner, while the male prisoner also was more distressed and was allowed to sit. The examination of Black still continues. In answer to Miss Houston's counsel Black said he had analysed a number of pockets in addition to Hall's, and had not found a trace of poison in any of them. Professor Ogston described the symptoms of antimonial poisoia ig, and said colchicum poisoning was extremely similar in symptoms — in fact, all irritant poisons had many symptoms in common. Professor Ogston was examined, and coroborated Professor Black's evidence as to the finding of antimony in the vomit and excretia of Mrs Hall. He said that if the brandy, which was found to contain poison, had been given to Mrs Hall as an injection on the Sunday night when her state was so low, the result would probably have been fatal in a few hours. He had never heard of antimony being used for asthma cigarettes, as Hall said. The Attorney-General said there are seventeen more witnesses for the prosecution.