POISON CHARGES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17396, 6 February 1917, Page 4

POISON CHARGES.

ATTEMPT TO KILL PREMIER.

SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE.

Australian »nd N.Z. Cable Association,

LONDON, February 4. The poisoning conspiracy trial is proceeding at Derby. The Attorney-General, Sir Frederick Smith, who is prosecuting, said that the prisoners were dangerous and desperate people, bitterly hostile to Britain suii thay sheltered fugitives from the Army. The man, who was a chemist, showed considerable skill in specially studied poisons. The Government employed an agent, under the assumed name of Gordon, who ingratiated himself with Mrs Wheeldon. Another agent, named Booth, pretended to be a > fugitive from the Army and a member of the Industrial' Workers of tho World.

Mrs Wheeldon told them that poison could be put into articles to be used, and added: ''When I hand the poison to you I wash my hands and will deny ever having given it." Mrs Wheeldon also stated that it had been planned, when Mr Lloyd George was- staying at an hotel to drive nails, dipped into tho poison, into his boots, but his departure foi France thwarted tho scheme. It was also intended to do away with Mr M'Kenna by driving a poisoned needle into his skull. Mason had agreed to provide a particularly rare poison for the purpose. Counsel stated that the noison was contained in four phials. 'Two were hydrochloride of strychnine, one was a rare American poison used by natives for poisoning arrows. Booth and Gordon called on Mrs Wheeldon on January 1. She indulged in seditious languago about Mr Lloyd George and Mr A. Henderson, and expressed the hope that both would soon be dead. She said: "Mr Lloyd George alive means millions of innocent lives sacrificed, while Mr Henderson is a traitor to the people." Mr Asquith was ihe brains of the party, but he was neither good, enough for heaven nor bad enough for hell.

Mrs Wheeldon apparently intended to get Gordou to commit the actual crime. Her denunciations included tho King. Booth asked her how she intended to carry out her plot, and sh» replied: "Wo had prans when the suffragettes spent £3OO to poison them," When the phials were received from Southampton complete instructions for use accompanied them. The hearing was adjourned.