ATTEMPT TO KILL FAMILY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15292, 3 May 1913, Page 11

ATTEMPT TO KILL FAMILY.

1 ARSENIC IN KETTLE. At the Sydney Quarter Sessions last week, Peter Willis Wilson, a middle-aged man, was presented on a charge of having attempted to cause Richard Carr Small to take poison with intent to murder him at Bowral. He pleaded not guilty. Sergeant Mackie, stationed at Bowral, said that at about 9 p.m. on March 12, in company with Constable Ea-die, he went to Small's house. They hid outside. Thev saw accused enter the house and go into the kitchen. They heard the kettle being taken off the fire. About a minute afterwards accused came out of the kitchen. Constable Eadie accosted him, and, noticing one of his pockets bulging, took from it a tin of arsenic. They arrested the accused, and took him into the kitchen. They found the kettle on the floor, and when they examined its contents they found the water to bo cloudy, and there was some powder floating on the surface. Thomas Cooksev, analyst, said that he found in the kettle enough arsenic to kill 150 people. Richard Carr Small, wood-carter, stated | that accused had rented a room from him, i where he had lived with a woman named j Hester and two children. There had been j a quarrel, . and accused left, but Hester would not go away with him. Nicholas Cony bear© stated that accused complained to him that Small was keeping | his wife. He (accused) said that he was I going to do for the lot ol them." He I said that he was going to put some arsenic j in the kettle and the rest in the tank. ! James Bryant stated that accused had ! told him that he was '* going to do for Small," and was going to have revenge. He showed witness the arsenic. Counsel for the defence pleaded for prisoner on the ground that, he was drunk. Judge Murray said that it was really one of the worst cases he had ever come across. It was plainly an attempt to poi- ; son the whole family. He would not be ! doine his duty if he did not impose the j maximum penalty provided by the Act. i Wilson was sentenced to penal servitude I for life. ______