THE TIMARU POISONING CASE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 772, 17 December 1886, Page 23

THE TIMARU POISONING CASE.

(united press association.) Tima.ru, December 9. Hall, the prisoner charged with tho murder of Captain Cain, arrived from. Lyttelton to-day in custody of Warder Brian. Mrs Newton, Captain Cain’s daughter, also arrived at Timaru to-day, and will give evidence at the adjourned hearing to-morrow* morning.

Timaru, December 10. The hearing of the charge against Thomas Hall for the wilful murder of Captain Cain was resumed this corning. Joseph John Hiskens, chemist’s assistant, deposed : I went to Mr Eichbaum’s, chemist, in 18S2. On the 28th January, ISSS, I sold. Hall atropia eye-arops, and on the 4th November, 1885, a solution of atropia. To the best of my recollection, Hall told me he wanted the eye-drops for some animal, but I cannot say whether it was for a horse or dog. \ ,

William Henry Trelford, John Wilson, and Harry Gardner, denied that they had ever seen Hall use atropia to either horse or dog. George William Gardner deposed : About the end of January I saw Hall about a house. I offered him mine, and he said “ I have been making inquiries about a house, 'but I do not wish to take oue really, as I exl pect Captain Cain will be dead in a day or two, and then we shall get his house.” I said “Oh ! then I suppose it will be too late for me to visit him and Hall said “ Yes, it would be.” Cross-examined by Mr Perry : I do not pledge myself to the exact words of the conversation. Hall did not make use of the words “Cain might die at any time.” After John Fraser had said that the names to the promissory note and the transfer from Fraser to Hall and Meason were forgeries, the Court adjourned to 1.45 p.m. On resuming, Jane Ellis Newton deposed : Shortly after May, 1885, I went tcv live with the late Captain Cain, and with occasional absences I remained there up to the time of his death. I think it was in November that Hall first began to visit the house at Woodlands. I was not away from the house between November and January. From the end of November till the end of January Hall was a frequent visitor to the house. It was the end of - November when he first began to see the captain. He used to come every morning. This continued up to the time of Captain Cain’s death. Hall would be with the captain ten minutes or so. I think that no person was present at these interviews with the capta-n. Hall used to call again after office hours frequently through the week. He used to see the captain on those calls. There was a nurse with Captain Cain, but I think he used to leave the room when visitors came. Toward the last he used to come as late as 10 o’clock at night, and he sat up with the captain all night on two occasions. This was about Christmas time. I was in the captain’s room several times when Hall entered. Hall used to say, “I have business ; I want to see your father.” 1 have heard Hall ask if the captain had had anything lately meaning liquor. The captain always wanted something to drink, as he was suffering front thirst. I have seen Hall give him champagne and his cough mixture. I cannot say I have seen Hall give Cain anything else. There were some whisky and port wine in the room. I think the captain had left off whiskey from November to the end of January. The liquors I have mentioned were kept on a table behind a screen. I cannot say when the captain first began to vomit. It was an old thing. So far as I remember I saw the captain sick soon after I returned to the house in November, but I do not remember that he made any remark. He was sick before lunch. He was in the habit of taking wine or whiskey after he came in from town. After the captain returned from his drives before dinner, he used to take whiskey, wine, or rum. He gave up drinking whiskey when I went to the house, and gave as a reason that it made him sick. The words he used were—“lt is strange that I should have drunk whiskey for so many years aud now it should make me sick. He took brandy a few times after giving up whiskey, but did not like it, and then took port wine. He drank port till the end, and was not so sick as when he took whiskey; I remember Mrs Ostler dining at the house on oue occasion. The captain asked for something to drink. There was a decanter of whiskey on the table, and my father said, “ Not whiskey j it makes me sick.” Someone said there is some wine in the cupboard. Hall then took a glass from the table and went to the cupboard and poured out some wine ; I believe pore, but I cannot say for certain. I did not notice the contents of the glsss when it was put on the table. Hall poured some water from the jug into the glass, and placed the latter at Captain Cain’s side. I did not remain in the room long after this, as I was ill, and went out. I made a mistake in saying that I came back in November. , Ife was about two days before the Timaru show. It was a few days after that I saw my father sick. I can only say safely that he was once sick at lunch time, and I think I alone was present. He was very sick. This was the only time I saw him sick about this time. Mr White said that this was the last witness, and asked for a remand for seven days, which was granted. The Court then rose.