THE EDENDALE SENSATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11922, 21 December 1900, Page 7

THE EDENDALE SENSATION.

CHARGES OF THEFT, FORGERY, AND ATTEMPTED .MURDER.

The hearing of tho charges of tbeft, forgery, and attempted murder against Charles Arnett, agent, Mutaura, adjourned from "Wyndham on November 21, was resumed before Mr S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., at Invercargill on tho 12th and following days. The leading features of the case were outlined in our last Summary issue. The evidence led for the prosecution went in the diree^tion of showing that Arnett, > who was agenc at Mataura for I. J. Sullivan, rabbit exporter, of Dunedin, converted to his own use cheques sent in payment for rabbits to 0. Milne, of Edendalc,- representing altogether about £600. Some 'of the letters containing the cheques were obtained, it was alleged, by means of orders purporting 'to have been signod by Milne. It was also alleged that Arnett had forged Milne's signature to a lettor directing tho letters to be addressed to Mataxira instead of Edondale. The alleged theft of the money was the motive suggested for the attempt to poison Milne and two men working under him. Arnett visited their camp, and on the same evening, after partaking of tea, tho men were all seized with illness, and presented all the appearance of suffering

from strychnine poisoning. Arnett was shown to have purchased strychnine some time previously, and, on being analysed, the sugar and the butter in the men's hut were found tv contain poison in considerable quantities. Tho assumption of tho Crown is that the accused, on the occasion of his visit to the camp, placed the poison in the sugar and butter. It transpired in the evidence that Milne had some strychnine stowed away ia the hut, but

when the parcel was examined the wrapping was covered with dust, and presented tho appearance of not having been recently touched. The evidence of Professor Black was as fol-

James Govv Black, Professor of Chemistry at the Otago University, and Government analyst for Otago, stated that he remembered receiving a letter from Dr Rogers and a box containing six different articles, besides packing. One was a tin plate containing two or three pounds of boiled mutton. A /second contained boiled mutton fat, a little' of tea. liquor not sugared, a small packet of ordinary dry tea, another.Bnra.ll packet of ordinary dry tea. Another small packet, contained common salt and a packet of sugar (about 2£oz) wrapped in three coverings (all produced). Witness examined the whole of them, and found nothing particular in five of them; but in the sugar ho found strychnine in the proportion of 54gr per ounce of sugar, or a. little more than half a grain of poison to the ounce of sugar. . On the same afternoon witness received another letter from Dr Rogers and a package containing a honey-tin containing the.stomach of a dog, tied at both ends (produced). He analysed it, and found Btrychnine, but did not estimate the quantity. Remembered the 15th November and Constable Bogue calling about 9 o'clock. Constable Bogue handed witness a wooden box (produced). i-Tho box contained a tin of sugar and a jar of butter. There was 21b lOoz of .sugar, which he analysed, and-found 63gr of strychnine per ounce of sugar. Also examined a glass jar of butter, and found strychnine also, but did not estimate the quantity. Tho poison was found strongest on the outside of the butter. Witness made

about 50 trials of the sugar and found strychnine in every trial. Authorities" speak of from igr to 2gr of strychnine as being suffi: eient to kill, but witness had no personal knowledge. The spoon witness received from Constable Bogue he had made tests with, and found that by lifting it carefully one could lift an ounce of sugar in it. Saw Chief Detective Campbell on the evening of the 16th November, and received a Gladstone bag from him containing clothing. "Witness examined the pockets of all seven garments, and in three of the garments found strychnine, and not a 7 trace in any of the others. . The poison was found in the' right r hand pooket of the black vest. In the black coat he found strych-

nine in all five pockets. In a pair of brown trousers strychnine was found in both pockets. If anyone, handled strychnine, witness would expect to find traces of it if the person had puthis hand in his pocket without washing it in the meantime, so delicate is the test. In the coat there was also a cloth in the pocket, and traceß of strychnine were found in it. Witness was of opinion that most strychnine had been found in tho vest pocket, and next in the right-hand pockets'of the coat. Mr Hanlon said he did not want to address the court, and accused reserved, his defence for the Supreme Court. Accused was then committed, to stand liis trial at tho next sittings of the Supreme Court ' ■•■-.''

. Mr Hanlon made application for bail, bul lis Worship refused the application.