CURIOUS DISCOVERY OF A POISONER.

Otago Witness, Issue 537, 15 March 1862, Page 2

CURIOUS DISCOVERY OF A POISONER.

If a volume of Australian or Victorian causes celelu es should ever be published, the following case will certainly merit something more than a passing notice : — Mr. Richard Jenkins was charged with poisoning his wife so far back as tho Bth of July last. It appears that, the fact of tho woman having* died from the effects of arsenic was fully ascertained at the inquest, and although suspicion pointed to the husband, not a particle of proof direct or circumstantial, could be found that cither he or anybody else administered the poison, which might have got into the woman's food by mistake, as there was plenty about the station for sheep dressing. Detective Walshe was set to make enquiries, 'and having got a clue to the whereabouts of Jenkins, proceeded disguised as a laboring man to the Victoria Forest, where, the latter was at work, and obtaiued employment for his " tucker," as there was no regular vacancy for a hand, lie there for ten days was with tho prisoner, Richard Jenkins, husband of the deceased, cross-cutting, bullock-driving, &c, in the forest. What information or admissions he got from him is not known. He afterwards came to the neighborhood of Penshmst, where he remained unknown for a Ipng time, passing himself off at one time as a bushman, and endeavoring to get employment in the neighborhood, and afterwards representing himself as a cousin of the deceased, which enlisted the sympathy of the various parties in the neighborhood' from his pitiful tale. • Again, we find him a farmer fiom the Banabool Hills, and a relative of the deceased also, who came here for the purpose of making enquiries as to the cause of deceased's death. So complete were the disguises used by this individual, that parties who had seen him one day could not recognise him tho next. Jenkins left the Victoria forest and went out of the district, Walshe, however, kept his eyes on him, and after getting all the information he could, followed him to Mr, Blackwall's station, Browlands, and there arrested him. He was brought before the Ararat Police Court, about ten days ago, and then remanded to Garamut, before which Bench he came on Thursday, the Gth, where, after three or four witnesses were examined, the case was adjourned for a week. The only material evidence adduced was that of a kborcrj'whd told, in evidence, the following curious tale/,Hr" I recollect the beginning of the month of Jut); last. I was travelling then from Colac to the Glenelg ' and the Wimniera. I stopped at Mr. M'Pherspu's woolshed. I got there after sundown. I we^fc in the woolshed to sleep all night. I rested aj bit first, and was then undoing my swag. I heard a person cough ontbidc, and, not having asked liberty to sleep in the shed, I thought it was the overseer. I went 011 one side, as I thought they inightf not allow me to stop. A man came in, and I 'saw him. He went to the corner where there were some casks ; I saw him stoop down, open, the cask, and take a cloth out of his pocket ; he" took some of the contents of the cask and put it in the cloth, and rolled it up and tied it, ajid pnt it in the pocket of his blue shirt or waistcoat. After putting it in his pocket, he said, £-This will cook tho wretch ; if there is too much,' I'll bum it." He then turned round and .walked out. I then, made my bed down. Another traveller came just as I made my bed down. 1 ' I did not know the traveller, and we pasted the next morning. I have not seen the nuui who took the contents from the cask, either before or since, until this morning. I see hhn now. He is the prisoner at the bar." After this, who will say that the soliloquies of stage villain^ are unnatural ? The evidence of'Detectivo Walshe has not been given.. — Melbourne Lender. McKinl.vy's Expedition. — We have been qbli- ' gingly favored vitli the use of a letter, containing the subjoined extract, received from a settler at Angipcna, a.n.l dated January, the 3.oth : — "We have hada little information with regard to Mr. McKinlay and party. A blackfellov named Frank, whom he took from Pekins, returned to Toouikatchina at fclie commencement of this month, and informed me that the party were all well, and that Mr. Hodgkinson had joined the remainder of the party with stores ; but I could not glean from him whether the party had made much progiebs, only that Ltook him (the native) eight days to come from their camp to Mauuwalkaniuna. He wa^ ied well by the other tribes all the way in, and was not molested in any way by them." According to this, we understand, Mr. McKiulay would have been, when the native left hnn, about nine days' journey from Toonkatchina. It will be recollected that shortly after the discovery of the remains at Lake Pando, Mr. Hodgkinson was despatched to tho outstations for stores, and waa instructed to return as early as possible to Mr. McKinlay, who would await Ida return at some arranged spot previous to commencing the Government explorations of the country to the north-west. , As the stores were safely received, the expedition is now probably started northward. It is to remain out, we believe, IS months from the date of its leaving Adelaide, and will doubtless bo the means of supplying us with much valuable information concerning an extensive country which, although, within the boundaries of tho colony, is at present almost unknown. The blacltfellow meutioned in tho - above extract as sent back by Mr. McKiulay, is probably the one whom lie spoke of in his diary, and whom he took with him as a guide through the couutry beyond Mount Hopeless. — S. A. Advertiser, February Bth. Nkw Process for Ci,kakin<i Stuffs. — A curious fact, which promises to lead to important applications, has just been published t>y Dr. Autier. Haying been induced to make numerous experiments on lucerne, with (i viow to test the uiodieiiuu 1 properties of a l>ittej> principle it contains, he Lad disepvered in the root of this plant a saponaceous principle, far more abundant and active than that of scapwort (Sap<viaria o,ff-)> it being sufficient to bhake a root of luceruo in water, in order at once to produce a quantity of soapsuds. These roots may be used for scouring wools, or washing linen, silk, &c. Tlie saponaceous principle is obtained by simply holding the root in either spring or river water, either entire or previously beaten into a pulp. If in the latter skate, in the course of half -an-hour's ebullition they generally part with all the soapy substance they contain. During the boiling a quantity of suds is formed which must not be lost. ...The roots which have already been used may be again employed for washing house linen, nnd will do better service than the ashes commonly used for the purpose of making ley. The roots should be exposed to the sun and open air, to dry them and pre- , . vent their spoiling, but before this they should "be washed, to rid them of the earth sticking to them, and the stems should be cut off close to the crown of the root. — Galignani's Messenger.

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