THE EDENDALE SENSATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 26

THE EDENDALE SENSATION.

IMPRISONMENT FOR LIFE. (From Our Own Correspondent. 1 ) IXTERCARGILL, June 18. j The trial of Charles Arnett for attemptIng the murder of Charles Milne by poison has commenced. It is likely to last three days. ! - INVERCARGILL. June 19. ; • The hearing of the second charge of attempted minder against Charles Henry Arneti befoie his Honor Mi Justice Cooper •was concluded this evening. The evidence adduced was the same as that in the lower court, and with no particular differences to that given last week in the first indictment, in which the jury failed to agree. Mr Hanlon. counsel for accused, did not croa.v-exdmine any of the Crown witnesses, and called no defence, but made a good appeal on accused's behali. relying chiefly on the grounds of the incompleteness of the ch'ciunstahtial evidence offered by the Grown. After his Honor had summed up, the jury retired at 4.35 p.m.. and returned at 7.45' p.m. with a veidiuc of "C>uilty." •Accused "stated his age ai 34, and said he liad nothing to say iv reply to the usual question. Bis Honor, in sentencing him. said that lie had been loiuul guilty ot the second highest crime, and was morally guilty of murder. He had robbed a man who had trusted him, and then, frightened ot the consequences, had become leckless and attempted to murder him. By placing poison in The food as he had done, he showed that so long as Milne took the poi.son he did not care how many otheis were .poisoned as well, clearly showing that he was' not fit to be at huge. He would pass tlie maximum sentence on accused, and sentenced him to imprisonment, with hard i labour, for life. The prisoner did not leem at all affected by the sentence, but his Honor was apparently moved. The court was packed to standing room, and the * sentence was ! favouiably di^cu^ed by the cio^d a^ they! came out of the building. * i 'Arnett is a Riverton half caste. The cirruinstsnces connected with the ciima are no doubt fresh in the publio mind. Arnett »ppro]:)ris.ied cheques sent by Mr I*. J. Sulli- j *-an, of Dunedin. to Charles Milne, rabbiter, | of Edendale, to the extent of £400. When pressed for the money he named a day on which to settle up. Two days before- thab day he visited Milne's hut, and entering it unannounced, was somewhat surprised to find •Milne in the hut. They left the hut together, but Arnett made an excuse to part with Milne, and was afterwards seen rot far from the hut, the inference being that lie put strychnine, which he had previously ; bought, into the sugar and butter, of which Milne and the men working with him afterwards partook. They were taken ill, but fortunately all recovered. Arnett was sen- j fcetfced at the last criminal sessions to three ; years for forgery and the theft of Milne's

money, and it was to cover wp these crimes that he resorted to poisoning.