A SENSATIONAL TRIAL. Alleged, Wlfe Poisoning.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 168, 4 September 1886, Page 4

A SENSATIONAL TRIAL. Alleged , Wlfe Poisoning.

' ' ' ' ' Timaru, August 31. Great excitement etlll prevails in Timaru jver Hall's case. The court was crowded bo its utmost capacity yesterday morning, Mr 3. Beewick, R.M., Mr E. Elaworthy, and Mr H. J. LeCren were on the Bench. The same counsel wae engaged em formerly, except that Mr Martin, Crown prosecutor, Chrittohurch, appeared' with Mr White. Mr White stated the case for the prosecution at some length, and said he would call evidence to show that Hall was in possession of a large quantity of antimony, and had purchased a book, " Taylor on Poisons," last year in Timaru, although "Thomas Hall, Dunedin, 1882," was written in it. When arrested, the male prisoner had attempted to destroy something in his pockets, and had otherwise acted in a manner to cause grave suspicion ac to his motives. ' Hall was in a very bad financial position, and he Was charged with having forged a bill for £200 in December last, while Mrs Hall's life had been insured for £6,000 in the Australian Mutual Provident Aeeociation. Evidence would be given to show that a quantity of rags soaked in kerosene had been found in Hall's house, which must have been placed there by one or other of, the prisoners Mr White said when Mr and Mrs Hamersley dined at Mr Hall's, the servant brought a cup of tea. Mrs Hamersley took one of the cups, and despite the protestations of Hall and Misa Houston, who said the cup was for Mrs Hall, ehe drank the contents. The consequence was that she became very sick indeed. Before concluding, he would like to say a few words about the female prisoner. Her movements when Mr Broham was struggling with Hall were stranee, and were proof of guilt. She also waited on Mr Hall, and with the exception of an early cup of tea saw to all Mrs Hall's wants. It would be shown that from the effects of the tea Mrs Hull did not suffer, but after having her breakfast she always showed grave symptoms of illness. It would also be shown that both accused remained up in the house together after eleven and twelve o'clock at night, after all the other people in the house had retired to rest, that they were on the most friendly and familiar terms, he calling her "Megrime," ehe calling him "Tom" (sensation); that on one or two occasions she had been seen by the eervants coining from Hall's bedroom in her dress-ing-gown, and on several occasions had been seen going to his room in her dressinggown at unseemly hours in the morning and evening. On one occasion the eervants saw Hall sitting writing in the diningroom with Miss Houston leaning over him with one band on his shoulder and the other round his neck, and that several times Hall had been seen "pulling Miss Houston about" as the servants called it. The two were, in fact, nearly always together and' driving about. Since both had been arrested she had written to Hall, addressing him as "Dear old Tommy Dodd ; keep your epiiits up, love; all will be right on Monday. From your loving Megrims." (Laughter and sensation.) Mr White concluded by stating that if he could bring evidence to show the truth of half he had put before them in his address, he would have made out more than a prhnu facie case. The first witness called was Mr Inspector Broham-, who, in company with Detective Kirby and two constables, arrested accused. Hall made an attempt to get rid of something in his trousers pocket. Witness seized his hands, and Miss Houston tried to separate them. In one of Hall's pockets wap found a corkless phial in which wae some liquid and crystal?, and the cork was found on the hearthrug. Witness searched the house and hermetically sealed the articles found there, und sent them to Professor Black. The articles were, he said, aB follows :—l,: — 1, phial found in Hall's pockets. It cotita ned a small quantity of liquid and crystals. "No. 2, the pair of pockets cut from Hall's pants at the time of hie arrest. One was wet. No. 3, a bottle ot tartar emetic, labelled as GunnY, the chfiniBt. No. 4, packet con taining the powder which was found upon the dining room floor No 5, colchicum wins found in Hall's bedroom. No. 6, bottle containing tartar emetic found in Hall's bedroom. No. 7, portion of fine powder found in Hall's bedroom. No. 8, some lime water, which was found in the passsage. No. 9, some powder which I got from Constab'e Strickland, and which was forwarded by me to Professor Black. No. 10, a quantity of brandy. No. 11, a small bottle ot iced water, prepared in the eiek room for vee there, given to me by Detectivo Kirby. No. 12, a portion of the cork found on tho dining-room floor by Constable Strickland No. 13, a bottle of ice water, sealed by Dr. Mclntyre and given to me by him. No. 14, a bottle containing vomit, of the 12th inst , given to me and sealed by Dr. Mclntyre. No. 15, a bottle containing wine, of the 12th met., also given to me by Dr. Mclatyre. With reference to the finding of rags, witness said :— On Saturday, the 21st, I went to Hall's house, and Mrs Ellison, the nurse, showed me upstairs to the loft or attic. I smelt kerosene very Btrongly, and noticed the door of the attic wae closed. On opening this door I smelt kerosene more strongly. I went inside there, And found a large quantity of old rags, somewhat similar to the sweepings of a dressmaker's shop. By far the larger portion of these rags was in a 1001b flour bag. This is the bag (produced) and these are the rags that were in it. Lying beside the bags were also some others, old pillowe, old boots, some pieces of rope, paper, wood, and strap, all combustible materials. The things in tho old flour bag were deeply saturated with kerosene, especially in the centre of the bag. The rest of the things were more or less covered with kerosene. The -wood consists of small pieces, <?uch as would be used in kindling a fire. Some larger pieces, stained with kerosene and strongly smelling of kerosene, were also found. The case was shortly afterwards adjourned till this morning.

TO DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. Thecaee was resumed this morning at 10.30 Con. Kirby continued his evidence which consisted in his identifying various exhibits put in yesterday, and generally corroborating the Inspector. Constable Hicks, watch-houf=e-kpepsr at police station, deposed to a conversation he overheard between the two accused, in which Hall told his companion that she was safe, but that he did not see how he could get out of it. Four other constables went into the witness box before the Court adjourned at one o'clock, but their evidence was purely formal, and no new features were elicited. The hearing is expected to laat till the end of the week. There was increased excitement 7 aBt week, owing to the circulation of remarkable rumours about the accused. One was that the male prisoner had attempted suicide by trying 1 to hang himself, arid another was that the woman Houston had turned Queen's evidence. Their appearance in Court showed the faUity of the rumours. A special correspondent of the Lyfctelton "Times" thus refers to the case: — "It is<

ft most extraordinary, affair, without assuming either the guilt or j innocence of either ofthe parties. While the case is tub jitdice, it is perfectly legitimate to recapitulate the circumstances so far at I am at liberty to do so. A man moving in the most aristocratic circles of the colony, if the word * aristocratic ' can bo made use of at all in reference to New Zealand society, married a young and comparatively wealthy woman, the daughter of a well-to-do man— a girl at least with a fair income in her own rights. He takes steps to insure his wife's life for no less than £6,000, and he is at the same time a partner in a firm doing a large business in land and money transactions. The father-in-law is dead, and the young professional - nurse, who was brought in to attend the old man on his death-bed, is retained by the young couple in the position of what is known in the colony as " a lady help." It is found that the young wife is ill, and a baby is born. She does not mend as rapidly as nature usually mends cases of the kind, and the doctor who has charge of her is baffled with her symptoms. Suddenly he finds, after all his skill in dealing with her case as a natural ailment has failed, that the symptoms she exhibits are similar to what the symptcms ot antimony poisoning ought to be. With his eyes wide open, and his suspicions aroused but timidly, he examines the food and drink supplied to the patient, and he finds trace* of antimony {to it is alleged) in both of them. He awaits not for further developments, but, satisfied in his own mind of foul play, he at once charges the husband and the nurse with attempted foul play. This nurse is the lady help aforesaid, and at once both are placed under arrest. A Sunday night finds them in gaal, and the whole town wild with excitement, and the following morning finds them before the Court side by side in the dock, charged with attempting to murder the woman, whom the man had sworn to love, honour, and cherish, and who had been the mother I of his child, and who had been something akin to bosom friend of the girl accused of attempted murder." Soptember 1. Tub Hall enquiry was resumed this morning at 10.30. The hearing of forgery charges against Hall was set down for today, but at the request of Mr White, a remand for feven days was granted. Evidence was given by a labourer in the employ of Hall, who had charge of the house during the time the repairs were being effector*. The garret contained a quantity of rags enough to fill a bucket, but not so much as shown to have been, there when the police soarched. Kerosene was used ia lighting, but always kept in the outhouse. Gunn, the chemist, deposed to Hall buying antimony from him on June 18, when hesaid it was to make cigarettes for asthma. He bought two dram 9 of antimony on June 26tK, and Colchicum wine on July sth» July 17th, July 31st,, and August 4tb, on each occasion two ounces of Eichbauoa. Another chemist cold half an ounce of | antimony and some stramonium seeds on August 4, and Borne antimonial wine on June 12. The accused purchased atripod drops on June 3, and colchicum wine on July 6. W. Salter, chemist's apprentice, sold Hal colchium wine on July 26 and August 7—7 — two ounces each time. Evidence was then taken as to a promissory note alleged to have been forged by Hall and put in the bank's hands at security in Hall and Mason's account. Mr Mitton denied the signature to be his, and Mr Stedmao, manager of the Bank of New South Wales, said Hall gave them to him as security for an overdraft of £7,000 or £8,000. Mr DavidsO'i, local agent of the A.M.P. Insurance, deposed to Hall insuring hia wife's life for £6,000 in two policies, one for life and the other for eeven years in August last. On August 12 he said he would not renew the latter policy. Mr Ormsby, the solicitor who prepared Mrs Hall's will, gave evidence that he did so at Hall's wish, but he was not the solicitor of him or his wife. Peter William Hutton deposed : lam a bookseller in Titnaru, I know Hall, the male accused. Hall saw me about a book " Action of Medicine" by Dr. Headland. Hall came into the corner of my shop in which medical books are kept. He mentioned antimony" as being what he wanted information on. Amongst other books I took this one down looking at the contents. I referred to the page on that subject, the leaves not being cut. I held the book open, saying, "Here,Mr Ball, that is what you inquired for." With my permission he cut the leaves, and bought the book. He saw mo subsequent to thin.abouta month afterwards* and said he would like me to let him have a look at *' Taylor on Poisons," making the remark that he would bring it over again. This was done. The book was brought back and reborrowed shortly afterwards. On the second occasion of his returning the book I said, " You'd better buy that book, Mr Hall. I've had it a long time in stock, I'll let you have it cheap." I offered it to him for 16s Cd, and he took it at that price, and before going out of the shop put the book on the top of a glass case, took tbo pencil out of his pocket, and wrote at the beginning and end of the book. He wrote on the brown cover. I identify this as tbo book I sold Hall. Before leaving the shop he made further inquiries as tu.otb.ers books on poisons, which I said I would procure for him if he required them. I fjee writing in this book (produced) at both ends. The position of the writing is just what I expected it would be. I can tell from my books when he bought the " Action of Medicines." It was on Saturday, May 9, 1885. Evidence was given as to the ordering by Hall of a tin of kerosene to be sent ta his office packed in brown paper. Maud Hamereley, wife of Mr A.Hamersley, solicitor, deposed : I know Mr and Mrs Hall. I was at their house shortly before) Mrs Hall's baby was born. I had some tea at their house. I had been in good health up to that time. Mr and Mrs Hall and Miss Boueton were in the room, also Mr Hamersley and Mr Smithson, but I am not quite sure about the latter. Tea was passed round, and I took a oup, I think, from the tray. I can't remember if the tea was poured out in the room. When I took the tea, somebody, either Hall or Miss Houston, fcnid that it was Mrs Hall's tea, giving as a reason that it had no sugar or milk in it. I drank the tea. I can't remember if they told me more than that it was Mrs Hall's tea. I did not put milk or sugar in the tea. I remained at the house about half an hour after dt inking; the tea. I drove from Hall's direct home. I was very sick during the drive, and before I left, also when I got home. A few minutes elapsed before I felt ill. After drinking the tea I could keep nothing on my stomach. I was all right next day. The sickness continued for some time. I could not account for the sickness in nny way, and have not been so violently ill since. I retched a good deal after taking food. I know the house occupied by Hall, and was there on the Tuesday morning after prisoners were arrested. I stayed there till the Thursday following. I was in a small room upstairs bn the Wednesday evening. I noticed a

tin of kerosene there round the comer of the •door. You ooold not see' it as yon opened *tbe door,' *■; there ia a chimney ri rat In frontal *saw something but IdiS 4 W> 'notice them sufficiently-to-remember and -describe them.. , ,The smell of k«ro*«n© in ' the garret or loft wm much stronger th«h in ' the room. • I. lifted the tin of kerosene to see , ?how much was ln.4£ and found it, nearly *>full. I just took*it but and put it back. I fc did not remove the tin. It is considered unlikely that the case ■■will conclude before Saturday, Sept. 4.