RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3721, 4 September 1886, Page 3

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE' S COURT.

* — TlMAßT7— Fbiday, Sept. 3bd. [Before J. S. Beswick, Esq., R.M., Edward El worthy, and 11. J. LoCren, Esqs., J.P'a.] At 10.30 o'c'ook their Worships took their places on the Benoh, the courthouse being ■well filled with people THE HALL CASES. Prisoners were eacorled m and placed m front of the prisoners dock. Prisoners stood charged on remand with ATTEMPTING TO MURDER ' CATHARINE HALL, The text of the charge being as follows? — " The information and complaint of Patrick Maclntjre, a medical practitioner of Timaru, taken upon oath this 15th day of August, 1886, before me, John Jackson, Esquire, one of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace, m and for the said colony, who saith that he hath just cause to suspect, and doth Buspect, that Thomas Hall, nnd Margaret Graham Houston, of Timaru, m the said colony, on or about the 15th day of August, 1886, at Timaru aforesaid, did feloniously administer to one Catharine Hall a certain quantity of a certain poißon called antimony, with intent m so doing then and thereby feloniously, wilfully, and of their malice aforethought, to kill and murder the said Catharine Hall, contrary to the statute, being an indictable offence.— (Signed) P. Maclntyre, M.8." Mr J. W. White, of Messrs White and Co., Grown Prosecutor at Timaru, appeared to prosecute, with him Mr Martin of Christchurch, and Inspector Brohnm ; Mr Joynt, of Christchurcb, and Mi- C. T. H. Perry, of Messrs Perry and Perry, Timaru, appeared for the male prisoner Hall, and Mr Pay for the feniale prisoner Houston. Mr

Hamerslev watched the cose on behalf of Dr P. llnclntyre. When the bench hud gained their seats the taking of evidence was resumed aa follows : — Jams Tiirnbull, to Mr Joynt : I have henrd Misa Hou3ton call Hull "Tom;" more than once; severaltimes. Ihiiveneverheardhercall him " Tommy Dodd." Mrs Hull used to call Miss Houston " Meg," and Miss Houston used to call Mra Hall "Kitty." I never heard Miss Houston call Hall '• Tom" m the presence of Mrs Hall, t>he usually addressed him as " Mr Hall" m Mrs Hall's presence. I cannot swear ,Bhe always did, but I can swear Bhe did. I never heard MiBS Houston call Hall by any other name than " Mr Hall" m Mrs Hall's presence. Both accused appeared to bo very friendly with each other m Mrs Hall's presence. I have heard Hall sing of an evening, but I never heard him sing a Bong called "Tommy Dodd." I never heard an angry word pass between Mr and Mrs Hall, and Mrs Hall and Miss Houston seemed to be very fond of each other. The house the Halls lived m at Kingsdown was not, I think, called " Compstall ;" this house wa3 above theirs. It was a email wooden cottage the Halls lived m ; small rooms and narrow. You could hear soundß from one room to another, but could not hear what was Baid. At the time I was sweeping the passage and saw Hall go into Houston's bedroom I could not say whether Mrs Hall's bedroom door was open or shut. Tlio paßsage led into four rooms— Mrs Hall's and Miss Houston's bedrooms, the sitting-room and the kitchen, but I could not say how long the passage was. The passage was longer than the courthouse table ; (after much hesitation) I cannot judge of the length. The paßsnge waa wider than the court table. Hall could not help seeing me as he went to Houston's bedroom, aB I wns sweeping the passage. He usually knocked at Miss Houston's door before going m, and on going m sometimes closed the door too, but did not latch it. There was more than half the length of the passage between Houston's bedroom door and the door leading to Mrs Hall's bedroom. To Mr Hay : The breakfait hour was 9 o'clock ; sometimes 8 30. Miss Houston had some dutios to perform m the morning before breakfast. She had to dust the dining room. When Hall knocked at Miss Houston's door I never heard him say anything. I heard him say " Aro you not up yet," on knocking at the door. Hnll knorked loudly at the door ; so loudly that Mrs nail could h.ivo heard it at her room. I have seen Hull come out of Miss Houston's room. Ho did not then gi back to Mra Hall's room. On teeing Hall go into Mies Houston's bedroom I continued sweeping. It takes me a few minutes to sweep the passage ; cannot say if it takes me more than 5 minutes. After sweeping I usually left the passage, hut I have been m and oufc of the passage. Hall usually on coming out of Houston's room went to the dining room or outside. Could not say exactly at what hour Mrs Hall came out. I have no reason to believe that Hall went to Miss Houston to do otherwiia than wake Houston up. I don't think Houston and I ever qunrrel'ed whilst I was at Hall's. I had no great dislike to Miss Houston whatever. Re-examined by Mr Martin : I know the upstaira part of the bouse. I nover saw a garret theie. Mary Hassan was servant after I left ; she came to Hall's the morning of the day I left. William Davidson recalled, examined by Mr White, said : I produce the two insurance proposals (exhibits Zl4 and Zl£>), one proposal relates to a life policy and the other to a 7 years policy. The larger portion of the writing on them is Hall's. The proposals were signed by Mrs Hall and handed to me by Hall, the same as they are now, with the exception that words were put m at Wellington : — in one of them (Zl4) " Timaru No. 52, the wife of Thomas Hall, land and insurance agent." I added the words " married," " with profitß." In the other (Zls) the words " wife of Thomas Hall, land and insurance agent," and m my own writing the word " married," and the words "at death, without profits." They are both dated tho 19th August, 1885. Mary Hassan, examined by Mr Martin, said : I am a domestic servant with Mrs Hall. I entered her service on the 26th of May last. I know Miss Houston. Mrs Hall was ill when I went there, and Miss Houston had charge of her. Thero was no other nurse there then. Afterwards Mrs Ellison came. I had somo work to do m the sick room : I had to light the fire. Miss Houston took Mrs Halls breakfast m of a morning. Mra Hall was generally able to come out for lunch. After Mrs Ellison came >he attended to her for the first fortnight, and after that Hall generally gave Mrs Hall her breakfast. I used to take tho breakfast things to the dining room and he used to take it from the dining room. I took them by Hall's orders. Hall called Miss Houston " Megrims." Hall's bedroom was the same as Mrs Hall's when I fir3t went there. He afterwards occupied the bedroom on the verandah. I saw Miss Houston take a cup of tea lDto Hall's room of a morning. She had a dressing gown on, and did not romain many minutes. I could not say if he was up then. It would be between 8 and 9 o'clock of a Sunday morning. He subsequently occupied a different bedraom upstairs. I have seen Miss Houston go to that room between 7 and 8 o'clock, with a dressing gown on. Could not say if Hall was then up. Had seen Houston coming downstairs from hi 3 room one morning. This was alittlo after 8 o'clock, but I pant say exactly. She was still dressed m her dressing gown. We had breakfast at 9 o'clock. Had often seen accused together m the dairy. Houston went m first, and Hall never asked mo anything before lie went m. I Baw Hall with his arm round Houston's neck, and " pulling her about" m the dairy : pulling her about by the arms. Kerosene was used for lighting the houße. Hoiwton looked after the house. One tin of kerosene was kept m the scullery and the rest m the washhouse. I know the rooms upstairs, and the garret, but I have not been inside the latter. Hall used to sleep m the bedroom next to the room the garret opened out from. To get to this garret you had to go through Hall's room, then into the other from which the garret opened out. There is no other access to it. I never put anything m the garret. I took a tin of kerosene out on tho Friday night after Hall was arrested. I gave tho kerosene to Mra Hameraley, I carried the tin downstairs and left it there ; afterwards Mr Broham camo and took it away. The Inspector took it away on the Saturday (the day after). I did not notice if tha tin left any mark on the floor. I remember Mr Broham and Detective Kirby coming up some days after, and m consequence of a conversation with them I searched over some raga. I looked over some rags that were brought to the house m a bag by Mr Broham and Detective Kirby. I alao went upstairs to a box, and on looking there could find no rags m it. I looked nowhere else. I had previously seen some rags m the box I mentioned, but they were not part of the raga Mr Broham brought. I have seen Hall engaged m writing. Houston waa there with him. She was standing close beside Hall with her arm on his shoulder, On the day the Inspector brought the raga I looked m the kitchen cupboard. I had seen some rag 3 thera Borne time before, but on looking m now I found they were gone. Could not say if they were the raga the police brought"; they wore black, something like them. From the time I went to Hall's, m May, to about the time the police came to the house, five tins of kerosene wore brought to it. Generally a case at a time was delivered, but on tho Monday after Hall's arrest one tin was brought to the house. To Mr Joynt : Heard Hall call Houston " Megrimß" ; I never heard her call Hall anything ; she called him "Mr Hall " to me. I never heard anybody call Hall "Tommy Dodd " only since he has been arrested. (A mile.) I got up on Sunday mornings botween 7 and 8 o'clock, 'and week day mornings 0.30 or 7. I was the only servant thero. My first work was to clean the dining room and sweep the passage ; light the kitchen fire and get some tea for Mrs Hall, then get the breakfast. Miss Houston was generally up after 8 o'clook all the week days. We had to dust the dining room and skim the milk fop broakfast. I know of nothing else she had to do. Sometimes she dusted the dining room with her dressing gown on ; thia was during tho wintor months. I never saw if she was dressed m her ordinary clothes nnder the gown. I onco took Hall tea while ho was m bed, only once that I remember. Hall'a bedroom at Woodlands is about over Mrs Hall's bedroom. I was m the kitchen when I saw Houston go to Hall's verandah i bedroom, on tho Sunday morning. I knew

•he was going to him with the cup of ten. I I did not actually see her go into the bedroom door j I only saw h;r taking tho breakfast. I wns standing m the kitchen door when I met Miss Houston coming back witli the cup and saucer. I did not actually see her go into or come oi't of the bedroom. In the meantime I was laying the table m tho dining room for breakfast. I did nothing else but that. It takes me half an hour to get tho table laid for breakfast. The dairy is small and lies opposite the kitchen window. I think there is a window m the back part of it. ' I was looking out the kitchen window when the prisoners went into the dairy. It was between Band 9 o'clock m the morning. I could see into the dairy ns tho door was standing open. Hall had his arms round about her and was pulling her. She was laughing ; I did not hear the laughter but could see she was laughing from the expression on her face. I did not laugh, (audible smiles m court) this business did not last long. It was after lunch that I saw Hall writing with Miss Houston leaning her arm on him j it would be about 2 o'clock. There are some canaries at the house which are kept on the verandah. I never fed tho birds nor saw anybody else feed hem ; novcr gave them a bone to pick. (Laughter.) To Mr Hay :— When Miss Houston went to Hall's room on the verandah it was necessary to ro out of the house. She would liavo to pass tho part of the verandah where tho canaries were kept. I have heard Hall coughing some times of a morning. I have only known two cups of tea to be taken to Hall. The one I took and the one Houston took. I can't say I thought it an unusal circumstance to see Houston wearing a dressing guwn about the house ; she frequently wore it when attending to the dining-room. Before the witness signed her depositions, Mr Martin requested to be allowed to ask her a few more questions. To Uieße witness replied bs follows : — The man from Hibbard's brought all tho tins of kerosene to the bouse. One tin was br. night tho d>y nfler Hall was arrested, and beforo tho tin of kerosene was found upstairs m the garret. The last tin brought to the house is still there. Hannah Ellison, examined by Mr Martin, said : — I am a nurse, nnd know Mrs Hall, the wife of the prisoner Hall ; also both accused. I have been nursing Mrs Hall 1 1 weeks altogether up to yesterday. I went to Mrs Hall's house on a Thursday, and sbo was confined on the Saturday following. I occupied the bedroom with Mrs Hull, from tho time I went to now. She had rather a bard timi during confinement, but there was nothing special or unusual about it. After her confinement there vas nothing peculiar till the third or fouith day. I never attended anyone before who was sick after confinement. I have been a nurse for the laet 10 years m Timani. Mary Ilassen used to bring Mrs Hull a cup of tea m the morning. Sho used to bring the tea into Iho room, and gave Mrs Hall and me a cup of it. Sometimes Hall would bring m Mrs Hall's breakfast, sometimes Mies Houston, and sometimes I would. When I was engaged with the buby, Miss Houston had to bring it m. For the first few days I generally brought m tho other metis. After this Mrs Hall used to get up and have her meals at the table, the things being brought into tho dining-room, sometimes by the girl ; sometimes by Miss Houston, and sometimes by myself. Mrs Hall got out into the emoking-room on the eleventh day after conGnunent, and went into the dining-room on tie Sunday following. The sickness she had would cea«e for a short while, sometimes a day or two, but would n come on again. She woa pretty well on the s Sunday moraine she went to the dining-room, t Both accused, old Mr and Mrs Hall, aud Mrs 1 Hall, wife of tho male prisoner, dined n together that day. I could not say how long 1 Mrs Hall stayed out, but as near as I can tell s now it was threo o'clock when sho returned 1 to her bedroom. That evening she was very • sick. Ihe same rule with regard to bringing t m the breakfast was carried out all 0 through. Hall mostly brought the 3 breakfast to Mrs Hull's room. He n desired to be allowed to do so, as he c always wished to see his wife beforo leaving. * When ho brought m tho breakfast I come- li times remained m the room ; not always, t There was a recurrence of tho sickness, off fi and on j sometimes sho was very sick ; some- 1 times she got better. These periods varied ; s sometimes she wa3 better for a day, some- b times for two days. The sickness sometimes 'j occurred after meals, and ogam Mm Hall wa9 t sick when she had not taken anything at all. v After the stomach got relieved of its contents 0 by vomiting the sickness ceased. Tho vomit, 3 besides food, consisted of a greefi fluid, ii sometimes a yellowish fluid, with a good deal 0 of froth on it. Her face before tho sickness c came on looked very yellow, with a bluish tinge under the lips and eyes. She got n better, and was able to go for a drive with old 1 Mr Hall and Miss Houston. The latter took a little brandy with her m case Mrs Hall c should feel faint by the way. Mrs Hall t seemed pretty well, except looking rather tired when she came back from tho drive. She wb9 sick that evening, and through the night. They got bock from the drive before t three o'clock ; it might have been a littlo r after two. There was much retching m this t sickness at all times. Hall always said how r sorry he was when she began retelling, and 1 when he heard it be cams into tho room. I I generally gave her the meals which sho took T m the latter part of the day. I did r nol prepare the meals ; sometimes Houston c prepared them, sometimes Mary Hnseen. t I know both Dr Maclntyro and Br Drew. I g recollect them coming to Hall's bouse and n holding a consultation. On tho first consulta- p tion these two were ODly present; no other 1 doctor was thero at that time. Ido not re- c collect the date. After that thoro was c another consultation between Dr Stacpoolo t and Dr Maclntyre. After Dr Maclntyro and c Dr Drew had "their first consultation I (jave t Dr MacTntyre somo urine and vomit. I re- r collect a consultation betweon Dr Maclntyre, t Dr Drew and Dr Lovegrove. After that Airs r Hall drank nothing but iced water, and ice I by the mouth. I recolleot Hall being ar- j rested on the Sunday evening. On the day \ previous (Saturday) I went into the bath- j room for some ice. Hall came whilst I was t getting the ice snd assisted me to cut part of - a new bar which had come m that afternoon, a A piece of the new ice bar I placed m a piece 0 of clean flannel m a cullender. The other ico i previous to that was put m a jug, which was t washed quite clean before the ice was put m 1 it,- and then the jug was taken to the bed- s room. I broke the ice up which was m the c house before, and then placed a olean hand- c kerchief over the jug to strain the ice through. 1 I got the handkerchief from Mrs- Hall's S private drawer myself. On taking the c jug into the bedroom I placed it on j a chair ; there wob a cup m the room with j some muslin on it, and some ice waa on tho { muslin. Houston put the ice there, and also c put the muslin on the cup. Mrs Hall used \ some of the ice from the jug during the night. 5 She took ice more than once, as she win very dry that night. She passed a very bad night c — that was Saturday night — but Bhe was a little better m the morning. She was eick during the night. I did not sit up with her all night, but I got up to her every time she was sick ; she always felt the sickness coming on, and woke me. She was a little brighter or better the first thing m the morning. The cup was used during the night ; I used to i pour the iced water out of the cup into a wine I glass and just wet her lips. Mrs Hall had no breakfast on the Sunday morning following. Hall came m early that morning. I ' did not stay m tho room while he was there, ] and no one was m the room exoept Mr and ' Mrs Holl. When I got back Hall had gone ] out. Nobody was thero with Mrs Hall. Mrs ] Hall made a complaint to me, and m conse- ( quence of what she said I tasted the iced water — the iced water m the oup — it tasted ] bitter. I could not say if there was '. less or more water m the cup when ] I oame back than before I went out, ' (Tall came into tho room afterwards. She f asked him to taste the iced water because it j was "bo naßty." Sho told him she did not know what was the matter with the water j ] what was m it, but that it tasted nasty. '. He snid "Some mistake must have been ] made m pouring the water out of the jug." ' During the conversation Misa Houston came ] into the room, and said if the water wob ] nasty, Mrs Hall should not dntik it. She j then took tho cup out and fetched it ( back with a clean piece of muslin on it and eorae fresh ico. Before the cup was taken out i of the room I took it from the dressing-tablo i as far as the wnshhand-Btand, and poured part ] of the contents into a clean cup. I meant to ] take the lot, but Mm Hall called me back so j ]

that Hall might taste it. That part of the contentsl poured into the clean small cup I took into tlio kitchen, and I put it into a bottle, which was quite clean. I corked it, and put it into my pocket, and afterwards gave it to Dr Maclntyre. There was nothing m this smnll bottle but the iced water I took from the cup, which had been standing all night. When I was called back- by Mrs Hall, Miss Houston was not present. Tbe iced water I tasted m the bedroom was bitter and made mo sick. After this, on the Monday, Mrs Hall was very sick ; that was after she took the iced water and complained that it was vory bitter. After I came back she was very sick — about 10 minutes after I camo into the room. From the time Mrs Hall took her drive to the Sunday I have named — the day prisoners were arrested — Mrs Hall never made any permanent improvement m her health ; was always very weak. The sickness 1 have montioncd oceured about 10 minutes after I had returned and found Hall had gone. I gave Dr MacIntyre the bottle of iced water the same Sunday. This bottlo (exhibit M) is the tame bottle I gave the doctor, but the cork is not the same. I gave tho doctor other things at different times. This bottle (exhibit X) is veiy similar to a bottle I gave to the doctor. I gave him two of t':e same size and similar to the one produced. They contained vomit and urine. Thero is nothing on the bottles (JT and O) by which I can identify them. The bottles contain vomit and urine of Friday night. I gave the jug which had contained the iced water to Inspector Broham on the Sunday night. 'Ihis is the jug (Z2) which had stood m the bedroom and from which Hall said he had poured tho iced water ho bad put into the cup. When I gave the jug to Mr Broham there was somo wate"r m it. The water had drained from the ice which had been placed m it. Tho water m tho jug is somo of the same which was m the jug on the Sunday morning. Thero was ice put m the handkerchief first on Saturday night and again on Sunday morning. That was tho day prisoners were arrested. I know Constahlo Kgan. I gave him a bottle on tho Sunday of tho arrest ; about tho timo of the nrrest. 1 tiere was brandy m the bottle, which brandy was used for injections, and was given to me by Hall on the same. Sunday evening, between G and 7 o'clock. I gave this bottlo (Zl2) to some one, but I do not remember who it was to. I used it m tho bedroom, and there was ipecacuanha wine m it. On this bottle (Zll) 1 recognise my own writing. I gnvo the bottle to Dr Maclntyre. No ; I cannot now toll what it contained when I gave it to Dr Maclntyre. I g.ivo it to him on the 15th. Now I come to think I am not sure whether I gave this bottle to Dr Jlaolntyro or nit. I gare him a lot of them. I gavo tho doctor two bottles on the Saturday before the prisoners were arrested. I wish to say that they wero sent to the doctor. I gavo the doctor some bottles on the Monday morning. They contained vomit and urine.; tho vomit and urino of tho Sunday night. This was tho time Hall was arrested. A constable then held up the cullender, etc. Witness : I know these things. I used the cullender on Saturday before the arrest whorcin to place tho piece of ice Hall and I broke off the new bar. This flannel I placed around the ice, and then I put the lot m tho cullender. On tho night of the lfith Mrs Hall \tm very nick, and as I have said I guvo some of tho vomit to Dr Maclntyre. Mrs Hall has not been sick since the arrest ; she retchod a little, but was not sick on tho Sunday night. After that there has b<"en no more retching. I wus with Mrs Hamersley ono night since the arrest, upstairs. We went into Hall's room up thero for a brandy flask, but I did not smell anything m that or the next room. I looked into the gnrret and saw a kerosene tin. I did not touch it. I novcrput anything m the garret ; did not know thero was one there. I did not touch it up to tho timn Mr Brohom took it away. The two prisoners appeared to be on good terms so far as 1 could see. He used to call her "Megrims;" sho called him "Mr Hall." I heard her call him "Tom "once. The servants used to go to bed about 10 so fur as I knew. I ntod to bo about 11, sometimes before. Somotimes Houston went to bed beforo us; somr times aho did not. Hull also sometimes went to bed boforo us. Tbo nishts when I went to bed hofore Hall and Miss Houston I left them together m the dining-room. The various bedroom utensils wero always kept clean. The whole of the bottles I gave Dr Muclntyro were clean beforo I put the stuff m them. I gave the doctor no urino passed, or vomit thrown up by any other perjon except Mrs Hall. Mr Hay rose to cross-exumiuo tho witness, but His Worship said that as it was 1.80, he would now adjourn tho court. Mr White remarked that perhaps prosecuting counsel would have a few moro questions to put to witness m tho morning. The court thon adjourned. It is said that thoro is every likelihood of the case, which has proved a very long and mo3t important one, being concluded today ; that is, providing Mrs Hall, who. we learn, has of late rapidly regained her former health and strength, is ablo to attend at court. If sho is not, wo understand an adjournment will be again naked for by counsel for the prosecution. Tho excitement created by tho case has m no way abated since it was first bruited abroad that Thomas Hall and Mar garet Graham Houston had been arrested on a charge, tho evidence bearing on which has proved to be of a most sensational and startling kind. Both prisoners still appear to bo enjoying tho best of health, and listen to tho evidence with every attention ; at times they take notes of it, and their counsel's crossexamination to all appearance specially refer to these portions. Tho evidenco of witnesses is heard with tho keenest attention, and afterwards perused with eagerness m tho daily press, nnd tho courthouse, especially after tho luncheon adjournment is crowded with people, among whom aro to be seen many females. As tho prisoners leave the court room between 4 and 5 pm. hundreds of persons — male andfemnle — crowd round the courthouso find police station, all eager to get a glimpso of the accused as they walk to the oab which is ever m readiness at the station yard to convey them back to their quarters at Her Majesty's caol. The rumour is freely circulated that should tho prisoners be committed for trial a change of venue will be applied for by their counsel, so that they oan bo tried at the rapidly approaching October session of the Supremo Court at Christchurch. But on the other hand, it is as freely said that this application would meet with very strong opposition from counsel for the Crown, on the ground that tho expenses of the trial at tho city named would be so enormous as not to warrant such an application being granted. Should tho application be refused the trial will come on at the Timaru December session.