Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1886. Slow Poisoning.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1880, 6 September 1886, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1886. Slow Poisoning.

The evidence given by Dr Mclntyre in the Timaru poisoning case, reveals a picture oi horrible and cold blooded cruelty practised towards Mrs Hall, in the deliberate and long continued attempts to take away the life of that lady by a case of slow poisoning. Dr Mclntyre attended Mrs Hall from 16th November, 1886. He states in bis evidence : " The most marked symptom at that time was retching and vomiting, I prescribed for her. About the 14ih ef November she was decidedly better. She was very prostrate for some days while the sickness lasted, but recovered very quickly about the 14th, and was soon able to drive out. Apparently, taken in the light of after discoV'. on. * is illness was caused by the administration of poison in the shape of antimony. Mrs Hall appears lo have had no further special illness until 19tb June, 1886, when she was confined. Dr Mclntyre then proceeds :—“ There was nothing special about the confinement, which took a favorable course. About tbe fouith day after her confinement vomiting commenced. This vomiting bad continued more or less an to tbe night of tbe loth igust, or the early morning of tbe 16th, with steadily increasing prostration. There were periods when she rallied. On the fifth day after tbe confinement an iuflamr. rtion of the tight breast set in. The vomit matter was sometimes mucous and bilious, and sometimes consisted of "'opious watery biliious mats ter. Just utl'uro the attacks of sickness and during tbe attack the skin assumed a very yellow jaundiced color. During the last stages of the illness it involved tbe whole abdominal area including the region of the bladder. During the last nine or teu days prior to 15th August there was an itching of the skin, affecting the body and the limbs. There was also a soreness of the eyeballs and an itching of the eyelids. She complained of feeling as if her nose was enlarged, and that the nostrils were sore and irritable. The lips became dry, sore and backed.” It will be observed from this evidenoe that during a period of 26 days Mrs Hall endured all tfais vomiting and terrible suffering. The discoveries made later on showed that during all this time tbe unfortunate lady was being slowly poisoned with small and repeated doses of antimony. Whoever administered or caused to be administered those doses of poison, and could witness unmoved all the protracted agonies of the sufferer and victim, must *'*va bsen » perfect fiend in human shape,“ utterly f ver ? ,fce ‘ ln « «* humanity and mercy. Bui j" lst that poor suffering wife and mother was altuosi 111 the point of death, help and deliverance were at band. Dr Mclntyre called in three other medical men and a consultation was held. It was surely time to make a last etf cUo save the sufferer, because she was in t nth almost within the very jaws of death. 11 ; >n the day of tbe consultation,” says Dr Mclntyre, “ Mrs Hall was in a state of collapse, her pulse was at 116, her features pinched, her eyes sunk, and her breathing hardly perceptible, being very feeble. The pulse at this stage was very irregular, and could hardly be felt at tbe wrist.” As the result of the consultation, the doctors decided to try to support the patient by administering food entirely by way of injection —giving no food by way of tbe mouth. Then a suspicion of poisoning having been excited, a bottle of wine, some ice water, and various articles of food which had been given to tbe patient were taken possession of and analysed, with tbe resnlt that they were found to contain antimony. A portion of the vomit was also found to contain antimony. It than became perfectly clear that Mrs Hall had been subjected to a course ol slow poisoning extending over at least 26 days, in one cominucd period, The arre tof the husband Hal’, and also of Miss Houston at once followed those discoveries. Diieotly the work of slow poisoning stopped Mrs Hall rallied, the vomiting gradually ceased, she began lo take nourishment and with a week or two of care ml treat ant "•-a pronounced out of danger though st ,1 ve,y weak. Mrs Hell escaped (’oath almost by a miracle. Had t'n secret poisoner be.n allowed to carry mi . .a murderous work for a day or two longer bis victim would have gone to her grave. But suspicion having been awakened at last a life was saved and the person or persons who had sought to commit murder found themselves in the iron grip of tho Criminal Law. We cannot, at tins stage of ibis remarkable case, comment upon it, or indeed d'' move than record its chief features as they aio developed Day by day, the evidence for the prosecution is becoming stronger and blacker, and when { the accused ci tuenp to stair 1 tbeir tiialin* .e Hupreuw .Dour* the story-aril be fairly told of how a terrible brims was attempted, and all but accompli.,hud, but at the last moment frustrated, lb. saved, aud the intended murderers brought to the bar of justice.