Reports of Trials for Murder by Poisoning;: by Prussic Acid, Strychnia, Antimony, Arsenic, and Aconita. Including the trials of Tawell, W. Palmer, Dove, Madeline Smith, Dr. Pritchard, Smethurst, and Dr. Lamson, with chemical introduction and notes on the poisons usedBrowne, G. Lathom (George Lathom)
Science
Reports of Trials for Murder by Poisoning;: by Prussic Acid, Strychnia, Antimony, Arsenic, and Aconita. Including the trials of Tawell, W. Palmer, Dove, Madeline Smith, Dr. Pritchard, Smethurst, and Dr. Lamson, with chemical introduction and notes on the poisons used
Browne, G. Lathom (George Lathom)
Medical jurisprudence -- Great Britain; Poisons; Trials (Murder) -- Great Britain; Trials (Poisoning) -- Great Britain
“The prisoner,” said the witness, “appeared to be agitated, and unable
to open the gate. I opened it for him; it was fastened with a small
button. When I went out of my house, I said, ‘I am afraid my neighbour
is ill’—not speaking to any person in particular, but as the prisoner
was then coming down the garden I should think that I spoke loud
enough for him to hear me: I was about six yards from him. No reply
was made by him. When I got to the gate I could hear Mrs. Hart still
making the same description of noise: the prisoner made me no answer
when I asked him if I should open the gate; he appeared very much
agitated, and was trying in a hurried manner to open the gate; he came
out of the gate before I went in; I saw his face; I held the candle
over the gate to open it: I have no doubt that he is the same man,
though I had never seen him before that afternoon. In the afternoon
Mrs. Hart said to me, ‘I expect my old master, but perhaps he will
not come till to-morrow.’ When I got to Mrs. Hart’s door it was shut,
and upon my opening it I saw Mrs. Hart lying on the floor with her
head not a great way from the door; her legs were towards the fire,
her dress was quite in a disordered state, her petticoats nearly up
to her knees, her left stocking down to her ankle, and torn, and her
left shoe off: her cap was off, and her hair hanging down over her
head: her cap was a little distance from her: she was still making a
noise, and her eyes were fixed, but her lips moving. I took hold of
her hands and raised her head, and said, ‘Oh, Mrs. Hart, what is the
matter?’ She did not make any answer, but I thought she seemed to
press my hand, but I could not positively tell. I then raised her up,
and a little froth came out of her mouth, and I thought she was dying.
I laid her down again, and took my candle and went into Mrs. Wheeler’s
house, next door but one. When I went into Mrs. Hart’s I observed a
bottle and a glass by the side of it half full, and another glass
on the opposite side of the table, near the door, empty; but there
appeared to be something in the bottom of it. A chair was beside Mrs.
Hart, and another opposite her. I returned from Mrs. Wheeler’s with
Mrs. Barrett, and we placed a pillow on the child’s chair and bathed
her temples. One of Mrs. Barrett’s apprentices went for Dr. Champneys,
and he came. I searched the place immediately, and found no small vial
about the size of a thimble. There was a middling fire in the house.
Before I got into the house I thought the prisoner was looking, and I
locked the door, because I was frightened. The deceased was breathing
hard in a short way, and making a noise like ‘oh! oh!’ and her eyes
looked very full.”
On _cross-examination_ by _Mr. Kelly_, she said—
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