The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-08-28 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL MURDER.

The trial of Thomas Winslow for the murder of Mrs.
Aim J„,„„s by poison commenced on Tuesolay, before
Mr. Baron Martin, at the Crown Court, Liverpool, and
was COIICIO.IOI on the following day. 'The particulars
of this case have already appeared in our Journal. On
the trial the following additional evidence was ad.
duced
Eliza Brannan, servant to Mrs. James about two
years ago, deposed that on one occasion the prisoner
asked her if elm would go to a dostor's shop in Dublin
and get a half-crown's worth of autimouy, and he would
make her • present of £6. She asked him what he
wanted with the poison. He said he wanted it to
poison rats. He told her to lend it to him from
Dublin by the bout, and he would give her th 3
all the same.
Thomas Maguire, • newspaper boy slept at Mrs.
James's for eighteen months. The ji 'tier told him
on one occasion to go for a pennywoit3 of something
for the dog ; he could not tell what it was. Ile brought
back • white powder. The white powder was given to
the dog. About half an hour after prisoner said, "Go
for the same again." He got some more, and gave it to
the jrisoner. The prisoner gave bin, the name of it.
He had seen the prisoner "making bread mid butter
for his mistress," and take from his pocket • white
powder in a paper, throw some on the bread before
he buttered it, and put the paper in his pocket again.
He had been him do it several times, lie bad Raked
him once what it was, and the prisoner said it was
"fine guilt." He had seen him do this after January
, last. about three or four months ego.
Witneiscs were called who proved that the medicine
administered to the deceased contained no autiniony,
' that a notice withdrawing the money of the deceased
from the savings-bank found in her house was entirely
in the prisoner's handwriting, and that she hail I:130 in
the saviugs-bank. It was also proved that the prisoner
had purchased for the deceased fear gas company's
shares, worth a little above £2OO. In May last be
called at the company's office and stated that Mrs.
James was desirous of having the shares put in his name.
Mr. Millard told prisoner that the shares might pass to
him either by transfer or by will, and referred him to
Mr. Lloyd, the law-officer of the company. The
prisoner on the 28th of May went to Mr. Lloyd's office
to ask bin, to make a will for Mrs. James, who was
dying. Every one left the room except hiniself and
clerk and Mrs. James. He received Mrs. James's
instructions. She appointed the prisoner her executor,
and refused to appoint • second executor, as she said
she placed every confidence in him. At the time she
said, " As Winslow made the business, it is only right
I should leave it to him." The will was put in and
read, giving the furniture and goodwill of her house and
businem to the prisoner, subject to the maintenance of
Henry Townsend, and dividing the residue of her
property between her nephew, Martin Townsend; her
niece, Jane Cafferata; and her niece's child.
Mr. John Edward had analysed the lungs, faces, Ice.,
of deceased, and discovered antimony. Dr. Taylor had
also submitted portions of the atomach to the woe
tests, r.nd discovered antimony in considerable quanti-
ties. It was Dr. Taylor's op that antiinony nad
been administered to deceased in small quantities at
intervals. She was suffering from a disease—cancer in
the stomach—which must have terminated indeath, and
which would produce sickness and purging.
Mr. Digby Seymour defended the prisoner in • speech
which occupied twa hours and forty-five minutes in
delivery.
The Judge, in summing up, told the jury that what
they had to determine was, did the prisoner administer
theantiniony found in the secretionn of the deceased and
in her body after death • whether that drug had accele-
rated her death, and whether the prisoner had adminis-
tered it to the deceased in order to destroy her life.
At the conclusion of his Lordship's remarks the jury
at once found a verdict of Not Guilty. The prisoner
was very much excited. As soon as the verdict was
pronounced lie bowed and thanked his Lordship and the
jury, and was iminediately discharged.

On Thursday morning last the neighbourhood of the
police court was much crowded in the expectation that
Winslow, who was on Wednesday acquitted on the
charge of having poisoned Mrs. Ann James, would again
be brought up on three other charges of poisoning. It
appears, however, that on Wednesday night the prose-
cuting authorities Caine to the conclusion that they
could not sustain &further charge against bin', although
it is distinctly understood that Professor Taylor had
discovered large quantities of antimony in the viscera of
Mrs. Townsend (the sister of Mrs. James) and the two
nephews, whose bodies were exhumed by an order of the
Home Socretary. At noon Window cause by appoint-
ment to the police station for the onrpuee of receiving
from the police authorities the money and other pro-
perty found in the house at Vauxhall-rosd, and to
which be is now entitled as legatee and sole executor of
the late Mrs. James. Wheu it became known that he
was at the office the crowd rapidly increased, and the
most intense excitement prevailed among the populace.
Ile retnained for sonic time at the station, and after
finishing the business which be had with the police, he
was about to take his departure by the main entrance
into the open street, but fioui the temper exhibited by
the mob it was considered imprudent for him to peas
them, and it was therefore thought advisable to got him
away by • vide entrance. A cab drove up to • side door,
and Winslow was taken away to the house at Van:hen-
rys& the populace not being aware that he had left the
building.