The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-05-02 00:00:00

_A HORRIBLE STORY.

On Monday, Charlotte Johnson, 44, described m
married woman, of 6, Norfolk-villas, Grove-road,
Walthamstow, was charged,at Stratford Petty Sessions,
with unlawfully and maliciously causing to be ad-
ministered to Charles Johnson, her husband, at various
times during the past twelve months, a poisonous or
noxious drug, with intent to injure, aggrieve, or annoy
him, at London House, Pembroke-road, Waltham-
stow. The prosecutor, a middle-aged man, who seemed
to be in ill-health, said he was a tailor, and lived at
London House, Pembroke-road, Waltl;amstow. The
prisoner was his wife, but he had not been living with
her for about three years. He had three children, and
all of them lived with him. He had prohibited the
children visiting their mother, but he knew they had
from time to time gone to see her. He did not allow
his wife anything for maintenance. She earned her
livelihood by nursing. On yarious occasions he had
been taken ill lately. Before his wife left him he
had always enjoyed good health, but from that time
he had on different occasions been unwell, and since
Monday morning, the 20th inst., he had been in ill-
health. On Sunday Morning he gave the prisoner
into custody for causing to be administered to him
certain poisonous drugs. He did not remember the
exact words she used when she was arrested, but
knew she denied the charge. After she left him he
offered to take her back if she would give up drink,
but she went to his shop drunk and created a scandal,
in consequence of which he withdrew his offer. He
had separated from his wife because of her drinking
habits.
The prisoner asserted that it was because her
husband lived with another woman that they sepa-
rated.
The prosecutor denied this, but added that he
was now living with a woman.
The defendant added that her husband bad refused
her food, and she had had to go out at night with a
child in her arms to get bread. One night when she
returned with her child in her arms he told her to go
away again.
Prosecutor said that on the night in question he
understood prisoner had been to her mother's, and
he did say to her that she had better go back to
where she had been. The witness at this point burst
into tears, and said, with regard to the child, that his
wife took that away, and he knew nothing about it
until he heard afterwards that it was dead in a hos-
pital. He believed it had been served the same way
as he had been.

Prisoner: Oh, you wicked man!
Prosecutor was then directed to get out of the
witness-box, taking a seat close by. Very shortly
afterwards he commenced making a dreadful noise,
and on Constable Prickett, warrant officer, going to
him the poor fellow was found to be in a fit. With
some difficulty he was removed, groaning terribly, the
noise being heard till he was removed beyond earshot.
Charles Johnson, the son of the prisoner and the
prosecutor, a lad about twelve years of age, was next
called, and he was sworn by Mr. Andrew Johnston
(the chairman). The boy said he went to see his
mother first about twelve months since. She then
lived in West-street, St. Stephen's-road, Waltham-
stow. On that occasion she gave him something
wrapped up in paper which had the word "Poison"
outside. She told him to put it in something his
father was eating or drinking.
Mr. Andrew Johnston (the chairman) : What did
you put it in? Witness: I put it in father's tea.
(Sensation.)
Mr. Andrew Johnston: How much was there?
Witness: There was about a quarter of a spoonful.
Mr. Andrew Johnston: Did you put the whole of it
in? Witness: Yes, sir. _ _ _

Mr. Wells (the clerk): Your father did not see you
do it? Witness: No, sir. He drank the tea, and it
made him ill. He complained of pains. This was
two or three days afterwards.
Mr. Wells: Has your mother on other occasions
given you powders? Witness: Yes; she has given
me nearly a dozen, and I have given them all to
father during the past twelve months.
By Mr. Johnston: The powders always looked the
same, but they were not always labelled "Poison."
It was a reddish powder. His father had gone to a
doctor's several times about the pains. He went to a
doctor's at Stamford-hill.

In answer to his mother the witness positively
maintained that what he said was the truth, though
she called him wicked, and adjured him to tell the
truth, as this was probably the last time he would see
her. The accused, the lad added, had handed to
Polly Walker (the daughter of the woman with whom
the prosecutor lives) a powder of some kind. That
was on Saturday week (April 18).
Mr. Andrew Johnston: Did you give that to your
father?

Witness: Yes, sir.
Mr. Andrew Johnston: Did that make him ill?

Witness: Yea, sir.
The prisoner at this point commenced to cry, and,
denying the evidence of her son, she asserted that she
had often given the children money for food, to keep
them from starving.
Mr. Johnston said this was a serious charge, and
they would remand the prisoner till Saturday. It
would, he thought, be well if the prisoner were then
defended.
A gentleman in court asked if bail would be
taken, but the Bench declined to entertain that
question.
With reference to this charge the lad Charles
Johnson and the girl Mary Ann Walker, the
daughter of the woman with whom Johnston is now
living, have each made a statement. That of the
girl Walker, who is ten years of age, is as follows:
"I live with my mother at London House, Pem-
broke - road, Walthamstow ; at Mr. Johnson's
house. I hale known Mrs. Johnson for about
twelve months. About that time, when she lived in
West-street, St. Stephen's-road, Walthamstow, she
gave me and Charlie Stephen's-road,
some powders wrapped
in brown tissue paper. She said to me, 'Put this
into something of your mother's,' and I put it in her
tea. She gave me and Charlie two the first time, and
she told Charlie to put his into his father's tea. She
has given us the same sort of powder several times,
and Charlie has always berm there when his mother
has given the powders to me. I have put the powders
into my mother's tea, and Charlie has put his packets
into his father's. Once she gave me and Charlie a small
phial and told us to put its contents into our father's and
mother's tea. We did as we were told. My mother
' has been ill, and so has Mr. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson
told us not to tell my mother or Mr. Johnson any-
thing about it, and we never did tell till the other
day, and at first denied all about it. A man has
threatened that if we ever said anything about it he
would cut our heads off. He had something in the
shape of a knife in his hand at the time. In my pre-
sence I have seen this man give Mrs. Johnson several
packets. I have since seen Mrs. Johnson with this
man outside the Tavern, but I have never seen him
in Mrs. Johnson's house."
The prisoner's son states: "The first time I gave
my father anything was about twelve months back.
My mother gave me a small packet of powder, which
was done up in brown tissue paper. She was then
living in St. Stephen's-road. When she gave it to me
I she said, Give this to the old beast; that will do him
good. Put it into something which he eats or drinks.'
The girl Polly Walker was present on that occasion.
My mother gave her a packet of powder too, and told
her to put it in her mailer's tea, or in something
which she had to eat. I put the packet she gave me
into my father's tea, and Polly Walker put hers into
her mother's tea. I have given my father powders,
and Polly Walker has given her mother powders, at
various times. Since my father has been ill after
taking them my mother has asked me if 'it' has done
the old beast' any good. My father has forbid me
ever going to mother's house, but I have gone un-
beknown to him. I gave him the last powder on
Sunday week. My mother gave me, and also Polly
Walker, a powder each, and told us that we knew what
_ .

to do with them. I put one into my father's tea.
Polly put hers into her mother's cup of tea. My
mother has told me and Polly never to let them see
us put the powders into their tea. If they did she
said they would murder us and her too. There has
been a man present on several occasions, and my
mother told me that he gave the powders to her. The
man has threatened me a Polly that if either of us
spoke a word about it he would murder us, and when
he had a knife in his hand he said he would cut our
heads off if we said anything. I was afraid to tell
the truth about this at the first, as I was afraid they
would be locked up and would injure me."