The Express.
London, England, 1862-07-05 00:00:00

THE lITRAORDINARY CASE 01 ALLEGED

WHOLESALI POISONING.

At Lambeth polioe-oourt, yesterday, Conetanoe
Wilma, aka/ Catharine Wilson, ohm Catharine Taylor,
who bad been tried and acquitted at the late maim at the
Central Criminal Chart, on a charge of attempted poisoning,
was again placed at the bar before the Hon. O. C. Koehn),
for further examination, on a charge of having caused the
death of Mrs. Ann Atkinson, the wife of Mr. Joseph At-
kinson, of Kirkby Loma*, Lancashire, by the admints-
treats of poem'. Mr. Chipperfield again appeared for the
prosecution, and Mr. Neale for the prisoner. The cosut, as
on the former occasion, was densely crowded during the
inveshption.
Mr. Chipperfield said what be proposed to do to-day was,
to go into evidence to connect the miaow with the rob-
bery of the deceased, of the money the had brought to
London from hoent—for that would seem to be the motive
fee the commission of the crime now imputed to her. For
that purposes promeed to pot in evidemes a letter which
had been addressed to Mr. Atkinson, the husband of the
deceased, at the latter end of December, 1861, and par-
portiog to be written by the young girl Miey Breeden, who
was in the srvia of the primate at the time Mrs. Atkin-
son was at her hones fa October, 1860. That letter was
e written in a Warned hand, and he had no doubt
l=l be able to pent that it bad been written by the
peitewer, for, despite efforts so conceal the character of the
thin would be found, on comparison with letters
y written by the prisoner, a striking sioularsq.
both ha the spelling and in tbe formation of the letters. He
should produce the servant Mary, who would swear that
Chitaji ad write the letter, tad that proof, mewled with
"tin-MlamehMeellikt tt esateleid fads /Mil OM=
be known by the servant Mary and by the primer
would be strong evidence The -prisoner had elitainell a'
loss of 101. from Mr. Atkinson, tad the letter he wen sow
about to produce was an attempt, in December, 1881, to
excite Use sympathise of Mr. Atkinson, and to induce him
to mike a tardier allmace. The letter purporting to be
written h7.00r rerreat Mary was as follows :
" Dear (fir —I know you will excuse me when I tell you
I am Mary, like lived at Kra Taylor's when your wife
died. Mr. Taylor would not let me stop. I can now tee
whet for,be wanted the house for himself. You cannot
conceive what treatment poor meals suffered after you left.
When they cease home from the dation he told muds
thatiyeu said Obi robbed your wife. I shall forget
poor music—how lobe cried, but she would not believe it.
She isild you did not say to, and then be struck her. At
night she was confined of a dead child. She had only been
cosifined a week whoa he came home one night at lo'clock,
and made her get up'aod oome down, and then he turned
her ont in the yard and locked my door as I should not let
her is, but I opened my window and put a chair out for
her to get is the window with. The next time she went
out war to see Mr. Lund, after he came from your
boom. I do not think she told him. It now
turns out he is a married man with a eon
and daughter, the youngest it 15. He left his wife when
she was confined with • had disease. She is as had as him,
for she has always known where he has been, and had 16e.
a week from him in London, and poor merit never
knew that where poor merit's money has gone. The very
day that I posted your last letter for miens, a lady was in
when I got back, and lent mismir 251. as long as she liked to
keep it. The next day I went in spin, and mime was
going tossed me to the post-office for an order for you for
the money you bad lent hr, and it was gone. Nobody
knew nothing of it Ido not live in a place. My mother is
• laundress, and I help her now, so I used to go on whoa
Mr. Taylor was out of the wa y. There was only 2. Minis
told him he had taken it. He denied it, but said little.
On a fortnight come Wednesday he otme home at eight
o'clock is the afternoon, sad asked mime to meet him at
Eve Aim& at Itegenteirees, and wait till he came to her.
He took all the keys with him, and told mink
to fasten it up ; so she did, and then he
told her he would satisfy her she bad been told liea,
, for be said he could not bear to see her always crying. Now
commis the villain. He never went near the place; poor
nasals standing out in the wet hum • quarter before five to
twenty minutes to eight. No keys to get in. She came
home met. No body to be found. Walked about till six
next morning wet through. Went round to get • man
to break the windows. Then was told how she had bees
robbed. He had sot two men with a truck to the back
door and took a great gamy things away. Left her without
one halfpenny in the world and the rest past due-81. 10a
Taken all things, such as watch and guard, spoons, and the
chest that you gave to her to your nephew, James Daiwa.
Maria went and got out a warrant for his ap elision. I
hope they will take the villain. I a letter from
mime to you this morning. I don't know if she has told
you. I shall tell her myself that 1 wrote to you, for
you would pity her I know—so kind to every body,
wham ha.to bee treated so fad. I don't know whet
she will do lem sure. The landlord came to-day ; she
mid she would not remove one thing until be was paid,
if be would wait a few days to see what she could
do. When he was gone she said the did uot know
what to do. I wanted her to write to you, and auk if you
would lend her a little more, for I told her that I knew you
would not like to hear of her furniture being taken by the
bailiffs to be sold for nothing, whereas if they were sold by
auction it would make more. I hops you will excuse me
for taken the liberty of writing to you, but I could not help
it, to see poor minis in such trouble. When I lived with
her the was better than my mother to me, poor thing.
Dear sir, if you can help her do, I pray. • Muir."
" If jou cannot assist her you will, I know, ante tor h.
I know you will not laugh at ray had writing; the subject
is too serious a matter, and 1 hope you do not think me bold
in the matter. There was a woman next door who wanted
her to take the things and cheat the landlord, but =iris
said she would die before she would do such a dishonest
action."

Up to this time nothing bad been said about Mrs. Atkis-
son having been robbed, and therefore be contended this
letter was presumptive proof that the ➢risoner had an idea
of robbery in her mind, and that this was an attempt to
excite Mr. Atkinson's sympathy by the assertion that
Taylor, the man with whom she then cohabited, had
charged her with robbing him. He should therefore put in
this letter.
Mr. Neale objected that this letter was not evidence until
it was connected with the prismier. He complained of at-
tempts to prejudice the case by statetnenta of this kind.
Mr. Notion remarked that Mr. Chipperfield undertook to
prove what he had asserted, and he presumed lie would

Mr. Chipper6eld—l propose, air, to support the proof
of that letter having been written by the prisoner, not only
became as it relates to the fact of the money hails, been
lent to her by Mr. Atkinsoa, but by another letter written
in an artful manner to Mr. Atkinson in April, 1860. The
following is the letter to which belied alluded:—
" Loodon, April 8, 1861.
Mr Dear Friend,—l have been tbinkiog about you very
much indeed. Last year I was expecting you, with my dear
departed friend, to stop with me. I did not write early
enough. You bad left home. I was full of trouble at my
disappointment. but since then I have had greater trouble.
How little did I think then we should have soon to loom
one of my dearest Maeda."
This would be proved to be in the handwriting of the pri-
soner, and signed 'C. Taylor," sod accompanying it, in the
isms handwriting, was a letter, not signed, but which ran in
then terms :

r"lfyDeai Friend,—l am writing this on separate paper
for I have been in such trouble. I have had • cousin a
visiting of me ; • very nice woman, an orphaut, who was
married six years ago, very young, to • clergyman's son who
when ho got hold of her money spent it and turned out a
regular scamp. He left her long ago, then goes to her.
Her poor father is almost heart-broken about him, far he
has the for be has the wife to maintain when he leaves her
with her children. He professed to some to London after a
situation and she with him. Of coarse I asked them to stop
all night, for the sleeping is everything in London, andas
far as appearances goes he was very respectable to look
at. The third day they was leaving I went out with her,
poor this& sod he went up stairs in our absence to alter
his toilet as he told Mary, but issued he coney opens
my drawers and took out my mooey -box, and took from that
all that was in it, 31111., put the box back spin, and loft •
letter for his poor wife to say he had borrowed 304 at
me, as I was not at home he took it, but would make it
all write. She need not make • fuss about the matter, be
should be miles away at night, when we sot home he
should sot see her for some tines, as he must try sod better
his coudition. There was a yahoo. You may well imagine
bow her and me felt. It happened Mr. Taylor was out
when we got horns. She went down of her knees for
me not to have him taken. She would go to Paris
and tell his father and beg of bias to pay the
poor woman. She little knew II dar as well fly es let it be
known. She is little aware what my husband is. He would
of told use of it as long se I had lived, sal not of spoken to
me for a week after. This is my great trouble. Ten pounds
was my husband's. He told me to take care of it nate
next Wedaseday —he wanted it. My solicitor is out et
town for his health, or be world an tomtit to me. I want
101. now, my dear friend, if von oen end will lend it to me
by return of post. I shall be so very thankful, as it will
save me a great deal of unhappiness, sod Ood alone lows
that I will pay you any interest you like for the HA The
other was my own, end he knows nothiog of it. If my
ether husband had here living instead et this. I should have
told him of it. This men is so different, I unmet tell w-
illing to him. It is so bard to think I mama tell
iniz
trouble and sue my mind to him. What en
mine is. If my dear friend bees olive she wournsit
to me, I am ewe ; but you, my dear friend, bus bad so
mush trouble, sad en Ws to pay, 1 do net like to
trouble you, but I believe yes will mod it to mily
it you ma, and I will send you an 1.0 U
for it, as I have my own property and will
pay you the salt rents I shall receive, and 'hall be
very peatful to you. Whether you can or sot mod am
line, that I nay receive it on Wednesday morning. I dare
toy I layssomis mono of mistake, foul am so somas sad

unb 2' In consequence of these letters Mr. AtkinAtkinsseataE 101. in Post-olllce orders, and she returned a pro.
misery note. It would be further shown that these skate-
meets as to her haviog been robbed were pure inveiglers.
and fabrications ; and-before the case closed be should call
swami expert. in band-writing, who would establish beyond
all doubt that the Wod.writing of these letters and that of
the letter purporting to be from the servant Mazy were
identical. After mew further comments on them letters,
Mr. OltipperSeld called
tdr. Joseph Atkisson, who produced the bag, the pocket,
and We purse, which had been delivered up to him on the
m after his wife's death, and which had belonged to
her. purse at the time contained 19 110•11/6(121. The
string of the pocket had not been cut off, and we Is the
pocket. (This was said in answer tea question in refereses to
an alleged robbery of the Wowed at Rugby co her way to
town.)
Mr. Nertoo—ilave you been able to ascertain who it was
sewed op the money in your wife's stays previous to her
starting for London ?
Witness—Not on that occasion, but I have wee the per-
m who bee dose it for her on the two former years, and I
have no doubt on this occasion my wife did it herself, for
just before she set off for London she bad shown me where
she had sewn it at the hinder part of her dream, and said,
"If they rob me this time. Joseph, you will lose me and
all." She did not tell me what 'meant of mossy she had
takes. ribs managed her business and I mina I never in.
teetered with her business, except assisting her at Christens
in making out hey accounts.
Mr. Chipperfield —Cali you tell what amount of money
your wife had received before her departure for Loudon ?
Witeess—l know of her having received 661. flan different
parties, and if I had had time I could have found out she
Waived a good deal more. 1 bows ere dirala uillwrame
rersmoll, mews her eenetter, IS ply the teeodstr to has
wholesale houses with whom she dealt, but these she had
wet paid, because she had not left the house of the primer
I from the timed her arrival to her death. These amounts
he had since paid, and they amounted to between 1201. and
1301. According to her usual practice she would bring that
amount with her, besides, a farther sum for casual purchases
at other halms where she bad not an open account.
Mr. °hippo:Add—Now, Mr. Atkinson, I meat to sail
your attention to what aoli place on the morning of your
wife's death. Did you lead for Mr. Nairn, the surgeon,
and what took place ?
Witneas—l seat for Mr. Nairn, who came, and having
seen my wife, went back to his house, accompanied by Mr.
Taylor, and the latter returned with four small bottles of
medicine which the doctor had prescribed for her. My
wife took some of the medicine, which seemed to settle aad
quiet her • and on noticing it produced this effect, I went
out to • barber's
to get Wave& Oa my return, after an
absence of about half an hour, I found my wife seated up
in a chair, not dozing as I left her, but quite helpless and
unable to support herself. I tried to give her some bandy
to support her, but I do sot know that she took a single
drop. I was very angry, and said to the prisoner, " Oh,
Mrs. Taylor, you should not bare got her up by any
means." The prisoner replied, "I wanted to have her
cleaned." The prisoner had not mid anything to me before
I went out about taking her out of bed. Something had
taken place about the evaouatiose before that.
The letters which had been read in the 'miming were here
banded to the witness, who proved their receipt by him,
and identified the whole of them, with the excepelos of the
fabricated letter, as being is the handwriting of the pri-
soner.

Mr. Norton—From the time you arrived in London and
saw your wife, was she so composed se to be able to speak
to you on different matters!
Witness—Yes, she wu. She wee quite well enough to
talk to me, bat she never said a syllable about her being ill
or robbed at Rugby, or losing her money at all. I never
beard of it until after ber death.
Mr. Norton—When she said that "If they take my money
this time, you will lose me and all, whit do you think
" they " referred to?
Witness—l thought she referred to a prior affair, which
oesurred in 1859, when she was said to have beat robbed in
St. Paul's-churchyard, at a time when the prisoner was
with her ; and this had beet the cause of her subsequent
caution in sewing ap her mosey.
Mr. Chipperfaeld bare explained that, in 1859, the de-
ceased came up to town to make be purchases, that she
went out shopping with the prisoner, having with her her
bag, in which was deposited her puree, containing 501.; that
she sever had occasion to open the puree, having paid for
what she bought from loose cash she bad in her pocket ;
that they returned home together, and on the following
morning she found her purse end money gone.
In cross-examination, the witness said he knew nothing
more about his wife's mosey transactions than what he had
stated, nor eould he my of his own knowledge that ehe
brought any money with her on the last cecesioa, as be
did not see it, but he bad no doubt she did, 11111561111 i to pay
the bills.

Mary Ass Boades was called, mad said that ilia Ist*,
produced, purporting to be aniten by her, wee not in her
handwriting, and she had never written to Mr. Atkinson in
her hie.

Mr. Neale objected to the reception of this letter until
some proof to connect the prisoner with it was given.
.Mr. Norton remarked that he bad compared this letter
with the others, and could himself see striking simi-
larity in the handwriting.
The witness was here examined seriatim on each paragraph of
the letter purporting to having been written by her, and she
denied knowing anything whatever at the statements it exe•
tamed ; that she never before knew of the primmer re-
o ros, from a lady, or of the pnsoner having been
robbed
of it by the " gentians& n alluded to in the letter.
She had heard nothing of the deceased haying been robbed
at Rugby or elsewhere. In answer to further questions she
said aim recollected Mr. Atkinam's coming to the primeer's
house on the Saturday seeping, and at that time she knew
the prisoner was short of mosey, because @be did not get in
the eatables and other necessaries for the bones as she bad
been accustomed to do on a Saturday ; but after Mr. Atkin-
son bad loft the prisoner bought mourning, purchased neces-
saries for the house, and paid the butcher's and other bills.
After the death of din. Atkinson the bed-clothes and sheets
were rimed out by the prisoner before they were sent to
the laundress. The prisoner never did that before. Several
rags, some blue check dusters, and pieces of old collars
which had been used about the person of the deceased,
were burnt by witness by the prisoner's direction. I have
had none of the deceased's clothes, though they were left
for me by Mr. Atkinson. The only thing I got was the de-
ceased's stays—all the rest the prisoner kept.
Mr. Chipperfleld said that this was all the evidence he
proposed to give that day, and requested • remand to a
future day, when Dr. Taylor would attend and make his
report of his analysis of the vinare of the deceased.
The application for a remand was granted.
Whim the prisoner was removed from the dock, Mr.
Norton inquired how many cases there were in which she
was suspected; and Mr. Chipperfield replied that the one
under inquiry made the fifth, and mentioned wens particu-
lars about one of them in which a strict inquiry was going
on by direction of the Secretary of State for the Home De-
partment, and in which the death took place la London.