The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-19 00:00:00

ALLEGED ATTEMPTED WHOLESALE

POISONINU.

At the Circuit Court of Judicia at Stirling, on
Mustice onday,
Clerk Agnes
with Kirkwood was charged before the Lord
J king, on the 17th June, at Mains of
Beneloich, in the parish of Camp 17th
occupied by Robert
Kincaid, farmer, fa which she was servant, administered to
Kincaid a quantity of arsenic, by mixing it with • quantity
of tetanal, which she knew was to be used as food by the
family. She was further charged with having, on the fol-
lowing day, administered poison to Lilies Auld, a fellow
earvent, William Kincaid and Janie, Kincaid, sons of
Robert Kincaid, and Jobe Bennie, another servant, by the
oatmeal referred to being used, as she knew it was to be, in
making porridge for the family, these four being also seized
with vomiting and pains. She pleaded not guilty, unil •
jury having been empaonelled the case went to trial.
Robert Kincaid, farmer, sworn—l was away from home
ow the 17th of June Lit, and came home at ten o'clock,
when I had a cup of tea made by Lilies Auld. Agnes
Kirkwood bad been with me for four months and left at
Whitaunday, but she was a day worker. I had cakes with
my tea, of which I did not eat above the size of my hand.
I felt extremely ill for fully three hours, and did not get
to bed till after four o'clock in the morning. When I went
I felt very cold, and the housekeeper and my eons put m
feet in cold water. After this I got rase. I did not rise till
11 o'clock next morning. The rest of my family got their
• e, and were seized in • similar way as that in which
had . The meal of which the porridge was made was
kept in a bag in my bedroom. There was about • boll in the
bag. The porridge was made on Friday morning with milk,
as we thought something was in the water. 1 took 11011114
and was seized with the same symptoms, but in • greater
degree. I sent on Tuesday for Drs. Wilson and Marshall.
The prisoner did not take her meals in my house. Lilies
Auld was sent away at seven in the morning on Monday
with the milk cart, and the prisoner that day did the work
in the house. I told her to go and pull thistle, when the
work was done, and she male mittens to pull them. There
was some rat poison in the house, which 1 had bought is
Donaghy's, Park-place, Glasgow. It is called " Kearney's
Rat Mixture," and is sold in half-crown packets. I taught
it in the mouth of March, and gave it to my son, James.
The prisoner was in my service at that time. I saw
the prisoner lying on her face in the stack-yard on the Frb
day morning moaning, and she said she was unwell. I said,
" Yuu need not moan as you got none of it." I had •
young colt, and my neighbours said it was put in the water
for him. 1 asked her if she thought it was for the colt.
She said, " It's no in the water, it's in the meal." I said,
" How do you come to know that I" She said, " I know
fine." Nothing more was sail on that occasion, but I saw
nothing that day to lead me to suppose she was really ill.
She said'on the Monday, " You might as well feed me as the
one you've got." 1 bad no reason to suppose she had say
sweat me. She went back to her held work about
12 o'clock, when I went to Lennoxtown. My grandchild,
Janet M'CoU, was not up till about half-past 9.
Cross-examined by counsel for the prisoner- -Kept the rat
poison in • dark closet, where there was nothing of any
value, it was so damp. She took none of the pomdge. When
asked reply to questions by the agent for the prieoner, I
did not give him the requisite iufurmatioe, as I thought he
had no business to question me on the street.
Lilies Auld corroborated this evidence generally, adding
that the prisoner had partaken very sparingly of the oat-
meal on Tuesday, and that oe the morniug of Friday and
Saturday she wee affected by vomiting. The witnees was
not aware of any rat poison being in the house till she
heard James Kincaid say he would go and look what had
become of it, and on his return say that it bad been shifted
from its place, and that they were in the house who bad
done this.

A number of other witnesses recapitulated the story of
having partaken of the food and becoming ill after—James
Kincaid mentioning that when Le bad put away the nit
poison he had informed both the prisoner and another ser-
vant then in the house, but who left at Whitsunday, of
what it was, and cautioned them against meddling with it.
He added that on July 15 he had seen the packet, which
was thenin the position be had placed it.
Mary Dunioo, wife of Hugh lluuion. Lennoxtown—Knew
Agnes Kirkwood ; used to see her after Whitsunday, but
did not speak to her till the sth of Juno. At that time she
said she had been feed to remain at the Mains (Kineakl's
farm), and bad got away for a week. She stayed with ine
for a day or two, soil Mr. Kinmid's eon came and took her
for days working. As she was going up I was giving her a
good advice, when she said, " By U— she'll not be making
butter there the neat half-year." 1 thought she referred to
Lilies Auld. . _

Allan Marshall, surgeon in Lennoxtown—Went up to
Kincaid's farm on being called, and found Mr. Kiursid, two
moos, Lilian Auld, and John Bernie, ill. Called again in the
evening and found them worse; but by this time some
fowls had died.

Dr. Douglas Madigan deposed that he had found a large
quantity of arsenic in the meal from the top of the bag.
The Advocate-Depute having addressed the jury for the
prosecution, he was followed by Mr. Lamont for the
prisoner.
The Lord Justice Clerk then summed up at considerable
length, and the jury retired for about twenty minutes,
after which they returned with a veidict of not proven, and
the prisoner was dismised, simpliciter, from the bar.
The crowd outside cheered her repeatedly as she passed
down the street from the court-house.

ATTACK ON ♦ SCHOOLIIIIIBTKIL BY ♦ &BOLA -
At the Dundee Police•court on Monday, a lad mulled
Alesamler M'Ewsn, an apprentice tinsmith, was charged
with assaulting Mr. William Robertson, his teacher, while
iu the school-room, lludhopecrescent, on the evening of
Friday last, by striking him on the breast and other parts
of has person, and by kicking and otherwise maltreating
him. The panel pleaded not guilty. Mr. Robertson was
called, and stated that be was very unwilling that the case
should go on against the accused, and trusted the court
would not enter upon the prosecution. Brine Ower—
" You are not the complainer here, Mr. Robertson, it
is the public prosecutor.' Mr. Robertson then deponed
that he noticed the accused relining ou the table
in a sleeping position, and asked bin, if he w.tis
asleep. A short time after that be commenced quarrelling
with one of the scholars, and struck him a blow. Mr.
Robertson at this stage interfered, and ordered him away
from school. 'The panel, who bail at this time some heck•
liog pins in his hand, replied, " give you four inches of
cold steel." Ultimately, however, be went away, but again
appeared in a short time, when he again commenced dis-
puting with two young tneu at the door. Mr. Robertson
again interfered, and asked him to leave the school, where-
upon be struck tie teacher several blows on the breast, and
kicked him on the limbs. The charge against the panel was
found proves, sod Radio ()wee sentenced Limn to pay a fine
of 7s. 6.1., or be sent to gaol for seven days for his conduct.
Scotsman. _ _

ATIZMPTED MIIRD6II. AND SI-IClNG—Yenta/4lay
afternoon Mr. H. Raffia WaMew held an inqueat at the
Poplar Hospital, on the body of John Jmadian Russell,
aged 57 years. The deceased wee an iron plate maker, and hail
lodged at No. 5, Albion-street, St. Leonard's-mod, Brantley.
He had been out of employment for some week*, and hail
subsisted on bread and water. He was frequently kW/ and
melancholy. On Sunday week hat he went into the room
of a lodger named Robert Hall, with whom he got into con-
ver*ation respecting work. Suddenly, however, he rushed
at him while he was lying on a couch, and inflicted a severe
iujury on his head with • razor. A deadly struggle ensued,
when Hall, being the more powerful man, auxeriled in
forcing the deceased into the yard, where he was bolted in
by Hall. The deceased then inflicted a severe gash across
the front of the neck with the same razor. He was re-
moved to the hospital, where Mr. Brownfield, the house-
surgeon, rendered essistance, but the deceased ultimately
died from the effects of the injuries. The jury returned a
verdict of "Temporary Insanity." The man Hall, who
was conveyed to the same institution, is still in a precarious
condition.
Tua Soctat. Evrt. Ito CHZIANA.—At a meeting of
the directors of the poor of St. Luke's, Chalets, yeatenlay,
attention was directed to the number of houses of ill fame
that infest a portion of this parish. A memorial, nume-
rously signed by the parishioner*, was promoted, earnestly
begging the assistance of the parochial officers to put down
the nuisance. The memorialists said they had applied to
the police, who had stated that they bad no power to in•
terfere. It was resolved that the hoard should give all
facility in its power to abate the evil.
LAM WORDS Or 0111/(11AL LTON.—The last words
of General Lyon are reported by Dr. Reichenbach, of the
lowa Ist. He watt reclining in the arms of his body ser-
vant, and turning partly round, said, " Lehmann, I am
peg' up I" And be passed on to his promotion.—American
"WT.