The Sun.
London, England, 1847-09-23 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.—(THIS DAY.)
OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron PLATT and Mr. Justice WILLIAMS.)
MURDER OF A WIFE BY TILE ADMINISTRATION OF
POISON.—John Hutchings, aged 43, described in the
calendar as a cooper, was indicted for the wilful
murder of his wife, Mary Hutchings, by the admi-
nistration of poison.
Mr. Bpdkin and Mr. Huddleston appeared for the
prosecution, and Mr. Ballantine was counsel for the

prisoner.
Mr. BODKIN having detailed the facts of the case to
the jury, called the following witnesses in support of
his statement on behalf of the prosecution, which had
been instituted by the parochial authorities of the
parish in which the crime took place.
Mrs. Bywater, the wife of Mr. Bywater, of St.
Paul's, Deptford—Knew the deceased and prisoner.
Lived next door to them. Was called in to see the
deceased on Sunday, Aug. 29. She was then very bad,
and lay on the side of the bed. She said she had great
pain at the bottom of the stomach, and was very
sick. Witness put her to bed. Her two sons and
daughter were at home. Got some brandy for the
husband, who mixed it with hot water, and witness
gave it to the deceased, who immediately vomited it.
The prisoner, when witness first went in, said he
wished she would go up stairs to his wife ; that she
was very ill, and had been taking some d—d stuff or
other. Witness asked the deceased what she had
been taking ? to which she replied only a little jalap ;
to which he replied, he knew it was a d—d lie, as he
knew she had been taking something else. He said
first it was bitter orange, and then afterwards bitter
aloes. Witness asked him to make some tea
he did so, observing that he had made it the day be-
fore. When the tea was given her she vomited it, as
also some beer. Witness then told the prisoner that
his wife was very ill, and he must get a doctor. Dr.
Downing was then sent for. The deceased was a
very nice woman, but the prisoner and her were on
very bad terms with each other. The deceased died
on Monday morning, about half-past one o'clock. The
prisoner told me that he had broken open a drawer,
containing a bottle of arsenic, that he had thrown the
arsenic into the fire, and told his son to throw the
bottle into the privy, observing that there was no
more arsenic in it than would cover a six-
pence. He said that he had broken the
drawer open about half-past five o'clock. This
was on Sunday night. The prisoner said his
reason for throwing away the arsenic was a fear that
his wife might get at it. On Monday evening the
prisoner said first he had thrown the bottle into the
garden, then into the pier, and then into the privy,
and upon being asked which, he said he gave it to the
boy to throw into the privy.
Cross-examined by Mr. BALLANTINE—There were
several persons present when the prisoner talked about
the arsenic.
By Mr. Baron PLATT—Was a most intimate friend
of the deceased, and never knew her to lock up any-
thing. The prisoner sent for witness by one of his
sons. He appeared most anxious for witness to go up
and help his wife. The deceased used to say she ex-
pected to die a very bad death. Did not think the
deceased said anything to the prisoner when he
brought up that brandy and water.
Re-examined by Mr. HUDDLESTONE—Did not hear
any noise from the room in which the prisoner and
his wife slept the night before.
Mary Molten, resided at St. Paul's, Deptford,
and knew the deceased and the prisoner—Was called
in on the night in question to see the deceased, and
had some conversation with the prisoner after the
death of his wife. He said that upon hearing his
wife groan he went and asked her what was the
matter, she said nothing, and upon her groaning
again he again asked her what was the matter with
her, and she said it was only the jalap that she had
taken. He said that she must have taken something
more, that he bad some arsenic in the house, and lie
was afraid she had broken open the drawer and taken
some of it.
By Mr. Baron PLATT—When witness was there
the prisoner went up to his wife, took hold of her
hand, and said Mary, dear, how are you now, to
which she replied she thought she was better. Wit-
ness did not observe the deceased withdraw her hand
from that of the prisoner. Medicine was sent to the
deceased.
Thomas Hutchings, was a son of the prisoner, and
was 16 years of age. Was living with his father
and mother when the latter died. Remembered
there being some arsenic in the house which his
father got from an ostler of the name of Wheeler,
some months before his mother's death. It was
got to kill cats, because they destroyed some
chickens which the witness had. The arsenic was in
a phial. llis father put some of it out to kill the
cats. Before his mother's death the arsenic was kept
in a drawer in witness's room, and locked up. Wit-
ness kept the key. The Sunday before his mother's
death, witness saw the arsenic in the drawer, but not
since. On the day his mother died witness had the
key of the drawer in his pocket, and had it now.—
(It was produced in court.) 'lid did not think that
his mother knew that the arsenic was there. Had no
reason for not letting his mother know it was there.
The bottle was not half full of arsenic. On the Sun-
day morning on which his mother died they all
breakfasted together as usual. Witness did not
think he went out that Sunday morning. He only
took the dinner to the bakehouse. At dinner time
his mother appeared rather unwell; and shortly after
it she was taken ill, and vomited. Witness went out
after dinner, and his father (the prisoner) went upstairs
to lie down. Witness returned about five o'clock; his
father was down stairs, and his brother and sister
getting tea. His mother was lying down on the
bed ; she was groaning. Before witness went up
stairs the prisoner told him he had broken open his
drawer, and taken the bottle out, and emptied the
stuff into the fire. The prisoner said his reason for
doing so was that the deceased had told him she had
been taking jalap, but he thought she had been taking
something else, and he therefore threw it away.
Witness, upon going up stairs, found the drawer
broken open, and the bottle gone. The drawer was
not a great distance from the bed on which his mother
was lying. The prisoner and the witness then put
the lock which had been forced off the drawer on
again. Did not hear anything pass between his
father and mother then. Witness and the prisoner
then went down, and had tea; some was taken up to
his mother, but he did not know whether his father or
his little brother took it up. It was about six o'clock.
Nothing particular was elicited from this witness
in cross-examination.
By Mr. Baron PLATT—There was no secresy
about his having the poison to kill the cats. His
mother must have heard witness and his father talk
about poisoning the cats. Thought his mother knew
he had the bottle with the poison in it. His mother
was crying while she made the pudding for Sunday's
dinner.
Charles Hutchings, also a son of the prisoner,
between eight and nine years of age, stated that he
slept with his brother in the next room to that in
which his father and mother slept. Recollected his
father coming home on the Saturday night before
his mother died. His mother let him in. She
got out of bed to do so. He heard some-
thing pass between his father and mother. Ilis
mother said to him, " You have begun your
games already, to which his father replied, " Hold
your tongue. His mother then called him a villain.
His father then hit his mother, who was sitting up in
bed. Witness heard her get out of bed, and went
down stairs and into the street, slamming the door.
As she was going out his father cried out, " Oh you
faggot, you had better not come near me to-night."
Saw nothing of either his father or mother any more
that night. Did not hear his mother come in again.
After breakfast on Sunday morning witness went to
school, and returned about twelve o'clock. His
mothor was at that time in the yard, cutting some
cabbages for dinner. Witness was sent out for
the dinner beer. His mother did not eat
so much as usual for dinner. After dinner his father
went up stairs to lie down. 'Witness then went again
to school, and upon returning home again at half-
past four he knocked at the door, but nobody an-
swering, he got over the palings. His father and
mother were up stairs but nobody below. Witness
ma
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e tea Ni s
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the time of making teais m
his
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whichAt
he told him to throw down the privy. The bottle
was then empty. He saw his father take
some white stuff out of it and l
in the fire. Witness took the bottle and
had
threw in
t
the privy. When he came back the tea ad not been
poured out. His father then poured out the tea, and
took some up to his mother. Witness also took
some tea to his mother, who was there, in the room
where the witness and his brother slept. She was
lying on the bed. Witness did not know whether
she was well or ill. Witness fetched down the cup
and saucer, and his mother promised him a penny.
'Witness at the time saw one of the drawers drawn
out. When he went down stairs his father was there,
but not his brother Tom. His father gave him a
halfpenny, and told him to go out and play.
Cross-examined by Mr. BALLANTINE—Had thrown
the bottle down the privy before his father made
the tea, or put the water or tea into the pot.
By Mr. Baron PLATT—Did not see his father wash
out the tea-pot before he put the tea in. 'Witness
himself threw the grouts out of the pot. He and his
father drank the tea as well as his mother.
By Mr. BALLANTINE—Was sure his mother had
some tea. He saw it poured out of the pot by his
father. Did not know whether his father used his
mother's cup after he brought it down.
Thomas 'Wheeler was ostler where the prisoner and
his son worked. About three months before the
death of the prisoner's wife he gave him a quantity of
white arsenic for the purpose of destroying the cats,
because they killed the chickens belonging to the
prisoners sQII.