The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-25 00:00:00

GLASGO WINTER atROUlT.—Dec: 22.

(Before the Lord Justice Clerk.)
THE EAGLESHAM POISONING CASE.

John Thomson, alias Peter Walker, a young man
apparently about 28, of respectable exterior, was placed
at the bar charged with murder, as also administering
prussic acid or other poison, as also contravention of
10th Geo. IV., cap. 38, section 2, in so far as, Ist, on
the 13th September, in the house in Eaglesham occupied
by Agnes Montgomery, a reeler in a mill, now deceasedg
and residing there, he did feloniously administer, or
cause to be administered or taken by her, a quantity or
quantities of prussic acid, or other poison, in consequence
of which she afterwards died ; 2d, in that, on the 25th
er 26th September, within a house in John-street,
Glasgow, occupied by Archd. Mason, manufacturer, he,
the said John Thomson, alias Peter Walker, did admie
nister to Agnes Stenhouse or Mason, wife of Archd.
Mason, a quantity of prussic acid in whisky or some
other article, with intent to murder her, and did her
grievous bodily harm ; 3d, on the same date, and in
the same house, did administer in a similar way, a
quantity of prussic acid to Archd. Mason, with intent
to murder him, and did him grievous bodily harm.
Janet Montgomery or Watson, examined by Mr.
Heriot--I am wife of James Watson, tailor in Eagleshara.
Agnes Montgomery was my sister. We lived on the
ground-floor of the house, and on the other side of the
floor lived my uncle, Hugh Montgomery, a carrier. My
house enters from the street, Hugh Montgomery's from
the entry. My sister Agnes lived on the floor above my
house, in the middle room. Clarkson, a mole-catcher, and
M'Donald, a wright, lived on either side of her. I pointed
out to Mr. Lamb where the furniture had been. My
sister was 27 years of age. She was a reeler in the mill.
The prisoner lived in my house, and came on 23d June,
and remained till 25th September. My sister died on
Sunday, 13th September. I had seen her that afternoon,
and saw her last in health at half-past 4 in the after-
noon. She was then quite well. My sister was a
healthy woman. [Witness at this stage became faintish
and had to sit down. Water and eau de cologne
were administered to her.] She was standing in her
own entry when I saw her. I asked her where little
Jeannie, my daughter, was. She said she gave her to
Mrs. Cameron. This was at half-past four. I saw her
five minutes after, and she then appeared to be well.
She was with William Young, and speaking to him.
He ie a witness here. I had missed a loaf before that,
and said I knew where it was, at the foot of the tick
bed occupied by the prisoner, between the straw and the
cotton of the bed. She said, "Put it on a plate, and
pat it down for a dessert." I went away a message.
Was absent about three minutes. On returning found
prisoner in the house at his tea. My husband was also
in the house, E. Hinshelwood, and Robert Gall. We
had tea together, excepting Hinshelwood, who would
take none. Prisoner went out after tea—l think about
five or ten minutes after I went in. After he went out,
James Fulton, a baker, and William Muir came. Ful-
ton asked for him, and was told he was either up at
Aggie's or down the yard. This would be, I think,
about a quarter past five. I did not observe the clock.
I did net take tea with them at that time, but after-
wards. I looked out and remarked that Felton had not
gone up to Aggie'e. The others in the house said he
was speaking to Muir. They went away out of my
sight ; did not notice where. My husband, Hinshel-
wood, Young, and Gall went out, leaving me in the
house. Janet was in the house. I had two daughters ;
my eldest, Janet, three years old past in August, and
Jeannie, eighteen months old. I came out after them.
I got little Jeannie from Mrs. Cameron, and Mrs.
M'Donald was at the door when I went out. Muir and
Fulton passed. Mrs. M`Doneld said—l hear a strange
moan, do you? I said, yes. Whisht, says she, what
can that be ? I said—lt will be Aunt Nannie, the car-
rier's wife (Mrs. Hugh Montgomery), who was then
unwell. She said she would go in and see. On going
in I found that the moans were proceeding from Aggie's
house. She seemed to be quite insensible, and never
spoke. When Dr. Scott, who bad been sent for, arrived
he said she bad bitten her tongue. I saw it
was bitten. Hugh Montgomery came in, and
asked if I had loosed her dress. I said, "No."
He cut her stays. Mrs. M'Donald went out
for the doctor. I wiped away the slaver two or three
times, and it came again. She sighed and moaned
,strangely. The slaver seemed to come up her throat.
Before the doctor came in Ibathed her hands with water.
Muir and Fulton came in, and an attempt was made
to make her take a little water. I held her hands and
told them to bring warm water, as they were cramped.
The right hand was cold, and I put it into the warm
water, when the cramp left the fingers, and went up the
arm, but came back afterwards. By this time the
prisoner came in, and and said the doctor was not to be
found at his own house. I said, "Run to the school-
house for him." The doctor came with Muir and the
prisoner. The doctor looked at her, and asked how she
had been when she took it, as if we bad been in the
house when she got something. I said he saw her in
the same state as we did. Prisoner raid that when
going for the doctor he had felt so unwell that he had
to lean his back either to the bridge or the tree. The
doctor said, "Get her into a bed," and the prisoner
then said, "Oh, yes, get her into bed." and he put oil
his coat.; I looked to Fulton and Muir to go away,
and they left. Prisoner put on his coat again, and he
went. She was put to bed, and contnued to moan, and

the breath tame in heavier lifts from her breast. Her
eyes were motionless and inclining ❑pwards. When

the doctor came in *he gave " Fonder moan, and I
thought perhaps she had observed him. I asked the
doctor—" Do you think she ha's been taking anything ?"
and he answered quite calmly, " Well, I don't know."
He did not look smart about her. There was no sweat
on her face, which was red, swollen, and like to burst.
She seemel to have a difficulty in breathing when put to
bed, and her moans seemed then rather to stop. She
gave heavy sighs at intervals. When put to bed the
doctor ordered her a little toddy, and I went down
stairs for half a glass) and made some in her own room,
with water from her own kettle. I saw no tea or tea-
pot. I could not say whether the doctor or my
uncle gave her the toddy, and could not say
whether she swallowed anything. The doctor
thought it was something wrong with her stomach.
She t became weaker and weaker after she was
put to bed. I went and got some more spirits, and
bathed her breast and forehead. I went out to send some
one for my sister, Mrs. Young. Mrs. Young attended
her, and went into bed to take off her stays, and rubbed
her arms. Mrs. M'Donald recommended bleeding, as
she was so stout, but the doctor said her pulse was too
weak. I went out for a rubber, and on coming back the
doctor said she would not bleed. I don't know if be ap-
lied the lancet. I 'tent out to tell aunt how Aggie was,
and on returning I found her
getting white about the
lips and thought all was over. The doctor had gone away
for something, and when he returned she was dead. It
was about six o'clock when she died. She was buried
on Thursday, the 17th. I was in Glasgow when the body
was lifted afterwards, but did net see it. I never heard
Aggie say anything of prisoner but that he was a liar.
He told her he would bring her a nice Bible from Glas-
gow, but he brought her an old-fashioned one with plates,
and she called him " a cursed liar." I never knew them
differ but once, when Agnes and Janet Dollar threw
water on him. I remarked, when he told me, " Yon
see what your lass has done." He said "he would be
but he would be upsides with the --, and work
them a turn for that." This was about August. He did
not speak to her for some time after. I have a brother,
Finlay, a sailor, and he sent her money, which she got
at Jamaica Bridge. It was lifted every two months—
about 4/. in the two months. It was the Custom-house
where she got the money. It was well known in the
village that she got this money, and prisoner knew it.
I heard deceased speak of another time when prisoner
told lies, but cannot say what about. Aggie's room was
unusually clean when I entered it. There was no appear.
ance of a fire having been kindled. There was a bundle
of sticks beneath the bed. The furniture was in good
order, and everything in its usual place. On Saturday,
the 12th, the prisoner came in with John Ferguson, the
carrier's boy, and asked for pen and ink. He sat down
and wrote, bat I cannot say what he wrote, Thetwo went
out. I thought he wrote wanting something from Glas-
gow. On Friday, 18th, my sister's furniture was divided.
I saw no money. Mrs. Young found 2d. I had ano-
ther sister, Mrs. Renfrew. When I went in on Sun-
day the fire was good, and the water warm in the kettle.
I only saw one phial in the house marked " poison." I
understood it was fir the toothache. I bad often beard
my sister complaiuing of toothache. (Shown bottle,
and identifies it—marked " Creosote, poison.") There
was also a scent bottle in the house, but I did not know
it was hers. There was a tumbler, which Mrs. Mont-
gomery got at the division of the things. saw it in
the house in the press, when some one had asked for a
drink. There was something in it--dry and white, like
sugar. Did not notice
my sister's hair change
colour. She was naturally cheerful, and I never knew
her to have suffered any disappointment. I never saw
her take fits, and have not seen her lying an hour for
many a year. I never heard her threaten to destroy '
,herself. I know prisoner only by the name of Jock
Thamson. (Shown a woman's hat.) Snow it be my
sister's.) There had been some beer bottles—empty, so
far as I know—sent down to Dollar's. Besides the tum-
bier I have mentioned there were other two which lay
on the top shelf, and v ere never used. On Sunday
night we searched for the key, in the case and every-
where, but could not find it again. Saw the key again
on the 2d October. (Shown key, and identified it.)
The key generally stood in the door, and I knew it well.
She was in the habit, when she went out to church, of
locking the door and taking the key with her. Prisoner
worked in the same house as a tailor, and when the
family took meals he generally went out. After the
Sunday he bad always to be called on to rise in the
morning, which was not done before. He took little
Janet out with him more regularly than he had before
been accustomed to. I was in the house when my
daughter said something to
me—the 29th September—
the day before I gave the information, and it was in
consequence partly of what she told me and what I bad
heard from the boy Ferguson that I gave the informa-
tion to the fiscal.
Mrs. Renfrew and Janet Watson, daughter of the last
witness, were then brought in. Mr. Heriot proposed to
question her, but Mr. Moncrieff objected on account of
her age, and she was withdrawn.
Mrs. Watson recalled, and interrogated by the Lord
Justice Clerk—My daughter Janet can't read, but I
have taught her simple questions, and tried to make her
understand her duty to God. She seemed to treat such
subjects seriously. I have taught her to tell the truth,
and she seemed to understand and obey. I have not
found her telling falsehoods. When she made a state-
ment I believed what she said, and partly on that account
I was led to give the information. She told me of it 0
f her own accord: Prisoner was then away from the house

At the time she spoke to me I was dull, and she was
sitting on the floor, and she suddenly began to say some-
thing to me. She told me all she had to say, and I put
some qoestions to her afterwards.
By Mr. lieriot—She is an intelligent child, and has
an excellent memory.
Cross-examined by Mr. Moncrieff—l never snibbed
Agnes' door inside, and cannot speak as to the kind of
lock. My sister's feet and face were swollen. Janet
slept with me before and after the Sunday.
The Lord Justice Clerk complimented the witness on
the clear and intelligible way she had given her evidence.
After some farther evidence of a comparatively unim-
portant nature, the court adjourned till the next day.