The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-06 00:00:00

TIDE GLASGOW POISONING CASE.

FOURTH DAY. —FRIDAY.
The evidence f)r the prosecution was resumed
to-day by the examination of William Hart and
Peter Taylor Young, Joint Procurators Fiscal for
the lower ward of Lanarkshire. Their evidence
chiefly related to the mode of recovering and at-
testing the documents in• the repositories of the de-
ceased, also to the preparation of the case and the
communication of copies of the documents to the
prisoner's agents.
Andrew Murray, jun., writer to the Signet,
proved the accuracy of the print of the portion of
the correspondence founded on by the Crown, aid
in the hands of counsel on both sides.
Row'And Hill M‘Donald, controller of sorting
department, post-office, Glasgow, was called to
identify the post-marks on numerous envelopes.
Robert Monteith and Robert Sinclair, packers,
in the employment of Huggins and Co., deposed
that they had addressed letters for L'Angelier to
" Miss C. Hagart," both at India-street, where the
family resided before Whitsunday, 1856, at the
country house at Row, and latterly at 7, Blyths-
wood-quarn. L'Angefier did not wish his hand-
writing to be known. • . . .

Janet M`Donald, postmistress at Row, remem-
bered letters coming to the post-office at Row in
1855 a•id 1856, addre,,sed to " Miss Bruce ; to be
called for," and which one of Mr. Smith's servants
called for. Did not know of any person named
Miss Bruce.

Catherine M'Donald, Bridge of Allan, deposed
that the family had resided in her house there from
the 6th to the 17th of March.
Dr. Robert Telfer Corhet—l assisted in the exa-
mina' ion of the body of M. L'A.ngelier on the 31st
of March, and concurred in the report then made.
The conclusion we came to was that deceased had
died from the effects of irritant poison. The mor-
bid appearance were of two kinds—one showing
the recent and immediate action of irritant poison,
and the other effects of some antecedent adminis-
tration. The ulcers on the duodenum were such
as I think an irritant poison administered a month
before might have produced. I think the inflam-
matory action and ulceration were indicative of the
administration of arsenic. Jaundice is not a com-
mon, but an occasional sympton of irritant poison.
Extreme thirst is one of the symptoms, and shows
itself very early. That is not a symptom of British
cholera in the earlier stages. A dose of arsenic
generally shows itself in half an hour or an hour.
Longer periods have been known, but they are un-
usual. The early appearance of the symptoms would
depend more on the mode of administration and
the state of the stomach than the quantity. It
would operate more quickly, I think, if there had
been repeated doses. I have read of cases of
murder in which large doses have been administered.
I cannot say I have heard of 80 grains, but I have
read of cases in which the authors describe the doses
as being large.
Cross-examined—Twenty grains would certainly
be a very large dose. It would be a large dose to
be administered, and certainly a very large quan-
tity to be found in the stomach. I cannot tell of
any case of homicidal administration in which so
large a dose was given. I state upon the authority
of Dr. Taylor that jaundice is a symptom. (Shown
Taylor's work, and asked to point out the passage.)
I do not know the fact except from reading. Ithink
Taylor refers to Christison as his authority.
The Dean—No, not Christison, but Marshall.
If you can give me a single line except the one now
shown me, in which Taylor refers to Marshall as
his authority, namely, at page 62, I entreat you to
show it to me.
Witness—l am not aware that it is mentioned in
any other part of the article than the page to which
you allude, but I would require to read it over.
The Dean—But surely when you come here to
swear, as a man of skill, that jaundice is a symptom
of arsenical poisoning, you are prepared to give me
a better answer than that. Do you know there is
a life depending ou this inquiry ? Pray keep that
in mind.
Witness—l know jaundice to be a secondary
symptom of arsenical poisoning by my reading.
The Dean—And is there any reading that you
can condescend on, except what I have pointed out
to you?
Witness—Nothing.
Cross-examination resumed—The ulcers might
be produced by other causes than irritant poison.
I never saw ulcers in the duodenum except in this
case, but I should conceive that any cause of in-
flammation of the upper intestines would produce
them. _

Re examined—The presence of jaundice would
not sway me very materially in the view of arsenical
poisoning. I have made a great many post mor-
tem examinations.
Dr. Penny recalled and re-examined for the
Crown.—l have made experiments as the effect of
the colouring matter in the arsenic of Murdoch and
Currie, as to how far the colouring matter could be
afterwards detected. I administered Murdoch's
to a dog, and I found no difficulty in detecting the
soot in the stomach of the dog. I administered
arsenic coloured by myself with indigo to another
dog, and I had no difficulty iu detecting the indi-
go in that case. I administered to another dog a
portion of the arsenic sold by Mr. Currie, an I
detected black particles in the stomach, but could
not undertake to identify the arsenic found with
the arsenic given. I found carbonaceous parti-
cles, but could not undertake to say that they are
of themselves sufficient to identify any particular
description of arsenic. I could not detect no ar-
senic in the brain, but I found it in the stomach,
as well as in the texture of the stomach.
Cross-examined.-1 made myself acquainted with
the quality of the colouring matter in Currie's ar-
senic before administering it to the dog. The par-
ticles found in the dog's stomach bore a close re-
semblance to the colouring matter, both in their
physical appearance and their chymical properties.
Their appearance and properties were, indeed,
identical.
Christina Haggart, or Mackenzie—l was mar-
ried to Duncan Mackenzie since the end of Marcia
last. I was previously servant in the family of Mr.
Smith. I was two years in their service last Whit-
sunday. Miss Smith was the eldest of the family.
Miss Bessie is a grown up young lady, perhaps
about two years younger than Miss Smith. I think
Miss Janet will be about 12 or 13. John, the
eldest son, will be about 16 or 17., and was in an
office in Glasgow ; and Jamesis two years younger.
He was till the end of March at a school in Edin-
burgh. The family had a house at Rowaleyn Row.
The first winter I was with them they lived in
India-streot, Glasgow. While they were living
there Miss Smith pointed out a French gentleman
to me, but did not tell me his name. I never heard
his name, that I remember, till I was examined.
Miss Smith told me he was a friend of hers.
She pointed him out to me from the window
one day he was passing. The photograph shown me
appears to be a likeness of him. He once came into
the house at India-street by the back gate, which
Miss Smith requested me to openfor him. The family
were all at church except the youngest sister. She
took him into the laundry. They shut the door
after them. He remained about half an hour.
He came back at night afterwards on several occa-
sions—three or four times. He came about ten
o'clock. This was before the hour the family re-
tired, but, so far as I remember, they were not at
home. Oti these occasions he stood at the back -
gate, and did not come into the house to my know-
ledge. I sometimes opened the gate when he was
not there, that he might come in, and sometimes
when I went out, at Miss Smith's desire, to open
it he would be there waiting. Miss Smith gene-
rally went out to him. The back door was a good
way from the laundry, but they might have gone
in there without my seeing it. I once pointed this
gentleman out to Duncan Mackenzie, my present
husband. I said he was a friend of Miss Smith's,
but I do not remember if I mentioned his name. I
have spoken to that gentleman. He onee madeeet Hi
me a
present of a dress while we lived in India-str.
did not say what he gave it for. Neversaw him
Letters
t
remember i n the neighbourhood of Rovealeyn.
were sometimes addressed to me for Miss Smith at
India-street. She said they were coming from
her friend,
meant M.
and asked me to receive them. I
thought she
L'Angelier. I could not
tell the number of letters that came in that way.
I gave them all to Miss Smith. Letters came to
Rowaleyn addressed in the same way. I have
called for letters addressed to Miss Bruce at Row-
aleyn, which I gave to Miss Smith. Miss Smith
has given me letters to post, I think to L'Angelier,
but could not read the name. I have posted
letters to his address, from India-street, from
Blythswood-squaro and from Rowaleyn. I once
delivered a letter to the same address in Franklin-
place. I left it at the house. In the Blythswood-
square house there is a backdoor, opening to the
area in the back lane. Miss Smith asked me once
to open that back door. It was a good long time
before she was apprehended. I could not say how
many weeks. I think it was not so much as two
months before she was apprehended. It was at night
she asked me t> do this—past 10. I was iu her room
which was on the same floor as the kitchen, when
she asked me. I slept in the room next the
back door. The cook slept with me. Her name is
Charlotte M‘Lean. I opened the back gate, but
saw no one there. I left it open and came into the
house. I also left the back door of the house open.
I went into the kitchen. On going into the kit-
chen I met MiS3 Smith in the passage, going to-
wards the back door. I then'heard footsteps com-
ing through the gate. I did not hear where Miss
Smith went to. I did not hear the door of my room
closed. I was in the kitchen half an hour or so.
Charlotte Al`Lean was in the kitchen at the time.