The Sun.
London, England, 1827-04-13 00:00:00

LINT ASSIZES.

WESTERN CIRCUIT-TAUNTON, ARIL 16.
CROWN COURT.
♦TTIYPT OF ♦ HUSBAND TO POISON' HIS 'WIFE.

/12;. Hockey was indicted for having feloniously
administered to his wife, Mary Hockey, a certain
deadly poison, with intent to murder her, at Hor-
sington, near Wincanton.
Mary Hockey.—l am the wife of the prisoner, and
have been married 17 years. On Monday the 12th
of March he went off to work early in the morning.
(The woman here seemed deeply affected, and a chair
was brought to her.) He said he would return on
Saturday evening; he returned on Tuesday evening
at about half-past six o'clock ; I think he said he
had dreamt I was ill; he behaved very well, very
kind to me; he always behaved very well to me.
(The Judge warned her, that however painful to her
feelings, she must speak the truth, as she was upon
her oath.) I cannot say that he ever gave me rough
usage. We drank tea together ; he said he thought
there would not be too much tea for my own break-
fast next morning. We went to bed about nine
o'clock ; he rose about half-past six ; I got up at
five, and sent my son to work about half-past five.
I lighted my fire, and did what I had to do. I
stayed up stairs about a quarter of an hour; when
I had returned down stairs, the tea-things were put
on the table. I dont believe there was more than
one tea-cup on the tray. The lea-caddy was on
the shelf, and the tea-pot on the table. I went to
the shelf to get another tea-cup and saucer. He
told me he should go to Frith to breakfast, for he
considered there was not too much for myself. It was
not his habit to put out the breakfast things, except
I was ill. Ido not remember his having done so.
My little girl is twelve years old. I was not in the
room when the water was put in the tea-pot. I
drank some of the tea. I asked him to have some:
he told me he should go to Frith, and said he had
some tobacco in his mouth. I had not drank any
tea whilst he was there ; he stayed less than a
quarter of an hour after I poured out the tea. I
took neither sugar nor milk in my tea. There were
sonic little bits of stuff sailing about on the top of
the tea. I drank the cup of tea, and took a second
cup afterwards. I found myself grow ill before I
got up from the table. I found myself a very little
ill after drinking the first cup. My daughter did net
drink any of the tea. I spoke to my daughter about
the tea. I looked into the bottom of the tea-cup,
and saw something there. I did not know what it
was; it was of a light colour. I was very sick
afterwards, and vomited a good deal. I sent my
daughter for some salts. I took them and after-
wards drank some mint tea. I was very ill, but
did not know the cause. I went to William
Chorley's, who was my neighbour, more than half an
hour after I drank the tea. My daughter went with me.
I had no great difficulty to get there. I took the
tea-cup with me out of which I had drank the tea,
with the grounds in it. I vomited after I took the
salts, and at Wm. Chorley's house. I found my-
self very hot in my inside. My mouth was very
hot. fremained at Wm. Chorley's house three or
four hours. They sent for Jane Wadman. There
had been no disagreement between me and my hus-
band just before this time.

Cross-examined.----There was no quarrel at this
time between ;my husband and me. We had a great
many mice in the house: My husband talked at
one time of having some stuff to poison mice. Ido
believe that some was had. I know it. I believe
I did ask my husband to get out the breakfast things.
I do not know whether my husband was out or not
whilst I was up stain. I did not rinse the second
cup. Ido not know if I did the first. There was
only a very small quantity of tea. Nothing had
passed before this between my husband and me to
cause me to entertain any personal apprehensions
from him. The witness was desired to withdraw,
when she said—" My Lord, I hope you will have
mercy on ray poor husband. He always behaved
very well to me."
JUDGE—Public justice, not individual wrong done
to you, is the ground of our inquiry.
Mary Anne Hockey, a child of about 12 Years old,
cried violently when put to the bar, aria whilst
giving her evidence. The last witness is my mother;
I got up that morning about seven o'clock. My
mother was at breakfast. My father was going
away. I had not been down stairs until I saw my
mother going to breakfast. I emptied the tea-pot
into the gutter. I saw some white stuff on the
leaves.
Jane Wadman examined.--I remember Mrs.
Hockey's coming to Charley's house on Wednesday
tnorning about 10 o'clock. She was sitting in a
chair, very sick, vomiting very much. I observed
in the tea-cup some lightish powder.
Mr. Eastment examined.—l am a surgeon at
Wincanton. I went to see Mrs. Hockey about 11
-" clock on the day in question. I found her vomiting
Ilvioler:stly; she was complaining of extreme heat in
and about the throat and mouth. She
her stoina:'h:
had a quatitn.,' of frothy saliva about her mouth;
her strength way very
much depressed ; her extre-
mities cold. lam :.'ot aware of any thing likely to
produce these effects but some violent mineral
poison. A tea-cup was shown me by a woman of
the name of Wadman. I experimented the next
morning on the contents of the cup, and the impres-
sion on my mind was that it contained arsenic.
Elizabeth Taylor examined—She had packed up
a tea-cup in a piece of brown paper, for .Nlr. East-
ment, and delivered the cup to Mr. Eastment's ap-
prentice, at Wincanton, in exactly the same state as
she had received it.
The JUDGE said, justice would not be done if
Henry Bernard were not called.
Henry Bernard examined—l was at Russell's a
fleuggist, at Wincanton, on Tuesday, the 13th of
March, in the afternoon. Mr. Francis Russell was
there. -

----
Mr. BAYLY here observed, that the part of his
brief which related to Mr. Bernard was not in its
right place, and he did not observe it.
The JUDGE said, that there was great carelessness
manifested by those who instructed counsel. In-
deed, the attornies in this part of the country seem-
ed not to know what they were about.
Winess resumed—l saw the prisoner come into
the shop. I saw Russell take a bottle from the shelf,
and weigh out a small quantity of white powder. I
heard Russell ask the prisoner what it was for. Pri-
soner said it was for rats.
Francis Russell examined—l am shopman to Mr.
W. Russell, the druggist. I never saw the prisoner
until the 13th of March; it was some time in the
afternoon he came into the shop. I do not recol-
lect what he asked for. I sold arsenic that day
once, if not twice.
Cross-examined—We sell arsenic a great many
times in the course of a week. Prisoner was there
that day, end I sold arsenic, but whether he bought
it or not I cannot say.
Mr. Eastment recalled—Said he had applied three
or four different tests, in order to discover if the
contents of the tea-cup were arsenic. All concurred
except one, for which he could account. (Described
the tests used.) He was satisfied that the contents
of the tea-cup were arsenic.
The prisoner being called on for his defence, said
he was quite innocent of the thing, and had always
lived happily with his wife.
Mr. George Fearn spoke to the prisoner's charac-
ter for 20 years, and another witness for two years.
The Jury consulted for about 20 minutes, and re-
turned a verdict of Sot
The JUDGE told the prisoner that he had had a
very narrow escape. Although it could not be ob-
tained from the wife, who had evidently endeavour-
ed to screen him, and therefore it could not come
before the Jury, it appeared on the depositions that
he had been a most cruel and rough husband : that
he had at one time left the country, leaving his wife
behind him, and that since his return he had never
treated her in a becoming manner. If the Jury had
pronounced a verdict of guilty, his life could not
liave been saved, and he had better reform his con-
duct, and thereby prevent the possibility of an igno-
minious end.
addition to the 210 prisoners on the calendar,