The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-04-07 00:00:00

MADDOCKS V. BALL.—,-Ari fletioll to recover damages for
an illegal distraint upon the plaintiffs premises in Southport.
After the case had proceeded some time, Mr. Knowles, who
represented the defendant, said it was clear some mistake had
been made, and he would therefore consent on the part of
his client for a verdict for the plaintiff, Nvith .-ClO damages.
This offer was acceded to, and a verdict for that amount was
returned for the plaintiff.

CROWN COURT.—YESTERDAY.
TES Lordship entered the court at a quarter past nine.

MURDER

Mary Hunter, aged 29, was placed at the bar, charged
with the wilful murder of John Hunter, at Manchester.
Mr. Wilkins and Mr. Monk were for the prosecution ;
and Mr. Joseph Pollock for the prisoner.
Mr. WILKINS stated the case to the jury. He opened by
making a very feeling and eloquent address, alluding hu-
manely to the awtul position in which the prisoner stood
before them, and calling upon them to discharge their solemn
duty conscientiously to her and to their country. He then
narrated the leading particulars of the case, as they after-
wards appeared in the evidence, recapitulated the facts that
bore most heavily against the prisoner, and concluded by
solemnly disclaiming all attempt in what he had said, or
should say, to add a prejudice that would weigh, even as a
hair, in inducing them to convict her. Ile was heard with
painful and silent attention.
Alice Belshaw, a girl, said, I live at Harrison's-terrace,
Ancoats. On Saturday fortnight and two days, before going
to the coroner, I saw the prisoner in the street. She asked
me to go with her as far as Dr. Howard's. I asked her what
she wanted there. She said she was almost Bnced away with
twitch clocks and mice, and wanted some arsenic. I went
with her. Dr. Howard keeps a druggists' shop in Ancoats-
lane. When she got me to the door, she said I must say that
I lived with her, if they asked me anything. She asked me
if I would say so, and I said I would not mind. We went in
together. She asked for arsenic, but I can't tell for what
quantity. She asked a young boy who was in the shop. He
asked her what it was for. She said for twitch-clocks and
mice. He asked her where her witness was, and she pointed
to me and said, " that is her." The boy said I cannot let you
have it, she is too young. " Come," said the prisoner, " can't
you let me have it, she lives in the same house as I do." Ile
did not let her have it, and we left the shop together. She
stopped at the door, and said will you take anything to drink.
I went with her to the Abercrombie, and I had two penny_
worth of gin, and she half-a-noggin of rum. I never saw
her before that time. That is the young man I saw in the
shop.

Cross-examined by Mr. JOSEPII POLLOCK.—It was quite
ght when we went into the shop. (The witness here said
spontaneously, that when the prisoner mentioned arsenic she
looked in her face so as to know him again if anything hap-
pened.) She stopped at the door; she did not try to get
away, or show a desire for concealment.
Thomas Wolfenden examined by Mr. "WILKINS.—I am
apprentice to Mr. Howard. I remember about four o'clock
on the 12th November, two women came in. One asked for
arsenic, and referred to the other. 1 refused, as the witness
was too young. She said it was to poison vermin, and men-
tioned twitch-clocks. I believe she said the other lived with
her. He could not identify the witness nor the prisoner.
Mr. Davies, druggist, Travis-street, examined.—My shop
is about 2ao yards from the house of the deceased. I had
known the prisoner. From ten to fourteen days before the
inquest prisoner came to the shop and asked me for some
arsenic. She did not ask for any particular quantity then.
I asked what she wanted with it. She said to destroy mice.
I asked her if she did not keep a cat. She said no, she was
frightened of cats. I did not give it her, telling her I did not
sell it without a witness. She did not mention her husband.
I told her to fetch her husband. She went away. Shc came
to the shop again that day with another person, Mrs. Dunn
(now present). She said she had brought her as a witness.
I asked her if she (Mrs. D.) knew what prisoner wanted, and
she (Mrs. D.) said it is all right, it is for the arsenic. Mrs.
Hunter asked me how I sold it. I said Id. per ounce. She
said let me have two ounces. I let her have it. It was
wrapped up in two papers, in one parcel. I wrote upon it
" poison" only. While I was making it up, she said I sup-
pose there is as much there as would poison a person, and I
said yes, a dozen persons. I cautioned her not to let it come
in the way of children. It was not in a metallic state. By the
JUDGE.—No, it was in powder—arcenous acid. That is nut
metallic. She said she would soon make use of it in oatmeal
balls and put it in the cupboard. I have sometimes admi-
nistered medicine to her children when they were poorly.
No one came to me on the 25th November to say that Hun-
ter was ill.
Cross-examined.—She made no mention of her husband.
I have not given a different account from what I now give.
She went away, as I inferred, to bring her husband. Arse-
nic is purchased for rats, mice, beetles, twitch-clocks, bugs,
&c., and is frequently sold for that purpose. On the 27th
November she came again to me, between seven and nine in
the evening, for some mustard. She seemed in great trouble.
I asked her what was the matter. She said her husband was
very ill. I asked her what was the matter with him. She
said she did not know, and that the doctor had ordered a
mustard bath for him. She did not mention a doctor's
name. To the best of my remembrance she did not mention
Dr. Harrison's name. I swear she did not.
Re-examined.—l never heard of deceased's illness till
Sunday night. I said nothing about porridge. I always re-
quire a witness in selling arsenic, or require them to bring
the colouring matter it is to be mixed with, and mix it with
it myself. By the JUDGE.—The prisoner was not intoxicated
when she got the arsenic.
Elizabeth Dunn.—l lived at the time in Walton-street.
I remember the Friday on which John Hunter fell ill. On
Saturday before (the 19th) I saw the prisoner between six
and seven in the evening. She came to my house. She was
not in the habit of coming. She asked me to go an errand
for her,—to go to the pawnshop for her husband's clothes.
I went to comply with her request. She said she was sorry
I was so badly off, and had such a family to contend with.
She gave me twopenny worth of whiskey. We got to Davis's.
She had not before mentioned Davies. She said, how do
you sell that stuff, Mr. Davies, for we are very near mewed
out of the house with twitch-clocks? She said her husband
had gone to her club,—the Odd Fellows. Mr. Davies took
the drawer out and asked how much would do, and she said
about two ounces. She asked the price ;he said ld. She
asked him if he would please to write on it what it was, and
he wrote on it " poison." She asked him to put it in two
papers, and lie did. She asked, " Would this poison a per-
son." He said, " Yes, a dozen of people." We went
away and she gave me a pennyworth of beer. She said she
would come for me again. On the Monday morning follow-
ing she sent for me. I went and asked her then if that stuff
was of any service in destroying the twitch-clocks. She said,
" What stuff, my dear," and when I told her she said, " I
lost it on Saturday night, when I parted from you.,
Cross-examined.-1 do not recollect saying when she
asked for the arsenic that it would be all right.
Elizabeth Bedford, a girl of eight years of age, was then
called. In reply to Mr. Wilkins, she said that God would
send her to the bad place if she told lies.
Cross-examined by Mr. Pollock.—l was only told to say
that this morning in the house. I was told so before by the
same person. (The witness appeared to be quite confused.)
I have seen the person since in the court, but I don't see
him now. He wore a jacket like a factory man. No other
person told me so before.
Re-examined.—l attend a Sunday school, and the clergy.
man talks of God and Heaven. I learn the catechism. A
lady tells us it is wicked to tell lies. A gentleman present,
whom I now see, told me it was wicked to tell lies. That
was when I went before the gentlemen (the grand jury.)
By the J 1) DGE.—What do you think will be done to you
if you take an oath, and then tell a lie ?—lf I told a lie I
believe I should go to hell. Hell is a place of torment.
She was then sworn, and placed on the table of the court.
She said in reply,
I knew Mr. Hunter, and remember when he was taken ill.
It was on Friday night. I used to go there to nurse. Mr.
Hunter used to come home to his supper at six o'clock. I
had been there that day. I went at ten o'clock in the fore-
noon, and stopped till Mr. Hunter came to his supper. I
took the children out before he came. Mrs. Hunter told me
to take them out. It was about half-past five. Mrs. Hunter
was then cleaning, Mrs. Hunter put their bonnets on. She
told me to take them and play with them. I took them to
the top of the street. She told me to bring them back about
seven o'clock. I stayed out till about half-past seven with
them. While I was out I met my sister Caroline, who took
the children from me. In about five minutes after I went to
Mr. Hunter's. I did not see him. I saw Mrs. Hunter.
Mr. Hunter was up stairs. I often went there to play and
nurse. There were two children. I have seen Mr. Hunter
eat his supper. He had it generally as soon as he came
home. He had milk porridge, with a bit of meal in. When
he took it he had generally one child on his knee and the
other beside of him. He often gave them some of the por-
ridge. If the children were out at the time, their porridge
was put in the oven. Mrs. Hunter used to clean on a
Friday. She had sent me out before with the children when
she was cleaning ; and she put their bonnets on. She was
generally cleaning before at three iu the afternoon, and was
cleaning then, and sent them out again. They had not been
so long back that day when she sent them out again. When
I went out with them there was water to boil on the fire in
an iron pan that was used for porridge. The porridge was
made with a little water, and a little meal and milk. Mrs.
Hunter put the meal in the porridge when he came in. She
put it in with her hand. She had frequently sent me out
with the children after dark. I have before taken the
children out at supper time. When they returned they had
their porridge, which their father gave them in basins.
Sarah Street sworn.-1 am wife of a warehouseman. I
knew Hunter and his wife about three months before his
decease. I occasionally went to their house. On the even-
ing of the 25th November, I heard somebody vomiting in
that house. Soon after, the prisoner came for me—about
twenty minutes after I heard the vomiting. She said. " Will
you come in ? Mr. Hunter is very sick." I went, and found
him vomiting at the slop-stone. I asked had he the bowel
complaint? He complained of pain in his bowels, and said
his throat was very hot. He said he thought it was from
Cayenne pepper or snuff. I held his head. Prisoner came
in and said, " John thought it was his porridge that had
made hire ill," and he said, " Give the porridge to the dog-"
She (prisoner) said if it was not fit for him it was not tit for
the dog, and she had thrown it away. She said it was in a
basin, and she had thrown that away too, into the midden.
She said she had tasted it herself, and that it had made her
sick. She said she lsad taken about two spoonfuls. She did
not say what quantity the deceased took. The deceased vo-
mited into a tub in the slop-stone. There was much vomit
in the tub. Mrs. Hunter threw it away into the usidden.
She emptied the contents of the tub twice. He said in her
presence that he would require help. Prisoner in conse-
quence went out, and stopped about half an hour. On re-
turning, she said neither Mr. Lansdale nor Mr. Cook, the
druggists, were in. Deceased was then in the petty. He
was very sick, but could not throw up anything. I and a
neighbour assisted him out of the petty. He also complained
of his stomach. The prisoner did not offer to go for any
other doctor. I thought she had had some liquor—she cried
so and made such a noise. Late in the evening a neighbour
brought Mr. Willis, surgeon. Ile came about nine o'clock.
Deceased made use of the pot. The prisoner emptied it once.
Mr. Willis saw the last motion. I stayed till 3iu the morning.
Mr. Lonsdale, Mr. Hunter's doctor, came next day. Hunter
mentioned the porridge to him in prisoner's presence. She
said she had taken some of it, and it had made her sick.
Mr. Lonsdale said he did not wish to attend deceased, as
Mr. Harrison had been called. I noticed what the deceased
had vomited. He vomited carrots out in round pieces. I
observed no curd in the fluid. On Thursday, the 10th of
November, prisoner came to my house, and sighed very
heavily. I asked her what troubled her- She said, " No,
Mrs. Strut, it is a dream that I dreamt." She said she
thought they had brought John borne dead,and he was not well
himself, and fancied lie he would not live long. I never
heard him complain ; I thought him a healthy man. I never
heard them complain of twitch-clocks or mice. We have none
in our house, which is next door. Prisoner had never spoken
to me of arsenic. She had no cat. Prisoner brought a box
to our house the day after deceased died. It was locked, and
afterwards delivered to Jackson.
Mr. Hunter told me some
time before that they had money in the savings' bank. I
went the day after he died with her to the bank to get her
name put in. (A small box was produced, containing a bank
book.) I have been shown this book. It appears that there
is £6t; due to them. The prisoner, I believe, cannot read,
and I did not read the balance to her. There is a pawn
ticket in the box, which prisoner also left with me.
The remainder -of the witness's evidence, in chief, was
unimportant.
Cross-examined. Mr. Hunter and the prisoner lived very
comfortably together. I never heard them quarrel. The
prisoner was a very good mother to her children. I always
thought her more attentive to her children and husband than
most people in her line of life. She took a deal of pains to
make him comfortable. She kept her house very clean and
neat, and took time over it. It was her great distress at the