The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-08-08
Supreme Judicial Court,
CRIMINAL TERM.-DAvIs, j., PRESIDING.

CRIMINAL TERM.-DAvIs, j., PRESIDING.
Trial for attempt to Poison.
SATuRDAY.-State vs.. Margaret Wallace,
for attempt TO poison.
This case was resumed. DR.. III. T. Cum
mings, who had been requested to bring in the
paper, in which was wrapped the arsenic,
found under the stove In Mr.. Bosworth's
house, testified that he could not find the pa
per. Thought he gave 1t to Deputy Marshal
Wentworth for the purpose of identifying it.
Mrs. Anna G. Bosworth testified at length
TO all the circumstances In the case. Mar
garet came TO live with them last October, as
a domestic, and left on the evening of January
18th. Having reason TO believe that Margaret
was dishonest, Mrs. b. discharged her. Motif
fed her OF il about half-past six in the eve
ming, and told her OF the articles found in her
room. Told her she might go or stay that
night.
About half-past O'Clock Mrs. B. went down
stairs TO the kitchen-found no light there.
Margaret had done her work as usual, and left
things as she generally did-she was not there.
Noticed the tea kettle sat on the back part of
the stove with hot water Ia 1t. Lifted it, and
judged it to be about half full-left it as she
found it-noticed that Margaret's lamp was
not in its place in the sink room, and that her
heavy boots which she was accustomed to
wear when she went out were laying close TO
the boiler Was in the room not over ten
minutes and then went up stairs. Shortly be-
fore o'clock heard some one walking from
the stove to the pump in the kitchen, heard
some one pump, and then heard some one
walking back to the stove.
At five or ten minutes past s O'Clock went
again TO the kitchen-found the back, porch
and entry doors open. Margarets lamp was
on the kitchen table, and two matches beside
it-her boots were gone. The tea kettle had
been taken from the back part Of the stove
ard set in front-the water in 1t was cold
Margaret had never been 10 the habit of fill
ing 1t over night. There was a white stuff
round 1.-THE water was dead cold-some of
the white stuff had sunk, some OF it foated.
In the sink room found some OF the substance
round the pump, and let it remain there.
Locked the doors and let it remain there.
About hali-past 0 o'clock Mrs. BIS brother
ther husband was absent from the city) and
Mrs. Merrill went down into the kitchen and
examined The powder had settled in the
water. The water was then poured from the
tea kettle into tin pan and put into closet.
Next morning Mrs. b. swept from under the
stove small paper that contained small
powder-gave 1t to Mrs. Merrill, who handed
1t to the brother of Mrs. B., by whom it was
taken to DIR. Cummings. Went to. Margaret's
room and found her trunks-her clothing had
been placed In the trunks. Did not see her
that night after the conversation.
On cross-examination Mrs. Bos worth stated
that she could not recollect whether she told
Margaret that she would rather she should
leave the house that night. They had had no
hard words that evening, and there had been
no severe language or scolding between them.
Margaret denied taking the cloth she had been
charged with stealing. Never had any trouble
or quarrel with Margaret before this. No one
in the family had had any trouble with her.
Never knew her to get out of temper. She
came back to the house the next Saturday to
get her trunks 1.-THE affair occurred Wednes-
dayl-refused to deliver them-told her Mr..
Bosworth would not let her have them. She
said she would call again, and wanted to know
the reason why she could not have her trunks.
Told her she would know the reason when she
saw Mr.. b. Discharged Mary Long for dis
honesty, and Margaret took her place-do not
recolect as to Mary Longs temper.
Helen Brown corroborated the testimony OF
Mrs. Bosworth as to hearing the pumping,
finding the tea kettle removed on the stove,
and discovering the white powder in the tea
kettle and in the sink room.
Daniel b. Kaler, brother of Mrs. Bosworth,
testified that he resided In the family in Jan
uary. Was at the Mercantile Library lecture
on the evening Of the affair. On his return
was informed by Mrs. b. of the circumstances.
He took the paper found under the stove TO
DIR. Cummings.
Deputy Marshal Wentworth testified to the
arrest of Margaret which took place on the
Sunday after the transaction. Before con-
Guiding his testimony Court adjourned TO 0
O'Clock Monday morning.
The prisoner is young woman of rather
prepossessing appearance. She maintains per-
feet calmness during the examination of wit
nesses. She says she belongs in Eastport