Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-10-21

the case of the State Us. j. Albertus Hope and
his wife Mary Elizabeth Hope, indicted for
murder, by poisoning Mary Isabella Castles,
was progressing. The respectability and So
cial position Of all the parties to the affair,
and the peculiar circumstances attending the
lamentable death of the unfortunate young
lady, attracted greater public interest to the
trial than has been shown for any capital
case that has been on the sessions docket of
York county in many years.
The impaneling of jury to try the case
occupied but a short while. The regular
panel was exhausted before the complement
was obtained, when, according to the practice
in South Carolina, selection was made from
the bystanders. all Of whom we're put on their
uoire dire. We have seldom seen d jury com
posed of more respectable or intelligent body
of men, whose names are as follows, given in
the order in which they were chosen: E. F.
Blake, Robert Coonrod, Daniel Williams, L.
R. Pearce, W. R Burris, j. G. Hoke, A. +.
Hutchinson, drawn from. the regular panel;
and Peter Garrison, 7. S. Nicely, S. d. Bar
ron. John Hamn,ll and B. P. Boyd, drawn
from among the bystanders. A. E. Hutchn-
son was appointed by the Court to net as fore
man.
Mr.. Solicitor A. NJ. Mackey, for the State,
opened the prosecution by stating the grounds
upon which the State relied, and which the
State would undertake to prove:
First That homicide had been committed
that is to say that Mary Isabella Castles had been
Second. That she had been deprived of her life
by certain deadly poison called strychnine.
Third. That the poison was administered to the
deceased by j. Albertus Hopeand Mary Elizabeth
Hope, the prisoners at the bar feloniously, will
fully, and with malice aforethnught.
We will the history Of her sad fate, will be proved
by evidence for the state; how the III" and al! fame OF lovely
young girl sadly terminated by the acts OF the srdurc and
.raye Mary Isabella Castles, an orphan, of social position
and the object OF a'rtion and soendc by arge circle OF
7tof Novrnbcr 1874 and on the 18th she corpse
snarcld nway with warning OF her approaching fate no
time last loving farewell no calm hour for pnyer during
cah The evidence uo" which the State relies IL circunsta-
al Bu will attempt To prove that she was sedicea:
deceived and murdered She was an orphan and resided WIN
Albus Hopr, whose wife was the sister of her mother He
guardian of sister OF the deceased, aud her teacher
VIZ will show that instead of hers who should have been
rs dear him chilli c grossly violated the sacred
tr> conted to him. We invite your attention TO his acts We
will prove death of Mary Isabella CaulcH We win prove
that She died IN cOnvusOs atrr giving birth to child And
evidence will prove that the prisoners ad-
niuserd poison rr that he had poison In his house; that
il mad been used that night; md that he administered 1t To her
in gusr medicine of similar tasc that scvt a weeks
before yad procured poison and had studied medical works
acquire knowledge of the character OF pOnns aud TO aS
certain the quantity of stcnne necessary 10 pouce death
and leave no traces deadly work Proving that she died
Of poison, shall rndcavor to show that his motive was i
same that has frequently cuused 10 poison. He, married
of amiyhad .rdnccd and ruined young girl,
member of his household. We will show that OF the de-
fniautS expressed himself previous this occurrence, as being
trouble; the other had stated that she was In trouble
Ills trouble Her trouble jealousy account
Of the intimacy already described We will prove the
time approached birth OF his Illicit crime the defendant
j. A. Hone became more and troubled. That he pro-
CUR
the child born ie would he placed in peculiar P,slo
and his victims large circle of relatives that he would have To
abandon omr because he could not live with his wife on
the loving he enjoyed previous to his crlnnaliy
will, the young girl of years. holding his child In
her lie knew he would lose his social pion lr nm
ger of scorn would painted him by the community, the
prevent which would b. n remove this impeachment
He waited, knowing the fact that women frequently de IN
child brh instant born he could admin
medicine causing DEATH which could be made to ap
pear resulting from commissions sometimes occurring In such
We have other circumstances to prove his glt After
her death lie sends her but does he send
physician though one lives near He sought TO cover s
crime y lasty ba-te day of the death. While the
unccs the deceased Objected he still nsIsted and only by
reInoisancc postponed until the next day. When an
uncle o thy deceased foul play and started his son
after the coroner that j. A. Hope followed the
in the yard and took hold OF the rcns OF hs horse 10
but tears yy and tearsto the victim Of his lust He
did his actions and conduct exposed. We win also
saon begged the foreman Of the jury no, to pres, him
certain questions. This II crime which has caused great
excitement In The community the first the kind probably
in York county or within the limits Of South Carolina.
uurutv being one of such importance requires clear minds
to net upon it, and calm dspassonae properly
treat in all lis rarings but it Is Incumbent upon yoil
ds"aup a" your dnas f ynu find the defendants guilty. u"
say sos aud If you find them mot guilty. !" say s ana no a mn
that you will the satisfaction OF having properly and faith
fully discharged your duty
The material witnesses were then excluded
from the courtroom, and testimony in behalf
of the State was proceeded with as follows {:
J. NJ. WHIrEsIDEs sWo,n.-I was at Hopes
house on the morning OF the 18th OF November
last having been summoned by Mr.. Hill, who
came in haste for me and my wife. We arrived
there about three o'clock in the morning. we
were met at the door by Hope, who reported that
Mary was dead that She had died on that morn
ing. When saw her, she was lying before the
fire, dead. Deceased is the daughter ofmy sister,
and is the samo that resided at prisoners house.
She was buried on the following day, at noon.
When / saw her. she was lying before the fire,
her hands drawn up, her arms bent on her breast
and her head thrown or drawn back. She was
lying on a quilt, with no pillow or other support
under her head. I felt for pulse, but made no
other examination of the body. Noticed nothing
peculiar about the face. The eyes were closed
The teeth were closed, but tile lips were not
Hope told me that May had given birth to child
was awakened about two o'clock that morning,
but did not know by whom. His wife said it was
by Mary the deceased, who was complaining OF
pains in her stomach. Hope said his wife told
that Mary had told her she was unwell. Hope
said he suggested to his wife to give her some
pills, which were administered. Hope told me
that after the pills were given he heard noise in
the yard resembling that of a cat. On hearing it
a second time, he concluded it could not be a cat
and walked into the yard to see what it might be;
that he thought it might be child; that he found
a child, and told Mary, whom he passed, that if
the house, and to do so that Mary died instant
ly; that the child was found twenty feet from the
steps on which Mary was sitting when he told her
to 10 into the house. l saw the place, and saw
on the steps when he passed out; that she started
to fall, oxclaiming-"M God, am dying and
no one to help me!' Hope said the pills were
given beforeth occurrence; that Mrs. Hope gave
the pills, which wero given her by Hope that the
tea administered was squaw- weed tea, which was
given to Mary by Mrs. Hope. Hope said very
little more. Ny wife went to the cradle whereshe
saw the child. She took it up and dressed it.
Hope said that he heard the cat-like noise after he
advised Mary to go back to bed and if she
would not got better. The greater portion of the
blood l saw was near the corner of the house.
Hope told me he picked up the child where he
found it.
Cross eramined.-I think the child was born
where was told. Hope said they did not see the
child born that they were all in the house. Hope
told me he used camphOr OIL Mary. l arrived
there at four o'clock in the morning. live
mile and quarter from Hopes. Mijamin Smith
is Hopes nearestneiehbor. am the nearest rel
ative of Mary 1. Castles. Hope told Inc she ate
supper tho evening before, rs usual, and also
milkcd the cow on tho same evening Mrs. Hope
said she counsellet Mr.. Hope and gave the pills
by his direction, and she would have sent for a
physician had she known Mary's true condition.
Mr.. Hope did not say he had any knowledge or
suspicion of any one being the author of Marys
condition. He said he did not examine the child,
and did not know whether the umbilical cord
was cut or torn. My wife was at Hopes house
about six days before the occurrence. ! was al
ways on intimate terms with Hope, socially ana
in business matters we have conducted business
together, and our business affairs are not yet
wOund ND don't remenlb ber the last time was