Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-10-28
Thc Murh Girtnit Court.
TRIAL OF
]. ALBERTUS HOPE AND MARY E. HOPE,
FOR THE MURDER OF
MISS MARY ISABELLA CASTLES.
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afterward heard of two dogs, belonging to
negroes in the neighborhood, being dead
The quantity of strychnine got from Mrs
Hambright was equal to the amount that
would lie four or FIVE times on the point of a
knife blade. [The knife was shown by wit.
ness7 The blade of the knife would not reach
the bottom of the vial There was no more
strychnine in the bottle the night Mary died
than there is now. Four weeks before the
death of Mary, my father was at my house.
Prior to that Mr.. McAlister had been there.
Mr.. Whitesides also had been there At one
time, on the day Mr.. Whitesides was there
they stood near scafold in the yard trim.
ming turnips-a mess for Mr.. Whitesides and
some for our own dinner. Mary took the
turnips, for our dinner, into the dining-room,
and my wife and Mary prepared dinner.
There was meeting at Smyrna two weeks
and one day before Mary's death. She was at
that meeting. l don't remember Of her being
anywhere else recently prior to her death, ex.
cept at the burial of Meek Whitesides' child.
Hill was under contract for the year. He
left on the 23rd of November. know only
from rumor as to where he went. I did not
tell Hill that if he would marry some one to
please me, l would give him the upper part
of my place. Nothing of the kind related as
to what the child Lulu might have said to my
wife at the supper table ever occurred.
frequently told Robert Whitesides and others
of my troubles. My troubles were large
family, want Of means and an invalid moth
er, which I stated to be the source. Diph.
liberia was also at one time raging, and was
fearful it would attack my children. l was
involved in debt. There is now udgment
against me of two thousand dollars in favor
of j. B. Whitesides. l was sued by him at
last April term. There was never any i'm.
proper intimacy between me and Mary Gas.
ties. I never had carnal knowledge of her,
nor never thought of such a thing. My moth
er died on the night Of the 24th of Novem.
Der last. While the inquest was progressing,
| was informed of the fact for the first time
in her death chamber. The inquest had pro-
gressed day before knew Of it. The vial
was not one-thrd full of strychnine when I
showed it to Mr.. Whtesides. When I used
it on the beef to poison the dog, l took out #
the vial all could. The crystalization now
shown on the vial was caused by water which
put in the vial in order to get out all |
could when l prepared the beef to poison the
dog. never told any one that carried the
child in from the yard. Mary was with a
fishing party at Whitesides' Mill, in August
previous to her death. She was always at
liberty to 90 where she pleased, except to
houses where there we're cases of diphtheria,
and one other prohibition | made to her
walking distance of eight miles, alone, with
her cousin, younger girl, to her uncle Whis.
onants. I had conversation with j. A.
Wallace, foreman of the jury Of inquest.
had procured some camphor and opium for
sickness of my wife. After making use of a
portion of it, the remainder was put into the
clock. I afterwards discovered it was gone,
and inquired about it. What induced the
conversation with the foreman was, thought
Mary had been using it, in manner that
have heard young females do sometimes use
it. The reason of my asking the foreman not
to bring in the names of parties not concern
Ell, was that thought it would make no diff
ference to avoid bringing in the names of out
side parties. The camphor and opium have
never been found. They we're placed by me
in the clock.
Cross eramined.-I saw Mary die Hel
body was lying in rather straight position
on the floor. There was slight contraction
of the arms and quivering sensation at the
last breath. The head was higher than the
body. After she was dead removed the pill
low from her head. saw nothing peculiar
about her mouth-no froth. l did not know
she was pregnant. Ihave no recollection OF
the witness, Smiths, testimony, that had said
1 could always tell ifa woman was in such a
condition. AS general thing I can tell
Mary washed her own clothes. While she
was going to school the washing was general
ly done on Saturdays-she washing her own
clothes at the time the other washing for the
family was done. All washed their clothes
together. l thought she wanted the gum
camphor and opium to prevent catamenia, and
l knew such prevention would produce il
health. She was in good health. She lived
with me not quite four years. 1 thought
from the disappearance of the camphor and
opium, that she had took it. was not pres
ent before those who had the conversation rel
ative to the use to which camphor and opium
is sometimes made by females. l had heard
that such conversation was had by Mrs
White and others in Mary's presence, and
thought such conversations, by married fe
males, in the presence of young women, to be
improper. I do not know that Mrs. White
had such conversation had heard of such
a conversation, and had overheard women a,
my house talking that way. The converse
tion might have been with my wife. Perhap:
my wife had spoken to her about the proper
ties of gum camphor and opium. But l think
Mrs. White was at my house on the day
overheard the conversation on that subject.
asked Mr.. Wallace, the foreman at the inquest
not to press me on that point on account o.
Mrs. White being a relative of Mr. Wallace
Mr.. Wallace was asking for information, and
1 mentioned Mrs. Whites name. 1 never
read medicine to do any good. l never read
about poisons, though l keep them some
times. l did not know the proper quaint
ty of strychnine to use for poisoning q
dog. I don't remember when l put the
strychnine on the beef, but it was more
than month previous to Mary's death. We
kept meats, milk, butter, etc., in the eel
lar. I owned three dogs. One of them had
been very fierce, and when at his best l val.
ued him highly. He died last summer. |
also had two dogs ofthe fee kind. The other
was good watch dog, but did not keep of
other dogs. Had it been my best dog scratch
ing at the door of nights, should not have
cared if he took the poison and died. Next
morning, after 1 prepared the beef, it was
gone. Two dogs were reported dead in the
neighborhood- of them belonging to a
negro named Byers. Have seen patient in
convulsions. There was only a quivering
with Mary. Her hands were closed. | thought
she was in faint. l have seen fits of differ