Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-03-06
FAMOUS TRIALS
Walter Hereford.


most remarkable murder trial and
the last one that the eminent Justice
Hawkins, of England heard previous to
his retirement, occurred in London in
1923, when Walter HorsfoFd was ar
raigned for the murder Of Annie
Holmes. This case rested entirely on
circumstanttal evidence, put SO conf
plete and convincing was this evidence
that the court found little trouble in ss-
tabllshing the prisoners guilt
Walter Horsford was a well-to-do
young farmer about rs years Of age,
whose farm was located at spaidwick,
a short distance from Kimbolton. At
Stoneley, near the same place, in 1887,
Mrs. Annie Holmes, his widowed cous-
in was living with her three children.
Horsford frequently visited her and
their intimacy was of the closest char
acter. Despite THIS fact, or perhaps be-
cause Of it, Horsford paid his atten-
lions to, and married, another woman.
Very shortly after THIS marriage Mrs.
| Holmes removed to ST. Meets, where
| her cousin.
A letter from Mrs. Holmes in Deem
ber 1897. to Horsford conveyed the in
| formation that she was in a delicate
condition, and he volunteered to send
| he- medicine, the qualities Of which
weae unfaiIing. On Dec. Is. 1897, be
went to a chemist and asked for some
poison for rats. He signed the poison
register and was eventually supplied
with, among other poiso1s. 80 grain:
| Of strychnin.
On Jan. I. 1898. Mrs. Holmes, who
had received a postal packet from Hors
ford. went to bed-to all appearances
! -in her usual health, taking a glass Of
! xyy,o af,-g oh,
half past nine. An hour later hei
daughter. Annie, was alarmed by hear
Ing her mother scream and going to hel
room found her in great agony. Sh,
at once sent for some Deighbors and {
doctor. Just as the latter arrived til
poor woman was seized with terribl
contulsions, and Eve minutes late
died.
At the inquest on Jan. . Horsfor,
swore that he had neither written t
nor had seen the deceased woman afte
she had left stoneley. The inquest wa
adjourned for a week, and as the medi
cal evidence was that the deceased hai
died from strychnin the police made
search of her house.
At the house evidence was soon four
that Horsford had not told the truth a
the inquest. Two packets were found
] one of which was empty and the othe
contained over 80 grains Of strychnir
! On the latter, In HorsforG's own writ
i Ing, was the directions: ".one dos,
! Take as told" On the empty packt
$ the contents of which had evidentl
} been used. were the words: Take in
] little water. It is quite harmless"
On Jan. 10, 1928. Horsford was al
rested and charged with having con
, mitted perjury at the inquest, and til
same evening he was told that he woul
. be prosecuted for the murder. He wa
< tried at Huntington on June 2, 1879
and after hearing DR.. Stevenson's ev
denee Justice Hawkins summed up MOI
impartiaHy, but the facts were SO irri
sistible that the jury did not find 1t NJ
eessary to retire and the justice, b
e side whom vas seated his wife, WI
e powered her face with her hardkerchi,
e while the sentence Of death was beir
2 pronounced, told the prisoner that |
I should have imagined that even h
hard heart should have been touched /
the piteous testimony of his victim
: sufferings.
1t is said that after the Judge hs
concluded his address each member
D the jury wrote down on a separate 81
$ Of paper the word guilty" Horsfol
e was executed in Cambridge jail on Jul
: %. 1898.