The Sun. — 1860-08-23 (London, England)

THE ANTIMONY POISONINGS AT  LIVERPOOL.  ACQUITTAL OF THE PRISONER (WINSLOW) AND MIS RE-ARREST ON THREE OTHER CHARGES OF MURDER. LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY. This morning the court was again inconveniently crowded in every part. The interest in the case was heightened by the impression that the prisoner's counsel would make a powerful appeal to the jury. . Mr. Digby Seymour, in rising to address the jury 'on behalf of the prisoner, said he rose under a feeling 9f the weightiest responsibility, and, after a touching appeal to the position in which the prisoner stood, he proceeded to advert at considerable length to the medical features of the case, pointing out the discrepancies in the statements and the differences. in the opinions of the medical men who had been called, especially drawing attention to the opinion of Dr. Taylor in his work, that the administration of poison must actually have caused death in order to sustain a charge of murder, whereas it was admitted by the prosecution, to a certain extent, that it only accelerated death. The learned counsel commented with great force and severity on the evidence of the several witnesses who deposed to the prisoner wishing them to purchase antimony for him, which, he contended, had entirely failed, and concluded by calling upon the jury to find a verdict of not guilty. The learned counsel spoke for three hours: After a short adjournment, His Lordship proceeded to sum up the evidence. He said this was the first case, so far as he recollected, in which a charge of murder had been attempted to be established-wader. circumstances like, those involved in the inquiry- before them, and the learned. Attorney-General had laid down the law with great freedom. His lordship read the statute under which the charge was preferred, which was to the effect that a person administering anything to a person, or so abusing them with intent to kill them whilst labouring under disease, and such administering or abuse accelerating death, shall be guilty of murder. Now if the jury believed the prisoner did administer antimony to deceased with intent to kill her, and that her death was accelerated by it, if they saw their way clear they would find him guilty of murder. They had heard the evidence of Dr. Edwards, Dr. Taylor, and the other medical men, who all agreed that antimony was found in the body of the deceased in such, quantities as to have accelerated her death, and if, then, they agreed in that conclusion, the next point they would have to consider was, by whose hand that antimony was administered. The learned judge, having read oi,er the evidence of the witnesses who deposed to the prisoner having on several occasions desired them to purchase antimony for him, commented upon their testimony, and said it was certainly improbable that if the prisoner intended to poison the deceased, he should first ask one person and then another, in such an open manner, to purchase for him the means to effect his deadly purpose. One of the most important features in the entire case was, that on the morning of the 10th of June a cup containing cooked sago was found in the bedroom of deceased, in which, upon analysis, antimony was found. That poison had been placed in this sago the jury could have no earthly doubt, and the prisoner had admitted to Inspector Horne that he cooked the sago for deceased on the morning of the 10th, but that he put no antimony in it. If the jury were satisfied that the prisoner's was the hand that administered the antimony, and that in doing so he intended to kill the deceased, then they would find him guilty, but they must be perfectly convinced of this beyond any doubt whatever, otherwise it would be their duty to acquit him. The jury consulted for a few moments, and without leaving the box, returned a verdict of not guilty. The prisoner's counsel applied for his discharge, which was immediately granted. As he was leaving the court, however, he was again arrested, and conveyed to Bridewell, on the charge of poisoning Mrs. Townshend, William Townshend, and Samuel Townshend, the sister and nephews of Mrs James.  He will be brought before the magistrates tomorrow. The greatest possible excitement prevailed in the precincts of the court.