The Northern News. — 1898-06-11 (Carlisle, Cumbria, England)

NEOT'S POISONING CASE.  HORSFORD SENTENOED TO DEATH.. the trial of Walter Horsford, farmer, of Sped wick, charged with murdering hid cousin, Annie Holmes, at St. Neots, on January 7th, was concluded at Huntingdon, on Monday. Crowds assembled outside ths court, the interior of which was packed.— Mr. Justice Hawkins, in commencing the summingup, &id they had assembled in the presence of Almighty God, and in obedience of oaths they had made to Him, to fulfil one of the most solemn obligations which could be imposed on them. The jury had to determine whether the prisoner was guilty of wilful murder, esui he, to the best of his poor ability, had to assist them to come to an honest and just conclusion. Having explained the law of murder. he said the deceased's husband died 14 years ago, and with her slender means she had bronght up her children re-peotably. There could be no doubt that the baby was illegitimate, but. theft warn no evidence who was the fethu. He was pained to hear counsel in,tructed by the prisoner, cross-examine a poor motherless child with a view to create the impression that her mother was a person of shameless character. That the deceased had inside an unfortunate mistake in yielding to the solicitations of some man was no ground for saying she was a worthleft. woman. Bechsi4e persons •vere good enough to send the poor widow money it should not be said it was because she had granted forbidden favours. Coming to the evidence, he described  The Agonising Tecture  which the deceased suffered before death brought her relief, and said uninietakably death was due to strychnine. He paid a tribute to the kindliness and ctiarity of Miss Horsford and Miss Busby, and said there was nothing in their conduct at decessied's house at which anyone could complain. There was no grbund for the suggestion that documents were placed under the body after death by some evil disposed person. At the inquest prisoner told an untruth in order to avert suspicion. 'fhe vital point in this case was the handwriting on the packets of poison. He pointed out the similarities of this writing with the admitted handwriting of the prisoner, and left the jury to deal with them in the light of the evidence of an expert, and of those familiar with the prisoner's handwriting. Theo there was nothing to show what prisoner did with the strychnine that was undoubtedly in his pospassion. The fact that prisoner's wife knew about Annie Holmes after the inquest was not proof that she knew at the time of deceased's death. As to the Bill now before Parliament to enable prisoners to give evidence on oath without the prosecutor having power to cross-examine, he thought for many reasons it would be a fetal step to take. The motive sug gested ir this case had many precedents.—The jury retired to consider their verdict at 20 minutes past one. They were hardly half an hour absent, and returned into court with a verdict of guilty against the prisoner. In passing sentence of death his Lordship made a most solemn and impressive speech to the prisoner, who stood up clutching nervously at the dock railing. He had no nesitation in saying that be thoroughly believed the prisoner had been guilty