Widnes Examiner. — 1902-12-19 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE POISONING MYSTERY. -Startling Evidence against Chapman.  Another DT in the Case.  A large crowd on Wednesday attended Southwark Police Court, when further evidence was given against George Chapmamuntil recently landlord of the Crown public house, Borough High-street, who is charged with the murder of his barmaid. Maud Marsh. At the last hearing. Dr, Steven,son gave his opinion that death was due to poisoning by antimony,and said his analysis of the various organs showed that they contained seven grains of metallic antimony (20 glains of tarter emetic). A fatal dose of tartar emetic would be 15 grains' - Mr. William Davidson, a retired chemist, told how he was in business at High-street, Hastings, in 1897. Mr. • Davidson explained that he knew prisoner as a barber in George-street, Hastings, in 1897. He remembered Chapman asking if he could purchase tartar emetic, °and a few days after witness sold him sonic. Tt was put in a bottle and labelled. A label was handed to witness, which bore his writing, but he could not say whether it was the label placed on the bottle he sold Chapman. The labelsbore the instimetions :—" One-sixth of a grain to a quarter of a grain. To be used with caution." Mr. Davidson said he often had conversations with Chapman about medical books, and he was led to believe he anderstood medicine. Two books were handed to witness, the titles of which did not transpire, but one of which witness described as a "general recipe" book. He identified them as having been sold by him to Chapman. , Miss Florence Raynor, a tall, good-looking girl, said ' that about the beginning of June She was at work close to the Crown, and used to go into the bar and talk to Mr. and Mrs. Chapman. One Saturday she mentioned to Chapman that she had been a barmaid, and he asked her to come and work for him. She went in on the following Monday. After she had been there a short time Chapman kissed her several times, and asked her if , she would go to America with him. "No, you have got your wife downstairs, you don't want me,' replied Miss Raynor; and Chapman said, "I could giveher that (snapping his fingers) and she would not be any more." Chapman then suggested to her that she should go over to America and he would follow, when he had sold his business. When she went to the Crown first, Mrs. Chapman was quite well, but the first week in July she fell ill. Chapman used to kiss witness at meals when Mrs. Chapman was not there, and he was always nice to her. At this point in her evidence, Miss Raynor, who had been keeping her eyes fixed on Chapman, fainted, and , had to be carried out of court. She returned after a short time, and said that after leaving the Crown he wont to the Fortescue Arms, Peckham, and one day, while in the bar, Chapman came in. She asked him how Mrs. Chapman was, and he replied that she was in the hospital, and had been three weeks. Chapman added, "If you had not been such a fool you would have been in: the Crown now." Miss Raynor had not seam Chapman since. Mr. Sydney (Chapman's solicitor) : Did you ever ' complain to anyone about Chapman kissing you? Witness : Not to anyone. You left the Crown under unpleasant circumstances. You were drunk, were you not Witness indignantly denied that she was drunk. The drink he gave her made her bad. • lint you were charged here with being drunk ? Witness admitted this, but said that was on a Wednesday morning, and she left the Crown on the Monday. On the Wednesday morning she went to the Crown to obtain a reference, and Chapman pushed her out of the house, saying she was drunk, and hadbetter comewhen she was sober. • 4 formal remand was granted for a week.