British Miner and General Newsman : — 1863-01-17 (London, England)

THE POISONINGS IN LINCOLNSHIRE.  AT the magistrates' office, Horncastle, on Monday, John Garner and Elizabeth, his wife, were brought up on remand, charged with the wilful murder of Hannah Garner, the first wife of the male prisoner. Several witnesses were examined, the evidence given by whom may be summed up in the following narrative. The deceased, Hannah Garner, died March 27, 1861, being then in her forty-fifth year, and it appears that in 1858, at the time of her daughter's marriage, she was first taken ill. Elizabeth Whittaker—now the second Mrs Garner—came to live with the Garners as servant in October, 1860; and an ill-feeling seems gradually to have sprung up between her and the deceased, who suspected that an improper connection had arisen between her husband and the girl. Mrs. Shepherd, a married woman, who has been examined, and who lived three and a half years with them as servant, from 1848 to 1852, states that at that time Garner and his wife lived comfortably together, and were pious people. Mrs. Shepherd left the house in 1853, but returned in 1854, finally leaving, when she was married in 1855, her husband working on Garner's land, and feeding his stock. During her second service, Mrs. Shepherd noticed that the deceased and her husband occasionally had "words," but they had still no violent quarrels. After Whittaker, however, came to live with them in October, 1860, fearful strife ensued, Mrs. Garner complaining that the girl did not do her work, that she took too much upon herself; that she was a bad, deceitful person, that she believed there was an improper connection between her and her husband, and that she was jealous of her. About six or seven weeks before Mrs. Garner died Mrs. Shepherd and her husband were knocked up late one night by Garner, who had a lantern in his band, and was " revising " about because Mrs. Garner had jumped out of her bedroom window. Mrs. Shepherd partly dressed, and found her in the road, only slenderly clad, and she told Mrs. Shepherd, to whom she was much attached, that she and her husband had had a disturbance, that he had struck her, and that she had jumped out of the window. Shortly afterwards "granny "—that is, Garner's mother—in reference to whose death a verdict of "Wilful murder" has already been returned against him and his second wife—came to Mrs. Shepherd and told her that Mrs. Garner had left her house again. On her being found she went home with Mrs. Shepherd, whom she told she wanted to get out of the way for a time, as Whittaker had been abusing her that afternoon. Whittaker came to Mrs. Shepherd's to look for her, and asked if Mrs. Garner was there. Mrs. Shepherd would not answer the girl, but the deceased called out, "You need not come after me, old lass; you'll never prosper." Mrs. Garner had been unwell some time, and was taken worse either the Saturday or the Saturday week following. Mrs. Shepherd accordingly went to see her, and found that she was suffering from frequent purgings. " Granny " was also very sick. The deceased asked for cold water, and eagerly drank a large quantity, as she did a quantity of cold beer about an hour afterwards. Some arrowroot was made for her by Mrs. Shepherd, and she ate it, but she continued to be purged more or less. Garner came up and asked her if she would have any sweet nitre or tincture of rhubarb, and she replied that she wanted nothing but cold Water; that she felt very bad, and that she thought she should not live long. Garner replied that she was often talking in that Way; 'perhaps it was all for the best her being purged. The same symptoms continued on follow