The Sun. — 1857-07-07 (London, England)

THE GLASGOW POISONING CASE.  EDINBURGH, JULY 6. MONDAY-SIXTH DAY.  The judges decided to reject the evidence of the deceased's memorandum book, and no futher evidence of importance was offered for the Crown. Thirty-one witnesses were examined for the defence.  Robert Baker resided with deceased in Edinburgh in 1851, when he was very low-spirited about a disappointment in love, and once threatened to throw himself out of the window, and another time spoke of throwing himself off the pier. Several witnesses from Dundee stated that on one, occasion, on hearing of the marriage of a lady he had been in love with, he took up a large knife from the counter and threatened to stab himself; that he several times threatened or spoke of self-destruction by different means ; that he had once spoken of giving some horses arsenic while in France, to give them wind for their journey, and, when asked if he was not afraid to do so, said, "So far ft om that, I have taken it myself." He said he took it to relieve pain. He had also been seen to take poppy seed in considerable quantities. To one witness he had spoken of using arsenic regularly. To Alexander Millar of Glasgow, he had once said that he thought it no sin for a person to take his own life and thus get out of the world if he could not be happy in this. Witness said deceased had frequently severe bowel complaints. Janet Christie had heard deceised, and Agnes M'Millan had heard prisoner speak of using arsenic for the complexion, and several druggists deposed t ) having been on occasions asked for it for that purpose. William Roberts and Charles Baird spoke to occasions on which deceased had been taken very suddenly and severely ill with vomiting and purging.  Several witnesses deposed to deceased being somewhat untruthful as well as boastful.  Charles Adam, druggist, of Coatbridge, deposed to a person of appearance like deceased purchasing laudanum at his shop on a Sunday afternoon, about the end of March.  James Dickson, druggist of Baillieston, on the way from Coatbridge to Glasgow, spoke of a person extremely like the photograph of deceased coming in on a Sunday about the same time, complaining of bowel complaint, and getting laudanum. Miss Kirk, daughter of a druggist in Gallowgate, Glasgow deposed to giving medicine on Sunday evening to a person strikingly like the photograph, but did not remember what it was. It was not arsenic.  Witnesses deposed to the wide circulation of an article in Chambers' Journal, Blackwood's Magazine, 82-,c., in which the use of arsenic as a cosmetic is spoken of. Letters of the prisoner were put in, in which she remonstrates with deceased against his threat of suicide.  Doctor Patterson, of Leith, had attended seven cases of suicide by arsenic, in which the suicides, except one who confessed after recovery, denied to the last having taken poison. Two storekeepers of manufacturing chymists spoke to the extensive use of arsenic in their premises, and the possibility of its abstraction. Janet Smith, youngest sister of prisoner, deposed to going to bed with her on Sunday, the 22d of March, and their rising together. Dr. Lawrie, of Glasgow, and Dr. Douglas M‘Lagan, of Edinburgh, spoke to the possibility of putting arsenic in water and laving it about the face without injurious results. This closed the case for the defence.  On Tuesday the Lord-Advocate and the Dean of Faculty will address the jury, and the case is expected to terminate on Wednesday.