Saturday 31 May 1845 (p. 3, col. 6-7) Part 1 THIRD EDITION. ----- FRIDAY EVENING, Six o'Clock. ----- John SIBBALD, (one of the jury)-I am a druggist in Caldewgate. I went to Newcastle on Thursday week, the 15th of this month, by the two o'clock train. Mr. John GRAHAM was a passenger. I was sitting in the carriage when he came in. I was acquainted with him previously. I asked him if he was going down to Newcastle. Yes, he said, he was. I said we would be company. He did not say what his business was, but he told me he was going to visit some friends. I asked him if he could recommend me to an inn, and he said he was going to Bryan BURN's. I went with him, and slept with him on the Thursday night. I was out in the evening and when I came back I found he had gone to bed. That would be about eight o'clock. The landlady told me he had gone up to write a letter, but when I went up stairs I found him in bed. I asked him if he was unwell, and he said he was. I told him I was going to write a letter; he said he ought to have written one too, but he was too unwell and was better in bed. I understood him to say he should have written home. I went down stairs and when I came up again at eleven o'clock I asked him how he was. He said much the same, and in the morning said he was better. I never said he groaned so much that I could not sleep, but I heard him get up for some water. His father and mother were not mentioned. Joseph HALL-I am landlord of the Coffee House. Mr. John GRAHAM came to my house on Thursday week, about 12 o'clock. I saw him and spoke to him. He was in No. 1, having a lunch, cold roast-beef, and said he was going by the two o'clock train. He asked me to have a glass with him, but I could not, as I was engaged. I saw him when he returned; he passed with a carpet bag. He called at 11 o'clock with a horse and gig, and got a lad to drive him home. He was crying, and seemed very much cut up. Robert WHITFIELD-I am a druggist in Carlisle. I remember meeting John GRAHAM during the last illness of his father. It was on the night of his return from Newcastle. I might be half an hour or an hour in his company. We were talking respecting the illness of his father, and he said he had called at Mr. ANDERSON's, (surgeon) as he came up. He did not say how long he had been in Newcastle, but he said he had heard of his father's illness in coming along the line. I recollect him mentioning Mr. WEIR's name, but dont recollect hearing him say that he had heard in Newcastle that his father was dead. My impression is that he said Mr. WEIR had told him on the line and that Mr. ANDERSON had relieved his mind, after he had called. He did not show particular impatience to get away. I should say he appeared dilatory. Mr. SCOTT pressed him to go as soon as possible, and he wanted either Mr. SCOTT or me, or both of us, to go with him. Mr. SCOTT went. I saw him yesterday, and he said to me, "it is a very serious affair, this about my father." I was not summoned then. I believe there was a conversation in Mr. SCOTT's about the potato-pot, in the presence of Mr. SCOTT, Mr. SIBSON, the attorney, and myself. Mr. GRAHAM said he was the worse. I told him that if arsenic was in a very small quantity, it could be detected. The Court was here adjourned for a half-an-hour. EXAMINATION RESUMED. The jury assembled at two o'clock, when the examination of witnesses was resumed. Mr. G. SIBSON said, his name having been mentioned in the course of the morning, he had only to say he had nothing to urge in contradiction of either Mr. SIBBALD or Mr. GRAHAM. He was ready to be sworn, however, if necessary, though he could only corroborate what had already been stated. The CORONER said he did not think it was necessary to be sworn. Mr. ELLIOT, surgeon, Carlisle-I did not see the deceased before death. On Thursday week I, along with Dr. JAMES, made a post mortem examination of the body. We have since then analyzed the contents of the stomach and other parts of the body. I produce a report of the results. CORONER-Will you read it? Mr. ELLIOT then read a report detailing a number of experiments, from which the following conclusion had been drawn:- REPORT. "From all the well marked appearances of acute inflammation in the Pharynx, Stomach, and Duodenum, and from the circumstance of arsenic having been detected in the substance of the stomach, the liver, and the blood, we are of opinion that the death of the deceased was caused by taking arsenic. "THOMAS ELLIOT, Surgeon. "RICHARD JAMES, M.D." Dr. JAMES-I assisted Mr. ELLIOT in making this post mortem examination and analysis. I am a party to the drawing up of that report, and it embodies my views and opinions. I entirely concur in all Mr. ELLIOT has said. Mr. ELLIOT, re-examined-I read the examination of Mr. ANDERSON, surgeon, in the newspapers. I should like to hear it read over again. The Coroner referred to his notes and read it over. The only symptom under which the patient was labouring was debility. Was it likely that acute inflammation might have subsided before that time? Wiitness [sic]-Yes, it is likely. He might have become insensible to pain. In all probability when he saw the patient there might be no poison present. The CORONER read from Mrs. GRAHAM's evidence the symptoms described by her of his illness. Witness-Those are such symptoms as we would expect to find after poison had been taken. There is nothing in Mr. ANDERSON's evidence to shake my belief that deceased died from poison. The CORONER-I will embody your report in the depositions, and you can sign it afterwards. Mr. PATTINSON-Could your test be fallacious? Witness-They are immutable, fixed, and the appearances produced indicate no other substances produced in nature. Robert GRAHAM-I live in Caldewgate, and am nephew of deceased. I called at the house on the Friday after he became ill. I left, and returned at six o'clock. I found them both at home, sitting by the kitchen-fire. They complained of having been sick, but they were not sick when I saw them. They said they had been ill on the previous evening, in the stomach. John GRAHAM said he had never been in better health in his life until he took his tea on Thursday evening. He said about half an hour after tea he felt thirsty. CORONER-Are you quite sure it was tea, or was it supper? Witness-My impression is, that it was tea. He said he got some milk and went to bed; that was all he said he had taken. He said he became ill during the night, and had been vomiting; continuing to be sick till I saw him. I asked him if he would have some advice, and he said no, he had had some advice the last time he was ill, and it had made such a noise in the country that he was determined he would have none now. The illness had made the noise, not the doctor. No allusion whatever was made to his son John at that time. The first time I saw him afterwards was after his father's death; I have had no conversation with him-not the slightest, and he has made no statement to me. When Mr. GRAHAM refused to have the medical man, he said I might send down Ruth, they were not able to look after themselves and they might both be dead before the morning. From what he said to me my impression was that he thought she was labouring under poison, though he did not say so in terms. I never saw him alive again. I was not at Grinsdale till nine o'clock on the night after the potato-pot was eaten. When I went the old man had fallen asleep, and I did not see either him or Mrs. GRAHAM. >From anything my aunt said on Tues- [sic] evening week, she did not seem to have any suspicion of poison. [to be continued]