Saturday 31 May 1845 (p. 3, col. 7-8) FOURTH EDITION. ----- FRIDAY EVENING, Seven o'Clock. ----- Ruth CANNELL-I am wife of William CANNELL, and daughter of the late Mr. GRAHAM. I first saw him and my mother on the Friday evening after their illness. They were both ill. I remember their being ill in February last; they were affected in the same way. I remember getting out the supper for Mr. CANNELL, Mary ANDREW, and myself on Friday night. I set out one cake. I got it out of the dairy, or pantry; it is called both. One of the front rooms in the common sitting room, and is sometimes called the front kitchen. The left hand back-room is the dairy. I found the cake in that back-room. There were two or three more like it, but I did not notice the number. Both I and Mary ANDREW ate of this. CANNELL brought the remainder home with him. After we had had supper I took it back to the dairy. I ate only very little-not more than a couple of bites. I was very ill from it. I had eaten nothing else in the house that night. I did not think I was ill from the cake at first, I thought it might be from excitement, and I did not tell my husband till half an hour after I first was affected; but next day, when I continued so poorly, I thought it must be from something wrong in the cake. I continued ill till the Saturday night. Each time my father was ill I waited upon him, but nothing was named of poison. On the second time I said I thought there must have been poison in the cake, but he did not suspect. He has always lived on very good terms with his family. My father and I have been on particularly friendly terms. As far as I know he and my son John were always on good and friendly terms. So have he and my brother Sibson; I never knew of any disagreement of any consequence. If they have had any disagreement of late, I am not aware of it. I have been married and away from Grinsdale eight months. I never heard my father express the slightest suspicion about any of the family or any one else. I believe Nanny LITTLE took some cakes away after I left, but I don't know what became of them. I had gone home from Carlisle with my father on the Tuesday before,-the last time he was here. Margaret ROBSON-I am housekeeper to John BESWICK, of Kirkandrews. I have only known John GRAHAM since Candlemas. I remember his going away on Thursday last; he said he was going to Newcastle. The first time he told me was betwixt eleven and twelve o'clock. He had not mentioned it to me in the morning. I had no idea he was going till he came in. He didn't say any thing particular, except that he was washing some clothes to go to Newcastle. I asked him how long he was going to stay, and he said he would be back in a week, he thought, but he could not say when exactly. He did not tell me what he was going to do. I think we heard of his fathers illness on the Saturday. This did not lead to any thing bout the poison. John BESWICK, MITCHELL, and I were present. When MITCHELL came in he said there was a packet of poison lying in the turnip house, and he would go and bring it. CORONER-What led to this? Witness-I did not hear anything. CORONER-Was it not in consequence of its having been said that the old man had been poisoned. Witness-No, sir, it was not: I never heard poison mentioned till MITCHELL named it. He said there was a package lying on the turnip house, but he did not say it was poison till it was brought in. One of us said he had better go and bring it in, and we would see what it was. He went and brought it in himself. BESWICK and I were sitting by the fire, and he opened it out. He broke the papers and took them off it one after another. It was not tied but either sealed or done with paste. I am certain that it had never been opened. It was perhaps about the size of a quarter of a pound of coffee. There were several covers, and on one was printed "Poison for Rats." I can't say whether it was all in one line. There was something else on-"The flower of" some sort or stuff, but I did not see what it was. John BESWICK told me about the "flower of,"-I did not see it. The other words were printed in large letters, and I read them when I had the parcel in my hand. MITCHELL gave it to me, but I can't remember that he said anything to me. He gave it into my hand and told me to put it in the fire. CORONER-What was said? Witness-I have told you, sir. CORONER-Then you'll tell us again? Witness-I have no cause to do it so often. CORONER-You must, though, and you must tell us the truth. Witness-MITCHELL said, when he gave it to me, that I was to put it into the fire out of the way. I did not ask him for it-I swear that. Nothing more was said. CORONER-There was some reason given for throwing it into the fire, was there not? Witness-No, sir, there was no reason. I did not say that MITCHELL said it would be "better" out of the way. I don't remember seeing any writing. I remember Mr. GRAHAM coming home. I can't say whether he came on the Wednesday or the Thursday night. He was not at our house at all before the old man's death. It was never named to Mr. GRAHAM that poison was found. He never heard of it till yesterday morning. Sibson GRAHAM came to his house and told him that he heard those rumours going. I was not present. They called me into the room. Mr. GRAHAM was not up. Sibson went to his bed-room, and John called me in. He told me Sibson said there were rumours going of this package being found. John asked me if I knew about it. I said I did. He asked where it was found, and what it was like. He said he could remember getting some a few years since on account of vermin,-that he brought it into the house and Mrs. GRAHAM wouldn't let it bide, and that it was put up there and had remained ever since. Nothing more was said. Sibson said nothing, and I left. This was yesterday morning. He was very much put out of the way about it. Nothing more that I can remember of was said about this package in the course of the day; nothing in the presence of my master. I don't remember a scold going on. Perhaps there might be a few words between John GRAHAM and Benjamin MITCHELL. There were no particular angry words; but there were a few. CORONER-Was BAINBRIDGE there? Witness-Yesterday, sir? CORONER-He was there? Witness-Oh, yes he was there. I can't recollect what the angry words were. It was not about the poison. I can't remember of any reference to it. I don't remember Mr. MITCHELL telling Mr. GRAHAM that if he would go to the door he would tell him some secrets,-oh, yes, I remember he did. CORONER-Then why could you not say so. It is abominable that witnesses should require this repeated pressing to get the truth from them. Witness-I have a bad memory sir. CORONER-At this meeting, when BAINBRIDGE was present, was there any thing said about the poison? Witness-I can't remember. CORONER-But aye or no, was there? I can't suppose that a person's memory can be treacherous on a matter that occurred within twenty-four hours. Witness-No there was not. CORONER-Was Mr. GRAHAM's death mentioned? Witness-No. CORONER-Did you hear that he had died of poison? Witness-Yes, I heard they thought he was poisoned, but I don't know it for a fact. CORONER-When did you first hear it? Witness-The day before he died. CORONER-You can perhaps tell us from whom you heard that? Witness-No I can't. CORONER-You said before you did not hear of the poison before the package was taken down, and you now tell us you heard it the day before he died? Witness-I am so agitated, sir. CORONER-No, you are not agitated, you are perfectly cool. Was it not in consequence of this rumour that the poison was brought in? Witness-I can't remember. CORONER-Had you not been talking about the rumour before? Witness-No, sir. CORONER-Have you been at Grinsdale since? Witness-I never was there in my life. CORONER-At the time the poison was brought in had you heard John GRAHAM was suspected? Witness-No, sir. CORONER-Had you not heard so? Witness-Yes, sir. CORONER-I suppose you thought destroying the poison was likely to get at the truth. Witness-I thought it better out of the way. By a JURYMAN-I saw the poison. It was either a pale yellow or a pale pink colour. A JURYMAN-What made you destroy it, it is useful isn't it? Witness-I don't know. Witness put her cross to the depositions. Edward BAINBRIDGE, the elder-I live at the Bone Mill Bridge, and am a labouring man. I was present at a meeting between John GRAHAM, John BESWICK, and Benjamin MITCHELL, yesterday, at our own house, and close by the roadside. They came into my house, and sent for me in; I was on the opposite side, amongst some potatoes. John GRAHAM asked me if Ben. MITCHELL had told me anything about the poison. These were the very words. I said no; but that I heard it before. Mr. GRAHAM asked me to go down to MITCHELL, and I went. John said, at our house, he recollected there was poison, but he did not know who he had got it from. He could not recollect where he put it, or where it was; but he had bought it of a man, and his wife objected to its being in the house. CORONER-What more was said? Witness-Oh, I don't know, there was so much said. CORONER-We'll give you a little breathing time to refresh your memory. Witness-I'se fresh enough for owt, I want nowther meat nor drink. CORONER-But we must have from you all you know, or we must try some other course with you. Witness-You can't hang me, however. CORONER-Well, when did you go. Witness-I first went to MITCHELL and found him working on the road side. CORONER-What occurred there? Witness-They differed about different things that didn't enter my napper at all. I had now't to do wid them. CORONER-Tell us the conversation you had on the road side. Witness-John GRAHAM asked me, in the presence of MITCHELL, if MITCHELL ever told me that he had found poison. I said, no. Something was said about a woman who lives at Thrustonfield, but it didn't lay i' my way, and I didn't interfere. We went to the house, and John GRAHAM asked the housekeeper if arsenic was set on the paper. She said she could'nt recollect. Nothing more was said, but Mr. GRAHAM said he would give me a shilling if I would go and fetch JOHNSTON; he gave me one, and I went. There were no angry words before I left. I went direct home afterwards. Nothing more was said in my hearing. I told George THOMPSON that he had to go, Mr. GRAHAM wanted him. It was not about the poisoning, but about a servant girl that once lived with him. Esther STEWART-I was present when Mr. Sibson GRAHAM ate part of the cake. He ate perhaps the half of it. I was in at the same time. I ate part of it, as did also Jane THOMPSON. She told me she met John GRAHAM going in at the door. She told me that night she fetched the cake-I am sure of it. I know Mr. Sibson GRAHAM was sick through the night, from what was in the pot. It could not be his wife-she was in another room. I only came to Mr. Sibson GRAHAM's this Whitsuntide. I had never seen the father about the place but once-the Thursday before he was ill. He did not milk the time I was there except once; sometimes I milked, and sometimes the man. I never saw him again till he was a corpse. The enquiry was adjourned at half past six o'clock, till Tuesday week, at ten o'clock.