Saturday 14 Jun 1845 (p. 3, col. 4-5) Part 1 SECOND EDITION. ----- Journal Office, Friday Afternoon, 2 o'Clock. ----- ADJOURNED INQUEST. The adjourned inquest on the body of Mrs. Margaret GRAHAM, of Kirkandrews, was held this morning. The Jury assembled at ten o'clock, and the Coroner soon afterwards proceeded with the examination of witnesses. Mr. John GRAHAM was not present, but his solicitor, Mr. JAMES MOUNSEY, appeared on his behalf. John SABBAGE-I am superintendent of police, Carlisle, and am the summoning officer on this inquest. I saw John GRAHAM at Kirkandrews on the 29th of May. I called upon him, and searched his house, but found nothing. He said he knew that he was accused of the death of his father, and that he was as innocent as the child unborn. He said if he was not I might take him directly. He said the poison found by MITCHELL in the turnip house was bought at his gate at Kirkandrews, five years ago, from Jemmy the Rat, and as his wife would not let him take it into the house he put it there. I met him on the 5th June, about 200 yards on this side of his house; it was on a Thursday-yesterday week. He asked me if it was true they were going to lift his wife, and I said yes, I was going over to arrange about doing it on the next day. He said that if they did do it he never could stand it, and he wished to know if he could not see Mr. CARRICK, to take the opinion of the doctors without lifting it. I told him I thought that would be no use now, and he said "if they do find poison I did not do it." I was [sic] him when I came back again, and the same conversation was repeated. He seemed a great deal agitated at the time I left him. I saw him again on Monday morning last, about half-past three o'clock; I went to apprehend him. I found him in bed. He asked if I had come to take him, and I said I had; I had a warrant. He then asked if HAUGH had been at Newcastle, and HAUGH, another officer who was with me, said no, he had not. He then asked if any one else had been to Newcastle to make enquiries, and I said no. A man named JOHNSTON was in the house at the time; he was up, and dressed. Mr. GRAHAM got up with our assistance, and we had to dress him. When he got out of bed he seemed quite nervous and could scarcely stand. He said he had been ill the day before and had had a doctor to him. I then brought him to Carlisle. Nothing took place on the road; we scarcely spoke. Mr. WHEATLEY-Did he ask you if anything had been found? Witness-No, he did not. I have had no conversation with him since. John TURNER-I am relieving officer for the Wetheral District of the Carlisle Union. I know a woman called Elizabeth GRAHAM. I remember being present at an interview between John GRAHAM and her, on the 17th of March last, in the evening, in the Bush tap-room. I was coming past the room, and was called in by Mr. GRAHAM. He asked me if I had had an application from Elizabeth GRAHAM to go into the work-house, and I said I had. He asked me if I was aware that she had made an attempt to put an end to herself, and I said I was not. He said it might be a very serious case, and she had better be looked after in time. She was not present at that time but GRAHAM sent for her. She came, and he told her she had better go to the workhouse that evening; he was going that way, and they would go together. She said she preferred to remain with her sister a few days before she went; and her sister, who was present, had no objections. I gave her an order, and we all came out together. It did not strike me from what passed that they had been together before that day. When he came out he got a bottle of rum, and put it in his pocket. I went away, and left him and her standing together. I had never been with them before. She did not belong to my district. There was some mention of a doctor in the tap room. He said the girl had come to his house in the family way, but as he did not discover it for some time, he agreed to let her stop on. He said the father of it had applied to Mr. REEVES for something to procure abortion, but had refused. Mr. GRAHAM seemed very friendly with the girl, and anxious that she should be taken care of. Richard OLIVER, M.D. (who had come from Shrewsbury)-I knew the late Mrs. GRAHAM, of Kirkandrews, and remember being called to see her on the 26th of November last, by Mr. John GRAHAM. Mr. SEWELL, surgeon, was there when I went. I understood she had been vomiting and purging for two days-so I was told; and the main symptoms then were those of exhaustion of the vital powers. After speaking with Mr. SEWELL, we agreed to give her stimulants, and prescribed brandy and water and opium. Mr. SEWELL left; he was called away to a distance; and as he looked upon it as a very serious affair, I undertook to see Mrs. GRAHAM in the evening. He had seen her before. We had recourse to both external and internal means of stimulation. She vomited on the first occasion, but I cannot distinctly remember whether I saw her or not. The characteristic symptoms were those of exhaustion, which had been produced by frequent vomitings, and there was nothing to create suspicion. I prescribed brandy for her. It was known to Mr. GRAHAM and deceased's friends that I was to return in the evening. I had told them of the urgency of her symptoms. I received, on Tuesday evening, a message from a man I understood to be in the service of Mr. GRAHAM. He said Mr. GRAHAM thought deceased so much relieved that I need not go unless I liked. I went, and found her easier, certainly. The symptoms of exhaustion seemed to have abated in a considerable degree, and gave me expectations that the complaint had taken a favourable turn. It was a case of doubt at the best, but she was not worse in the evening than in the morning. I ordered stimulants again. Mr. John GRAHAM was at home in the evening, and I left directions that necessary food and stimulants should be given at regular intervals. I stated that it would be absolutely necessary to have her closely watched during the night. I saw her again on the Wednesday morning. She was not so well: there had been a recurrence of vomiting and purging, and she was ill from the effects of it when I called. There were the same symptoms of exhaustion-apparently aggravated by the re-accession of irritation in the stomach and bowels. I had hoped to find her better, as she had been relieved at night; but she was decidedly worse. I urged her to take brandy as largely as she could; she had taken an aversion to it, but said she would do as I wished her. I said if she did I hoped she would be relieved, and she shook her head and said "oh, no, but I am willing to try anything you wish me." I never suspected any other cause; I thought her illness arose from natural causes. Pain was not so much complained of as depression. Mr. PATTINSON-You would be puzzled on Wednesday morning?-I was not so much surprised as disappointed. The CORONER-It having been already proved that arsenic was discovered in her gullet, stomach, and bowels, are you of opinion that all the symptoms under which you found her labouring were produced by arsenic? Witness-I have no doubt of it. CORONER-Could the aggravated symptoms which you found on Tuesday evening and Wednesday have been produced by arsenic taken on the Sunday night. Witness-I think not, because there was a material cessation of the vomiting and purging on the Tuesday evening, and I think the symptoms found on Wednesday morning must have been produced by another dose administered between the Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, after I saw her. I had attended Mrs. GRAHAM previously from the 1st of March to the 16th of April, in the same year. The main complaint then was a very severe ulcerated sore throat, accompanied by great debility. She recovered under my treatment, but her constitution was much shaken by the complaint. She was restored to comparative health. The ulceration had attacked the soft part of the palate, and a great part of it was gone. CORONER-Could you say what was the cause of this severe ulceration of the throat?-I have no positive evidence as to what it was. Could you form an opinion?-Yes. It was very likely to originate from Syphilis, but knowing that no good could arise from my confirming the rumour to that effect, I studiously discountenanced it; I said it might arise from another cause. Mr. PATTINSON-Have you known the same symptoms arise from other causes? Witness-They may arise from other causes, but they do not commonly. I avoided enquiring into the previous history of the case. I was in a delicate position, and so is every medical man in such a case. [to be continued]