Saturday 28 Jun 1845 (p. 3, col. 1-3) Part 1 SUSPECTED CASES OF POISONING. ----- ADJOURNED INQUEST ON MR. GRAHAM. [The first part of this article was already published in the second edition of the previous week’s paper.] ----- CLOSE OF THE INQUIRY. The Coroner and Jury met at half-past two o'clock, on Tuesday last, at the Coffee House. The room was inconveniently crowded, and it was resolved to adjourn to the Town Hall, which soon became filled with anxious spectators. The Jury having been resworn, the examination of witnesses was resumed. Joseph HAUGH—I was at Grinsdale on the first day of the inquest on the body of John GRAHAM; it was on the 22nd of May. I received a pot of butter and a small bag of flour, from Mrs. GRAHAM. I got them out of her own hands. She gave me them in consequence of my asking for some of the flour and butter from which the cakes had been made, and I gave them to Mr. ELLIOT and Dr. JAMES. I was with Mr. SABBAGE when John GRAHAM was apprehended. When I went into the room he asked if I had come for him. I said yes, I had. He said he had been very ill, and if we would let him remain he would come himself next day. Mr. SABBAGE told him he had got a warrant for him, and he had better go now. He seemed a good deal put out of the way, and we assisted in dressing him. He then asked me if I had been at Newcastle. I said no, and he then asked if any other of our men had been there. I said no, not any. Very little more was said. After we came to the police office he said, "now tell me the truth; tell me if you have been to Newcastle." I said no one had been there. William Wilkinson SWAN was then called. You live at Newcastle?—Yes. Are you a medical student?—Yes, sir. And son of Mr. SWAN, of the Close, druggist.—Yes, sir. You have been at the gaol, I believe?—Yes, sir. Were you shown into one of the wards?—Yes. Not into one of the private rooms?— No. Were there any persons in when you went?—Yes, the prisoners. How many?—Six. All men?—Yes. Did you see any one there whom you believe you have seen before?—[After a little hesitation]—I can't swear to the man, sir. Did you point out among the six men any one particular individual?—Yes, sir. To the best of your recollection and belief did you ever see him before?—I can't swear that I did. Have you seen any man answering the description of that man?—Yes, something like the description. Where did you see that man?—In our shop, sir. Do you remember how long ago?—No, sir. To the best of your recollection how long is it?—Somewhere about nine months, but within the twelve months. Do you remember what that person came for to your shop?—He came for arsenic. Was he served with any?—Yes, sir. How much did he get?—I can't swear: six or eight—I think it was eight—ounces. For what purpose did he state he wanted it?—To kill rats. Did he say where?—On board some ship at Shields. And he was supplied with it?—Yes, my father supplied him. Have you had any conversation with your father since his return about this affair?—None whatever. And are you not acquainted with the evidence he has given?—I am not. He returned on Saturday morning did he?—Yes. In what respect does the man in the gaol resemble the man you saw in your shop?—He resembles him in complexion. The man in the shop appeared taller and stouter. I can't swear he was. CORONER—You are only speaking to the best of your belief. Did you hear the man in the gaol speak?—Yes. Does his voice, as far as you are able to judge, resemble the voice of the man who was in your shop?—I can't recognize it at all. Is your father's shop rather low in the ceiling?—Yes. When Mr. SABBAGE called on you, did he appear to be a taller man than he now seems to be?—He did; he looked taller. How came you to recollect this man from the others in the gaol?—He resembled the man in our shop more than the others. Had you been told previously that the suspected man had red whiskers?—Yes I had. By whom?—By the policeman. He asked whether he had sandy whiskers or not, and I said I could not recollect. Peter MURPHY.—I live at Penrith, and am a labourer. I was discharged from Carlisle gaol a week since, yesterday. I I [sic] was very near nine weeks there, for want of sureties to keep the peace. I could have got them, but I was in a passion at the time. I was vexed at my wife, and that's the way to swear it. John GRAHAM was brought to prison while I was there. I was put in the same ward with him, along with another man. Was it to take charge of him?—I don't know; I didn't know what business we were on. What was the name of the other prisoner?—Matthew FINN, who is still in gaol—his time will be up on Friday. Tell the jury all you heard John GRAHAM say in reference to the death of his father?—I heard him say nothing about it. State generally what he said about himself in connection with the death of any party?—I did not hear him say anything particular except that as to his father's death he was innocent of it. Do you remember anything taking place on Wednesday, 11th June?—FINN was lying on the bed, and GRAHAM was walking in the ward backward and forward, and he made a dead stop and said "it is three weeks this day since the job happened, and I might have been in America." Had you been talking to him before?—No he was talking to himself. We had not been speaking to him, nor he to us. Do you remember him reading over to you something that he had written?—Yes, it was on the Thursday. Was it to you or FINN?—To both of us. After he had read it did you give him any advice?—Yes, I told him to tear it in bits and put it into the water closet. Did he do that?—I did not see him do it: but he said he would let his attorney, Mr. MOUNSEY, see it. Did you see what Mr. MOUNSEY did with it?—No, sir. Do you know whether it was destroyed or not?—I don't know. Mr. MOUNSEY was in for half an hour. When the turn-key let us in again I asked GRAHAM what Mr. MOUNSEY had advised him to do, and he said he advised him to do just what I did. Was there anything in it relating to the death of his father?—I don't recollect. I think you can remember what it was about?—It was concerning his wife. Was there anything in it about the death of his father?—I don't recollect. He said if the wife lived longer than his father he would receive £200, and he said it was not likely he would poison her if that was the case. Did he talk much?—Yes, sir. On your oath, has he said nothing at all as to how his father came by his death?—I don't recollect. We must have no evasion here?—I will tell the truth. What he said related to his wife. If you have a mind I will let you hear it. CORONER—We don't want to hear it. Witness—He said he was innocent of his father's death. He said, too, that he knew what caused his wife's death, but but [sic] he would keep that to himself. He said that he had got £300 with his wife, and he had that to pay back if she died before his father. John DAVIDSON—I am a pensioner, and live at Paden Beck, near the Infirmary. I have known John GRAHAM for many years. The last time but one when I saw him he was going to Newcastle with his carpet bag. That would be the Thursday before his father died. I was leaving the door of my house when he was nearly opposite. I bade him good morning, and asked if he was for a journey, says he "a little." Says I "pray sir, how far?" He said he was going to Newcastle first and very possibly would see London before he got back. Says I "its very easy seeing Newcastle and Gateshead, but in London you must have a guide. Do you recollect Mr. WRIGHT, of Knockupworth, once saying in the Green Dragon that if he ever went to London he would engage me to show him all the sights, from the Thames Tunnel to Kensington Gardens?" We had a few more words, and I bade Mr. GRAHAM good morning, and he passed on. Thomas ELLIOT recalled—We have analysed the first portion of the cake to ascertain what kind of poison was in it; the other to discover its weight. For the latter purpose we had three ounces and a half of cake. We obtained ultimately from that twenty grains of the sesqui sulphuret of arsenic, commonly called orpiment or paint, which is equal to sixteen grains of white arsenic, or arseneous acid. It existed in the cake in the form of white arsenic. By passing a stream of sulphuretted hydrogen gas through a decoction of it we obtained a substance, which is commonly known as orpiment. The baking of the cake would not alter it. In the portion of the cake analysed there was considerably more arsenic than was sufficient to occasion death. We had not more than half a cake altogether. It is impossible to say whether the arsenic was distributed equally or unequally through it. The three ounces and a half were contained in one-third of the cake. Mr. CARRICK—Are there any more witnesses? Mr. SABBAGE—Only Jane THOMPSON. Mr. CARRICK—If the jury think it necessary that she should again be sworn she shall be called. The jury declined to press her for further evidence. [to be continued]