Transcribed by Petra Mitchinson. Geo. The Times, Thursday, Feb 27, 1840; pg. 6; Issue 17291; col F SPRING ASSIZES. ---------------- NORTHERN CIRCUIT. CARLISLE, MONDAY, FEB. 24. TRIAL ON A CHARGE OF MURDER. Mr. Justice COLERIDGE took his seat this morning at the early hour of 8 o'clock, for the trial of the only remaining case at these assizes. John GRAHAM was put to the bar, charged with the wilful murder of his wife, Jane GRAHAM, at Ullermire, in the parish of Kirklinton, in this county, on the 24th of September last, by administering poison to her. Mr. KNOWLES, Mr. RAINSBURY, and Mr. BELL conducted the prosecution, and Mr. MATTHEWS, assisted by Mr. MONTEITH, the defence. The deceased was a young woman of very industrious habits, and had by hard work saved upwards of 100L. from the fruits of her labour while single in Carlisle. She was about 35 years of age, and had been married to the prisoner little better than 10 months. She went to reside with him at Ullermire, where he followed the business of a carter, and she established a school for small children. She was in the family way, and, according to the deposition made by the prisoner, being poorly, she requested him to get her some cream of tartar and magnesia from Carlisle. She attended to her school on Monday, the 23rd of September, but complained of a pain in the side. In the evening of that day she took some of the medicine supposed to have been brought by the prisoner, and to be cream of tartar and magnesia mixed in treacle. On the Tuesday morning she took more, but became worse, could not eat, and vomiting came on. The neighbours were sent for, and her illness was attributed to her expected confinement, though the peculiar symptoms of that event did not appear. Between 2 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon, a Mr. GRAHAM, surgeon, of Ullermire, was called in, and made inquiries into her state, but attributing her illness to the expected labour, and not seeing any immediate occasion for his services, he gave some direction as to what she might take, and left, saying he would call again in the evening. He did so between 7 and 8 o'clock, when she appeared to be sinking. In ten minutes after she died. The prisoner came in, and was questioned by the surgeon as to what had been given her. He said he gave her cream of tartar and magnesia in the morning, and had taken a little of it himself. The surgeon asked for what was left. He said he did not know if any remained, for he left his household affairs during his illness to his good neighbours, and they might have washed it away. The surgeon said it would clear the matter very much if some of it could be found, but none was found. The death being so unexpected and preceded by vomiting, excited suspicion, and it was resolved to hold a coroner's inquest on the body, and the jury assembled for that purpose on Thursday, the 24th, but adjourned to the following day in order that a post mortem examination might take place. The body was opened in the presence of Mr. W. GRAHAM, surgeon of Ullermire, Mr. ARMSTRONG, surgeon of Brampton, and Mr. OLIVER, of Carlisle. The two latter gentlemen delivered in a written report, stating that they had no doubt but that the death of the deceased was caused by some irritant poison - that they had examined the matter contained in the stomach with great care, by processes which had afforded the most conclusive proof that the poison was arsenic. The coroner's jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against the prisoner, and he was committed for trial. These facts were proved, and also that Mr. HARRISON, druggist, of Carlisle, of whom the prisoner said he purchased the cream of tartar and magnesia, had several times sold him articles, but never any arsenic. A great number of witnesses were called to prove the conduct of the prisoner, and a number of minute circumstances as to the contradictory accounts he gave of the deceased and himself, and also of his previous unkind conduct to her, but the procuring of the arsenic could not be brought distinctly home to him. Mr. MATTHEWS addressed the jury at some length on behalf of the prisoner, and contended that the evidence was by no means sufficient to warrant a conviction in any case, and especially not in one where all the feelings and sympathies of nature were enlisted on the side of the prisoner to deter him from the commission of such a crime against his wife, and that too at the moment when he was hourly expecting to become a parent. The learned JUDGE having summed up the case to the jury, they returned a verdict of Not Guilty. The Court was crowded to excess during the trial, and the most intense interest appeared to be excited amongst the assembled multitude. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another one who got away with it! End of reporting about the Carlisle Spring Assizes of 1840 in The Times. Petra