The Exeter Times, 1878-6-27, Page 4TIM TIMES
tht Oiler lint's.
THURSDAY, 'JUNE 27, 1878,
THE ST. MARYS POISONING
CASE,
PERRAes no other case in Canada
ever excited more geueral interest
among all classes of the community
Haan the Guest Poisouing Case, as it is
termed, iu the neighboring Town of
St. Marys. A synopeie of tire evidence,
embraciug all the material points hear-
ing on the guilt or innocence of the
accused, has appeared iu thesecolumns,
and the reader vela) has carefully fol-
lowed and weighed that evidence can-
not but feel that the O.arouer'e jury have
returned at verdict strictly in accord
with seem iuftarivatiou relative to the
case at their command. :y, more par-
ticularly nvrded verdict has seldom, if
ever, been rendered by a jury, which
fact aluue allose hew great was their,
apllrteiatieu of the r.spoue;ibiiity that
rested upon them, and how Heel: one
they were to dia.cha,gt, that responsi-
lilllty w the intert,ata r•t jrie±tice. The
verdict Clues not eoutletuu Dr. Fora. It
merely eende his c:ese before a higher
tribuual. The object sought has been
attained ---either to fled sufficient and
unqueetioueel proof of the doctor's en-
tire innocence of any connection with
the cameo of Guest's death; or, failing
iu that, to find sullleieut evidence, di•
rcct or elrcumetential, to cause a belief
r.,r a sue' ieion to reasonable minds that
Dr. Furl ilad something to do watt) or
knew soeuethl,Yg about the olrcumstan-
see attending the alleged, poisoning.
Considering the ovitleuce, the jury
could uut acquit Ford, and if he is in-
nocent nt) iujurp except the loss of
his praetico con bsfai feint, while a
more searching investigation will be
made iu the effort to trace hoarse to tint
the crime, if a crime was committed.1
The evidence uf the witness Delnlal e,
whether deserving of credence or not,
was very pointed against 1)r. Ford,
and wheu unrebutted, had to be accept-
ed. Gussets dying statements, wherein
leo , cca-tal Dr. Vera of adenieisternie
poisou tc him in a glass of liquor, were
calculated to have great weight with a
fury. This is the weight of the evi-
dence agreill.t Doctor Forel, while that
offered iu his behalf was of a nugatory
obaracter. Professor Ellis did not tee•
tify that other poison than alcohol had
not entered the stomach, but, while
confessing himself unable to discover
tele slightest trace of poison in that
member, admitted that its conditions,
if not the result of post »t•,rtent changes,
i•Idicated au irritant poison. A couple
of doctors froui Stratford, shaver and
Hyde, pointed out a number ot causes
which might have led to Guest's deatb,
but dissolution would not follow so ra-
pidly, and the cause would have been
within the reach of medical science
after death. If we have heard all the
evidence that can be elicited both ft,r
the defence and prosecution, there can
be no question that Dr. Ford will nei-
seer stretch a hangman's rope nor lan-
guish in a felon's cell ; for assuredly
he will be given the benefit of every
reasonable doubt, and there are many,
stub as that of the credibility of witnes-
ses, the motive that may Have prompted
him to administer the poisou, if it be
proved that he did adminiater it, and
others. In this couneotiou an errone-
ous idea is abroad, that a coroner's
jury should leen to the side of mercy.
If this field good, the in'tereats of just-
ice in many cases might be seriously
interfered with and crippled. Suon a
jury does not necessarily hear all the.
evileuce, nor go as 'exhaustively into
t le merits of the case as if life or death
depended ou their v r.lict without the
action of any other authority or agency.
It does not convict and deliver the
prisoner to be sentenced. It merely
hands him over to the care of a higher
Caurt, where he at once becomes an
object of solicitude. As the prisoner is
here likely to get jurnice and nothing
else, the uorouer'd jury would be dere-
lict in its duty if it did not lean•to the
side of l unishment so long as there is
'guy reasou to suspect that a prisoyer is
guilty.
THE STEEL RAILS.
The following excerpt from teipeech of tan bark, fee l etf•uit,.•lvfii tg1�► D4aiiall
de.itaiel i:.r,,, St utte ou the 17th of else cleared dile Port for Bayfield.
April by Senator Macpherson will be
found interesting, and will, we think,
show that the interests of the country
were not ouly neglected but subverted
by Mr. Mackenzie, as Minister of Pub-
lic Weikel, in the interests of Cooper,
Pailman & Co.: ---
On the 5th. of January, 1875, the Gov.
• ereanctlt bengltt 5.600 tOO4 of steel
rails from Messrs. Cox S; Green, of
Montreal, at .0 atg. per ton f. n. b.
in England, and two days afterwards
ton the 7th Jauuary, 1875) the Gov.
erntneut bought from Cooper, Fair -
wan & Co., without competition, 5,-
137 tans at £10 10s. per ton,also f. o.
b. in Englautl, for British Celnttnbia,
The country's loss by this net of favor.
histo was £10s. stg. per tau, and
amounted to
In 1875 Messrs. Darling 4 Co., of Mon.
deal, tendered for bots and nuts at
292.57 per ton. and at the same -tithe
(' per, Fairanisn Co., tropia red at
5101 per ton. Cooper, berated it
Co �.,t a contract for 100 ton.
Tett' eanntrv', lose 1.y this net of favor.
itisat ..r.)s ..1,
In less 7, .lt pi's. taet'st et:. t°a.. Jf I:n,;
lull, t -u} }laud to Canada l 1,1,OJt, tong
tat stta i rails, and when tt',tiering for
the rails ii November, 1"75. they of
fere! to deliver theta at P:alut''t a $4
l,e•r tan more that: at Mentre ll, or,
finely hn ing
'tUOAN.
iuNfl27, i818
Socrtz Aub PaasnlQTdrIo:t.—'A straw-
berry social was given by the Ladies. of
the Methodist Congregation, last Fri- ,�...„.
day evening iu the parsonage. After last, lead hie horse* run away, throning SIL ilk USE
strawberries and cream had been served hila out of the wagon and iustautly
an address was read by I1r. W. H. At. killing him. L 0 NI) 0 ;ti•,
DUBLIN.
FATAL AcewnNT.--Daniel Gallagher,
a resident of Hilbert, while attending
the Dob)iu inaugtuation, on Tuebday
kinsou, in behalf of the congregation,
and Rev. its. Leith presented with a
purse containing $45 as: a token o£
Y oil .Swill #ill)? tllo L t
Lar ' as
CEN�.'R_�LIA. sol'rtnient <.)it Silks, Millinery
their appreciation of his services during. "Mantles, • Dress Goods , E its
p PEns1Ntr — lr Juba lilacs nate
sta. his stay among them. The reverend tion master, is away enjoying his sura- '.4 IOS S Laces,. and all liltlilS of
gentleivan make a very touching and mer vecetiou. lir. Robert Knox ably: Fano,- Dry Goods.
appropriate reply, thanking them for supplies hie place in the rneauwhile. 11a11tIt,;; ai.ltl 1)1(':•tStiut'tiutg
their rentable present, and the naauv eie rnvl) BITreat.--William SAnda, tinder the 1. llti.il,4einent, of a
tokens of kiudness he had received
since he came to Lucas ; also assuring ecu of Itiebtttd Send°, a hu a short time. Latly of ling experience. Latl-
sin met with the misfortune el breela •
and wishing them every success. A.f• t” prom y favorably
ter the rendering. of some choice *totem.
Sl 601 them that he would never forget them, • r ;