Trial of Mrs. Hannah Kinney for the alleged murder of her husband, George T. Kinney, by poison : before the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, Judges Shaw, Putnam, and Wilde, present : sitting at Boston, from Dec. 21st to Dec. 26th, with the arguments of counsel, and the charge of the chief justice fully reported : counsel for the prosecution, J.T. Austin, attorney general, and S.D. Parker, commonwealth's attorney : for the prisoner, Franklin Dexter and George T. Curtis / by a member of the bar.

Kinney, Hannah

Date:: 1840

Credit: Trial of Mrs. Hannah Kinney for the alleged murder of her husband, George T. Kinney, by poison : before the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, Judges Shaw, Putnam, and Wilde, present : sitting at Boston, from Dec. 21st to Dec. 26th, with the arguments of counsel, and the charge of the chief justice fully reported : counsel for the prosecution, J.T. Austin, attorney general, and S.D. Parker, commonwealth's attorney : for the prisoner, Franklin Dexter and George T. Curtis / by a member of the bar. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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yo els back over mountains and valleys to you, and there 1 gee vim Imrstling about hardly knowing what to think of what you see and hear. Well, Dear Girl, let me say to you, suffer not ONE remark to make an im- pression. Read the Bible and pray over the subject with a desire to be directed aright in all your feelings, and I trust you will be directed aright. Give my love to all the girls. I shall write to Charles to-day. I want you to write me just as soon as you receive this, and not keep anything from me that you think I ougfU to know, or that you think you would be glad to know in the same situation. A number of things I had forgotten to mention be- fore I left, but I shall soon be at home. Can't tell the day until I hear from some of you. Shall not start till Wednesday next on account of the mail getting in on Tuesday night next. On Saturday last as I was pass- ing on in the stage, I heard one of the most distressing relations of the person of myself you ever heard. We soon stopped at a public house for the night. I took her into my room, and asked her all the questions that I thought was necessary to ask her, (it was related to one woman by another, that sat on the back seat directly behind me—some very interesting conversation was going on by gentlemen on the front seat; they did not hear any remarks by those persons in the shape of women.) Well, after I had asked her all the questions I wanted to, I told her who 1 was. She said she could not believe me. I frankly iold her that what she had told there was not the least shadow of truth in; that I could say with peace of mind, and a conscience clear of offence: that things could not be related more un- just or cruel. But also time, the unreturning tide of time, is bearing us on where every secret will be re- vealed—there every veil will be withdrawn, and all will be seen and known, as God designs, if we are his children. Good bye, H. KINNEY. Say to Mr Goodwin, that I visited his mother yester- day. His father and mother were not at home—saw Stone and Annette; they were all well; thought they were glad to see me. Shall go again as soon as his father and mother get home. If any letters come for me, please to put into the office, directed to the care of Dr Kindrick, Thetford, Vt. [Direction on the back of the letter.] Miss T. Collins, No. 9, Ballard Place, Boston. Will the P. M. forward this without delay. Mrs Hannah Varney called again. The morning ol the apple sauce breakfast, she put two table spoonfuls of a solution of salaeratus into the cake. Miss Harriett Hasford recalled at her own request, tc correct a statement. / t the time I expressed my sur- prise that Mr Kinney should have died so calm and composed if he had committed suicide, Mrs Kinney told me tnat he had exclaimed, O God, I have killed my- self. The evidence for the prosecution being clos- ed, Mr Curtis, the junior Counsel for the prison- er rose and said, that he had not heard any thing in the opening of the case on the part of the Government, which indicated to what point the evidence concerning the sickness of the family on Thursday would be urged, or what inference would be drawn from it. He now wished to hear some statement from the coun- sel for the Government, of the points to which that evidence would be directed. Shaw, C. J, (after consulting with the oth- er Judges) We cannot now pass any general order on the subject of the evidence. If the prisoner's counsel wished to exclude the evi- dence, the point could have been raised when the witnesses were called. Curtis. My object has not been to exclude the evidence, although we think that we might have embarrassed its introduction. I merely wish to know how it is to be urged as tending to prove the guilt of the prisoner. The Court hav- ing intimated that it cannot pass any order on the subject, I will ask the counsel for the Gov- ernment to state to us the point to which they intend to use that evidence. Austin, Att'y General. I do not feel called upon to make any statement. Mr Curtis then addressed the Jury as fol- lows :— MR. CURTIS'S OPENING ARGUMENT FOR THE DEFENCE. May it please your Honors : Gentlemen of Jury . — The drama of suspicion has reached one of its stages, and the victim of popular prejudice and delusion is, it may be hoped, one step nearer to a deliverance. This most interesting and important case is now to be opened on behalf of the prisoner. You will probably have anticipated that I should call your attention to some of the general features of the case, before I proceed to state the substance of the defence. Firstof all then, I feel that it is not improper for me to state to you bow my learned friend and myself, instead of other gentlemen who have from time to time been reported as of counsel for Mrs Kinney, should appear in her defence. You have doubt- less seen it stated in the newspapers, thatdiffer- eent gentlemen of eminence at this bar have been applied to, to act as her senior counsel; and you are now aware that her defence is in other hands. My colleague and myself have felt that among the causes of prejudice which have seemed to be accumulating upon this un- happy person, one of the most serious was the impression that might be derived from the fact which I have just stated—that learned and emi- nent persons had, on learning something of the case, declined to embark in it. Gentlemen, I have a right, and it is my duty to say that this is not the fact. No person at this bar, who has been applied to by this defendant, has been so wanting in the true spirit of humanity, or in the true sentiment of professional duty. But the time, the exertionsand efforts of counsel engaged in large practice, are not their own. They be- long to others ; and a violent depar'ure from the routine of engagements that may have been contracted, leads not only to much private in- convenience, but likewise to public injury, in

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