State Trials, Political and Social Volume II Part 17

My lord, this discourse happened to be among them; which made people of the house consider and bethink themselves; when the next day they heard of this Mrs. Stout's being found in the water, this made them recollect and call to mind all these discourses.

My lord, after these gentlemen had staid there all night, next morning, truly, it was observed (and I suppose some account will be given of it) that Mr. Cowper and they did meet together, and had several discourses, and that very day went out of town; and I think as soon as they came to Hoddesden, made it all their discourse and business to talk of Mrs. Stout.

My lord, we will call our witnesses, and prove all these facts that I have opened to your lords.h.i.+p; and then I hope they will be put to give you some account how all these matters came about.

_Call Sarah Walker_ (_who was sworn_).

JONES--Mrs. Walker, pray give an account to my lord and the jury, of Mr. Cowper's coming to your house the 13th of March, and what was done from his coming there at night to his going out?

WALKER--May it please you, my lord, on Friday before the last a.s.sizes, Mr. Cowper's wife sent a letter to Mrs. Stout, that she might expect Mr. Cowper at the a.s.size time; and therefore we expected Mr. Cowper at that time, and accordingly provided; and as he came in with the judges, she asked him if he would alight? He said no; by reason I come in later than usual, I will go into the town and show myself, but he would send his horse presently. She asked him, how long it would be before he would come, because they would stay for him? He said, he could not tell, but he would send her word; and she thought he had forgot, and sent me down to know, whether he would please to come? He said, he had business, and he could not come just then; but he came in less than a quarter of an hour after, and dined there, and he went away at four o'clock: and then my mistress asked him, if he would lie there? And he answered yes, and he came at night about 9; and he sat talking about half an hour, and then called for pen, ink and paper, for that, as he said, he was to write to his wife; which was brought him, and he wrote a letter; and then my mistress went and asked him, what he would have for supper? He said milk, by reason he had made a good dinner; and I got him his supper, and he eat it; after she called me in again, and they were talking together, and then she bid me make a fire in his chamber; and when I had done so, I came and told him of it, and he looked at me, and made me no answer; then she bid me warm the bed, which accordingly I went up to do as the clock struck eleven, and in about a quarter of an hour I heard the door shut, and I thought he was gone to carry the letter, and staid about a quarter of an hour longer, and came down, and he was gone and she; and Mrs. Stout the mother asked me the reason why he went out when I was warming his bed? and she asked me for my mistress, and I told her I left her with Mr. Cowper, and I never saw her after that nor did Mr. Cowper return to the house.

She sat up all night; she next saw Sarah Stout when she had been taken out of the water the next morning. On being pressed, she was certain that it was a quarter after eleven by their clock when Cowper left the house; their clock was half an hour faster than the town clock.

COWPER--Pray, what account did you give as to the time before my lord chief-justice Holt?

WALKER--I gave the account that it was eleven, or quarter of an hour after.

COWPER--In her depositions there is half an hour's difference; for then she said it was half an hour after ten.

HATSELL, BARON--Which clock was earliest, yours or the town clock?

WALKER--Ours was half an hour faster than theirs.

COWPER--How came you to know this?

WALKER--By reason that dinner was dressed at the cook's, and it was ordered to be ready by two o'clock, and it was ready at two by the town clock, and half an hour after two by ours.

COWPER--When you came down and missed your mistress, did you enquire after her all that night?

WALKER--No, Sir, I did not go out of the doors; I thought you were with her, and so I thought she would come to no harm.

COWPER--Here is a whole night she gives no account of. Pray, mistress, why did not you go after her?

WALKER--My mistress would not let me.

COWPER--Why would she not let you?

WALKER--I said I would see for her? No, saith she, by reason if you go and see for her, and do not find her, it will make an alarm over the town, and there may be no occasion.

COWPER--Did your mistress use to stay out all night?

WALKER--No, never.

COWPER--Have not you said so?

WALKER--I never said so in my life.

COWPER--Pray, Mrs. Walker, did you never take notice that your mistress was under melancholy?

WALKER--I do not say but she was melancholy; she was ill for some time; and I imputed it to her illness, and I know no other cause.

COWPER--Have you not often told people that your mistress was a melancholy person, upon your oath?

WALKER--I have said she hath been ill, and that made her melancholy.

The witness admitted that she had bought poison twice within the last six months; she bought it at her own instance, and not at the order of Mrs. Stout, or of Mrs. Crooke. She asked for white mercury. She bought it to poison a dog with; the dog used to come about the house and do mischief. It was another maid who gave it to the dog; she swore at the inquest that she had given it because she had seen it given; it was given in warm milk which did not seem discoloured.

HATSELL, BARON--You said just now your mistress was ill, and that made her melancholy; what illness was it?

WALKER--My lord, she had a great pain in her head.

HATSELL, BARON--How long had she been troubled with it?

WALKER--Ever since last May was twelve months was the beginning of it.

JONES--Did you ever find her in the least inclined to do herself a mischief?

WALKER--No, I never did.

COWPER--You bought poison twice, did you give all the poison you bought to the dog?

WALKER--Yes.

COWPER--The first and the last?

WALKER--Yes, the whole.

COWPER--How much did you buy?

WALKER--I am not certain how much I bought.

COWPER--Pray, what mischief did it do the dog?

WALKER--I cannot tell, he may be alive till now for aught I know.

COWPER--What mischief did the dog do?

WALKER--A great deal, he threw down several things and broke them.

JONES--Did Mr. Cowper, upon your oath, hear Mistress Stout give you order to make his fire, and warm his bed?

WALKER--He knows best, whether he heard it or no; but he sat by her when she spake it.

JONES--Did she speak of it so as he might hear?

WALKER--Yes, she did; for he was nearer than I.

JONES--And did not he contradict it?