Carlisle Patriot February 6, 1880 Serious Charge Against Druggist's Assistant

Serious Charge Against Druggist's Assistant

Peter SIMPSON, assistant in Mr. N. TAYLOR’s shop at Botchergate, was charged with supplying medicine and other appliances to a young woman for a criminal purpose on the 7th inst.   Mr. WANNOP prosecuted and Mr. ERRINGTON was for the defence.   The case rested mainly on the evidence of  a girl named Jane MATTISON, 20 years old, servant with Mrs. REID, Portland Place, who went to the prisoner and asked advice and medicine for a lady friend of hers for a  certain purpose. The prisoner asked some questions, and gave her some powders, and a bottle of brown stuff and a syringe. She got more powders on two occasions, on the 17th getting a dozen.   In cross-examination, the girl said she got the medicine for herself. No person told her to go to this shop. She gave a different account of what she said when she first saw the defendant to that given in her examination in chief.   Mrs. REID said she received five or six powders and a bottle from the girl, who told her what she had done. She went to the prisoner, and asked him what he meant by supplying a young girl with such things? He replied that the girl had told him a great many lies.   The Chief Constable said he apprehended the prisoner, who, in reply to the charge, said he was not guilty, and that the medicine that he gave the girl was simply of a regulative kind. The five powders he received were sealed and sent to Dr. WALKER. In answer to Mr. ERRINGTON, he said he had no sworn information before apprehending the prisoner.   Dr. WALKER, analyst for the city, said he analysed one of the powders he received from the Chief Constable. It contained saccharine carbonate of iron. It was a mild preparation of iron, and, under certain circumstances, would have an effect such as that under consideration.   In cross-examination, he said he never knew this preparation being used for that purpose. He knew of no case of the kind from reading. The ingredients of which the powder was composed were oxide of iron, carbonate of iron and sugar. Shown an entry book used in the shop, Dr. WALKER said a certain entry correctly described the powder. Under certain circumstances, he said he would have had no hesitation in giving the same prescription; it was, as he had said, a mild preparation, and was used for general debility.   Mr. ERRINGTON said it was an extraordinary thing that this young woman should have made the application she did to this young man, and that he should have supplied her with medicine for such a purpose as is alleged, and correctly entered the stuff in his Master’s book, besides putting labels bearing his master’s name on the powders, and giving instructions for use. He submitted that there was no prima facie case against the prisoner. No doubt there was some suspicious circumstances about the girl’s application. She had already given two versions of what she asked for, and he contended that she gave SIMPSON to understand she wanted something quite different from what she now stated. He gave her medicine which he thought was required from her statement to him, and he acted in the usual way of giving out medicine.   The Mayor said the Bench were of opinion there was sufficient evidence to send the case foe trial, but they would accept bail.   The prisoner was then admitted to bail in two sureties of 100l each, and himself in a like some.

 

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