On the 26th of May 1885, Thomas Hall married Catherine Cain, the stepdaughter of Captain Henry Cain, one of Timaru’s earliest settlers and a former mayor of the town. Captain Cain was not pleased with his stepdaughter’s choice of husband. Yet within months, the two men settled their differences, and Thomas became a frequent visitor at the captain’s grand residence, while he and Catherine lived in a small house just outside town with a young woman named Miss Margaret Houston, who served as Mrs. Hall’s companion.
Thomas Hall had been born in Kingston upon Hull in Yorkshire in January 1848, the son of Thomas and Sarah Hall, who farmed a large estate. While he was still young, the family emigrated to New Zealand and settled in Timaru. His father took up farming again, and when Thomas finished his education, he was put in charge of a sheep station owned by his uncle, John Hall, a man who later served as premier of New Zealand. By the 1870s, Thomas had moved into business, establishing himself as a commission agent and becoming a partner in Hall and Mason, a firm dealing in land transactions, financial arrangements, and money lending.
In a growing colonial town, such work could be profitable, and Thomas was determined to take full advantage of it. He was well-known and well-liked, moved easily in society, and was frequently seen in the company of young ladies. Many considered him an eligible bachelor. But beneath this successful surface, his business dealings were causing him serious financial strain.
Before the marriage, Thomas insisted that his wife make a will placing all her assets under his control in the event of her death. He also arranged for substantial life insurance policies to be taken out in her name, one payable upon her death and another dependent on her dying within a specified period. At the time, these arrangements did not seem out of the ordinary. Early in 1886, Captain Cain fell ill, and Thomas went to his house to look after him.
The captain complained that whiskey, which he had taken for years, now made him vomit. It was known that Thomas often gave the captain his whiskey during visits. The captain’s condition did not improve, and on the 29th of January 1886, he died. After his death, Thomas and Catherine moved into the large house, bringing Miss Houston with them.
In June 1886, Catherine gave birth to a baby boy. The occasion that might have marked a period of stability was soon overshadowed by concern, as Catherine’s health began to decline. She was attended by Dr. Patrick McIntyre, who found her symptoms difficult to explain.
The pattern of her illness did not fit a common diagnosis, and her condition fluctuated in ways that caused him increasing unease. Matters took a more serious turn when an incident occurred involving a visitor who was helping to look after Mrs. Hall. A cup of tea prepared for Catherine was accidentally consumed by the visitor, who also became ill with very similar symptoms.
When Dr. McIntyre was informed, he immediately began to suspect that whatever was affecting the two women might not be due to natural causes. He arranged for a sample of vomit to be sent for chemical analysis, and the results confirmed the presence of antimony, a substance known for its toxic properties. With this finding, the situation could no longer be regarded as uncertain.
The police were contacted and searched the property. They found traces of antimony among Thomas Hall’s effects and discovered a medical volume entitled Taylor on Poisons, a work detailing toxic substances and their properties. On the 15th of August 1886, Thomas Hall and Miss Margaret Houston were arrested and charged with the attempted murder of Catherine Hall. The arrest caused great excitement in Timaru.
News spread quickly from street to street, drawing curious onlookers and sparking constant discussion among residents eager to learn the particulars of the case. Despite the arrest, some sympathy remained for Thomas’s parents, who had for many years been regarded as distinguished and well-respected residents. Further police investigation led to the discovery that on the 8th of December 1885, Thomas Hall had forged a transfer of a mortgage from Michael Mitten to himself and Gilbert Mitten. They also found proof that on the 16th of July 1886, he had forged a promissory note for a payment of 225 pounds.
Gilbert Mitten, a partner in the business, agreed to give evidence. Over the next few days, more forgeries were uncovered, and Thomas faced a growing number of additional charges. He was kept in prison at Littleton, and on the 27th of September, it was decided to exhume the body of Captain Henry Cain. A postmortem examination revealed in his body the presence of a significant quantity of antimony.
The discovery caused widespread shock, and many began to wonder whether Captain Cain’s death had in fact been the result of deliberate poisoning. The trial began in Christchurch on Monday, the 11th of October 1886. Interest from the press and public was such that the area around the court was packed, and entrance was by ticket only. It was described as one of the most remarkable cases ever heard in a colonial criminal court.
The jury would consider whether Thomas Hall and Miss Houston had attempted to poison Catherine Hall, while Thomas also faced twelve charges of forgery. It was decided that at this stage, he would not face the charge of murdering Captain Cain. In addressing the jury, Mr. Justice Johnston referred to the great importance of the case and the seriousness of the charge.
The court was told that on the 19th of June, Mrs. Hall had given birth to a child, and that prior to this, in November of the previous year, she had suffered symptoms of distress including vomiting, which her medical attendant naturally attributed to pregnancy. Following the birth, similar symptoms appeared and continued. Shortly before the arrest, vomit from Mrs.
Hall had been analyzed by Doctors McIntyre and Drew and found to contain antimony. On one occasion, ice water given to her caused violent sickness, so a nurse tasted it, found it bitter, and when that water was later analyzed, it also showed a significant quantity of antimony. Following the arrest of the prisoners, Mrs. Hall’s condition rapidly improved.
The question then arose: by whom had the poison been administered? Two female servants and a nurse testified that Mr. Hall was in the habit of entering his wife’s room and sometimes giving her tea. They denied any knowledge of improper substances being given to Mrs.
Hall but confirmed that Mr. Hall had ample opportunity to administer poison. Evidence showed that before Mrs. Hall displayed any signs of being poisoned, Thomas had been reading medical books, particularly those detailing poisons.
It was claimed he had also purchased a considerable amount of tartar emetic, a form of antimony. At the time of his arrest, he had attempted to dispose of something in his pocket, and a file and a cork were later found, both showing traces of antimony. Inspector Broham testified that when it became apparent Mr. Hall was unable to retrieve the file, he became very anxious.
When the book of poisons was discovered during the search, Mr. Hall had remarked, “I suppose this will tell against me. ”
As to motive, it was stated that Mr. Hall had been in serious financial difficulty, that a forged promissory note was soon to fall due, and that he was in urgent need of money.
He had insured his wife’s life only a few weeks before her illness began and had encouraged her to make a will leaving everything she owned to himself. The press had reported an attempt to set fire to the house, and kerosene had been found hidden in an outbuilding, but as this would probably not have been provable in court, it was left out of the proceedings. Turning to Miss Houston, the prosecution claimed she had been on very familiar terms with Mr. Hall.
While there was no clear evidence of an improper relationship, their conduct suggested a degree of intimacy. She would sometimes enter his bedroom, bring him tea in the morning, and remain there for some time. Witnesses had seen them out together and testified that in private she addressed him as Tom while he called her Meg or Maggie. Given this closeness, it was suggested that Miss Houston was someone in whom Mr.
Hall placed confidence and that she too had ample opportunity to administer poison. When Mr. Hall was charged, Miss Houston attempted to free his hands so he could remove something from his pockets. Inspector Broham added that both her words and actions suggested she was aware of the poisoning.
Letters she had written to Mr. Hall while both were in prison were presented, all indicating a high degree of familiarity. She claimed they were merely written to cheer him up. The defense argued that Miss Houston had no personal motive to poison Mrs.
Hall, as there was no evidence suggesting that Mrs. Hall’s death would benefit her. The prosecution reminded the jury that Mrs. Hall’s condition had worsened over time due to ingesting poison, that it was highly unlikely to have happened by accident or self-administration, that both prisoners had constant access to her, and that Mr.
Hall had purchased antimony, studied its effects, was in urgent need of money, and would have gained much-needed financial relief from his wife’s death. The jury deliberated for less than ten minutes before finding Thomas Hall guilty of attempted murder. The judge sentenced him to life in prison. Miss Houston’s involvement was less clearly defined, and she was acquitted.
Even as the judgment was delivered, further questions remained, and there were calls to charge Thomas Hall for the murder of Captain Henry Cain. It was known that for some time before the captain’s death, Thomas had been in serious financial difficulty and had resorted to forgery. In many ways, Captain Cain’s death would have brought him financial benefits. The captain had two stepdaughters, Catherine Hall and Mrs.
Newton. There was no clear evidence that Thomas had known the exact terms of the captain’s will, which divided the property between the two women, but financial arrangements made the captain’s death advantageous to him. Under one agreement, his wife and her sister shared income from certain funds, and under another, made in December 1885, Catherine had been granted a life annuity of 300 pounds per year and the use of the house where the captain had lived. Before her marriage, Mrs.
Hall had placed all her property in trust, meaning Thomas could not directly control it, a request that had been strongly opposed by Captain Cain and had caused friction between the two men. It was decided that there was enough evidence to charge Thomas Hall with murder. At his trial, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. However, an appeal was lodged, and the conviction was overturned on a technical point of law.
The outcome caused considerable reaction, with many people believing that Thomas Hall had got away with murder. He remained in Mount Eden prison for many years before eventually being released in 1907. His release was accompanied by certain conditions. An allowance was granted to him, reportedly arranged through family influence, on the understanding that he would leave New Zealand and not return.
By this time, his wife had been granted a divorce and had gone to live in England with their son. Thomas did leave New Zealand after his release, but the details of his life from there are uncertain. Some reports suggest he traveled to England, while others indicate he may have settled in Australia. It has been claimed that he lived under another name and attempted to support himself through modest means, including the sale of photographs.
There are also suggestions that he sought permission to return to New Zealand but was not allowed to do so. For many years, the official record held that the date and place of his death were unknown. However, the biographer Peter Graham has proposed that he may have spent his final years in the Australian town of Yeppoon and that he was buried there under an assumed identity.