Elizabeth Binfield's hand on Saturday night between eleven and twelve
o'clock. From the time it was taken out of the fire it had not been
out of my pocket, or anything done to it, from that time till I gave
it her. I went into my master's room about seven o'clock in the
morning to carry him something to drink. When he had drank it, I said,
"I have something to say to you concerning your health and concerning
your family; I must beg you will not put yourself in a passion, but
hear me what I have to say." Then I told him, "I believe, sir, you
have got something in your water gruel that has done you some injury,
and I believe Miss Blandy put it in, by her coming into the washhouse
on Monday and saying she had been stirring her papa's water gruel and
eating the oatmeal out from the bottom." He said, "I find I have
something not right; my head is not right as it used to be, nor has
been for some time." I had before told him I had found the powder in
the gruel. He said, "Dost thou know anything of this powder? Didst
thee ever see any of it?" I said, "No, sir, I never saw any but what I
saw in the water gruel." He said, "Dost know where she had this
powder, nor canst not thee guess?" I said, "I cannot tell, except she
had it of Mr. Cranstoun." My reason for suspecting that was, Miss
Blandy had letters oftener than usual. My master said, "And, now thee
mention'st it, I remember when he was at my house he mentioned a
particular poison that they had in their country," saying, "Oh, that
villain! that ever he came to my house!" I told him likewise that I
had showed the powder to Mr. Norton; he asked what Mr. Norton said to
it; I told him Mr. Norton could not say what it was, as it was wet,
but said, "Let it be what it will, it ought not to be there"; and said
he was fearful there was foul play somewhere. My master said, "What,
Norton not know! that is strange, and so much used to drugs." Then I
told him Mr. Norton thought proper he should search her pockets, and
take away her keys and papers. He said, "I cannot do it, I cannot