POISONED CHOCOLATES.
At Bow-street Police-court yesterday Sir Richard Muir made a full statement of the facts relied upon by the prosecution in support of the case against Walter Frank Tatam, who was charged on remand with attempting to murder the Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir William Horwood, and two of his assistants, the Hon. Trevor Bigham and Mr. Frank L. D. Elliott.
Tatam, a single man, aged 42, was described as a horticulturist, residing with his parents in Balham High-road, S.W. He was defended by Mr. Travers Humphreys.
Sir Richard Muir, in his opening statement, said he proposed to ask the magistrate to commit the prisoner for trial upon six charges, including charges of administering poison to Sir William Horwood with intent to commit murder and so as to endanger his life or inflict grievous bodily harm, and of attempting to administer poison to Mr. Bigham and Mr. Elliott.
WEED KILLER.
The first of the parcels bore the Balham postmark of Nov. 3. and was addressed to Majors Bigham and Elliott. They were both away at the time, and it was not until Nov. 6 that Mr. Elliott opened the package and found inside it four chocolate eclairs. Analysis showed that one of these eclairs contained arsenic of a blue colour similar to the arsenic sold as Eureka wood killer. The quantity was 3¼ grains, and two grains was considered a possible fatal dose. It would be proved that at the end of October or the beginning of November the prisoner bought similar eclairs at a local shop where he was known as a customer. The handwriting of the address and on a card enclosed would be identified as Tatam’s by a doctor in whose care he was for many years. The second parcel bore the Balham postmark of Nov. 8. It was addressed to Sir William Horwood, who, as it unfortunately happened, was expecting on the very day that he received it some chocolates to come from his daughter on the occasion of his birthday. He opened the parcel, which contained some whipped cream walnuts, and placed it in a drawer in his desk, and later in the day he ate one of the chocolates and offered one to his secretary, Miss Drysdale, but fortunately she did not eat it. Sir William afterwards became very ill, and suspicion fell on the chocolates, which were analysed and found to contain a plug of arsenic of a blue colour. One which was tested for quantity contained six grains – that was three fatal doses. It was only the prompt medical treatment which Sir William obtained, coupled with a marvellously strong constitution, which saved his life.
Counsel went on to point out resemblances between the handwriting on the parcels and documents written by the prisoner, including a letter addressed to the Commander of the Forces, Aldershot, and a series of letters sent to Scotland Yard in 1921, complaining that certain constables were not doing their duty properly. He also reminded the magistrate of evidence previously given as to the finding at the house of the prisoner’s parents of empty tins which had contained Eureka weed-killer.
“I WOULD NOT HARM HIM.”
Continuing, Sir Richard said the third parcel was posted in Balham on Nov. 9, and was addressed to the Commissioner, who at the time of its receipt was in hospital. It contained two tablets of chocolate packed in a jewellery box. Two holes had been made in each tablet, and these holes were filled with plugs of arsenic. One contained one-fifth of a grain. The fourth document was in the form of an envelope addressed to Sir William Horwood at St. Thomas’s Hospital, and enclosing a seidlitz powder. The fifth parcel, dated Nov. 27, was addressed to the Commissioners of Police, and contained two tablets of chocolate in which was arsenic to the extent of l-20th of a grain. After Tatam had been arrested and taken to Scotland Yard, Superintendent Wensley showed him the coverings of the various parcels, and told him (that they had contained poison, and that the writing on them was thought to be his. He then said:
I wrote all those addresses. It is an accident. I would not hurt your Commissioner. I sent them to him for analytical purposes. It was an accident. I sent the Commissioner the four chocolates. I was grieved when I saw by the papers he had been poisoned by them. I have had no real rest since. I would not harm him for anything.