questions in such a traumatizing situation.
Regan and Bell had a theory that Tyrell Tilford had not been murdered but had committed suicide. He had poisoned himself, intending to frame his wife, who he believed was unfaithful. They thought it was quite possible that Elizabeth was unaware that arsenic was even in the house. Their task would be to convince a jury.
The trial began on September 24 before Mr. Justice A. C. Kingstone and lasted nine days. Prosecuting for the Crown was Special Attorney Cecil L. Snyder. He intended to portray the defendant as a cold-blooded, calculating woman who had killed for money. Elizabeth had already been convicted in the court of public opinion. When the newspapers reported that no trace of arsenic or any other poison had been found in William Walker’s body, most of the people in Woodstock still held to the belief that Elizabeth had murdered him.
Members of the Tilford family were the Crown’s principal witnesses. They said that Elizabeth had become involved with Bill Blake, a prosperous man who owned two farms. Tyrell’s sister, Annie, testified that her late brother had complained to her just two days before he died that Blake and Elizabeth had been “kicking up a terrible racket” in his own home.
The Tilfords said that Elizabeth wanted a separation from Tyrell and had demanded to be reimbursed for the CAD$1,900 she had put into their house. They claimed it wasn’t enough for her that she was the sole beneficiary of Tyrell’s will. She had threatened to take James Tilford to court and “get every cent he has,” they said.
William Tilford said he’d gone to Tyrell’s house when he first heard his brother was ill and found him in bed. He and Elizabeth were both sitting at the bedside when Tyrell said, “It’s no use, Bill. My wife has been giving me poison.”
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
