Sergeaht Harry Beale stated that he went to see Mrs. Barber as a result of.a communication from Mr. Greg. When Sergeant Beale stated that he had been in charge of inquiries, Mr. P. Butlin (for Mrs. Barber) asked: "Is there a scrap of evidence of any kind that Mrs. Barber posted this or any other parcel in Sale on that date (May 6)?—I have not been able to find any.
Mr. Butlin—Is the position this? There is not a scrap of evidence of any description that Mrs. Barber has ever been in possession of any permanganate crystals?—Yes.
The case for the prosecution was concluded, and Mr. Butlin submitted that there was no case, on the evidence of the prosecution, to go for trial, The whole of the evidence, apart from that of the handwriting experts, is in favour of Mrs. Barber, and the evidence is that of the prosecution, said Mr. Butlin.
I am not called upon to prove that this is a put-up job. Iam not called upon to prove that the story of Mrs. Greg is not true, but I can cast doubts upon it from the evidence of the prosecution. Mrs. Greg was preparing evidence from the moment when she opened that parcel. She was preparing for this case. It was in her subtle mind that she would want evidence to prove that these things had come in the condition she suggested. Who would keep a box of chocolates in the brown paper wrapper in which they had arrived for two days?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.