Stunning the Punters

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First murder: William Cowle (first husband)Early on the morning of 11 January 1923, William Cowle become ill soon after taking epsom salts prepared by his wife. The first doctor who attended him did not consider his condition to be serious and prescribed a bromide mixture. But, Cowle's condition deteriorated rapidly. Not long after the doctor had left, he took a turn for the worse. His wife summoned the neighbors to help and called for another doctor. Cowle was in excruciating pain when the second doctor arrived. He foamed at the mouth, was blue in the face, and screamed in agony if anyone touched him, until he died.

The De Melker trial lasted thirty days. Sixty witnesses were called for the Crown and less than half this number, for the defence. To present the forensic evidence, the Crown employed the services of Dr J.M. Watt, an expert toxicologist and Professor of Pharmacology at the Witwatersrand University. In summing up, before giving his verdict, the judge pointed out that the State had been unable to prove conclusively that Cowle and Sproat had died of strychnine poisoning. “It does not convince me, nor does it convict the accused,” he said. On the third count, however, he had come to the 'inescapable conclusion' that Mrs De Melker had murdered her son. This was evident because:Early life Daisy Hancorn-Smith was born at Seven Fountains near Grahamstown, South Africa. She was one of eleven children. When she was twelve, she went to Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to live with her father and two of her brothers. Three years later, she became a boarder at the Good Hope Seminary School in Cape Town. She returned to Rhodesia in 1903, but apparently found rural life unexciting, because it was not long before she returned to South Africa and enrolled at the Berea Nursing Home in Durban.

Scottish immigration accelerated after the 1717 Transportation Act established service in the colonies as a punishment for criminals, who were sent to spend 7 to 14 years in America in lieu of imprisonment or execution at home.

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The FBI and the Arizona Corporation Commission conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. Erected by John Neil, in loving memory of his wife, Janet Manson, who died at Brighouse, 6th Sept. 1899, aged 50 years. Also James, their third son, killed in action at Vimy Ridge, France, 9th April 1917, aged 36 years, Also Robert, their youngest son, killed in action in France, 29th July 1918, aged 30 years, interred at Oulghy-le-Chateau, S.S.E. of Soissons. “They died that we might live.” Also Mary Thompson, his wife, who died at Boatcroft, 15th June 1923, aged 52 years. Also the above John Neil, who died at Glenlochar, 12th November 1935, aged 85 years. Dillon’s virtuosity made other on-man shows appear narrower in range. Randall Stevenson, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, 31 August 1990 Early on the morning of 11 January 1923, William Cowle become ill soon after taking Epsom salts prepared by his wife. The first doctor who attended him did not consider his condition serious and prescribed a bromide mixture. But, Cowle's condition deteriorated rapidly. Not long after the doctor had left, he took a turn for the worse. His wife summoned the neighbours to help and called for another doctor. Cowle was in excruciating pain when the second doctor arrived. He foamed at the mouth, was blue in the face, and screamed in agony if anyone touched him until he died.

On the third count, however, he had come to the "inescapable conclusion" that De Melker had murdered her son. This was evident because: The last play of the trilogy is Dostoevsky’s The Dream of a Ridiculous Man. Here, the characters become symbolic of their age, society and profession, as we see Dillon the ridiculous, Dillon the corrupter, Dillon the primitive, and lastly Dillon the despairing evangelist with his time-dishonoured message: “ That ye should love one another as ye do yourself.” Erected by John Sproat, in Kempleton, in memory of Jane McTaggart his spouse, who died 26th December 1803, aged 48 years. Also his son Isaac, who died 6th March 1800, aged 6 months. Also his son John, who died 1st November 1822, aged 31 years. Also his daughter Isabella, who died 11th Novb’r 1824, aged 34 years. And William his son, who died at Kempleton, 12th Jan. 1850, aged 63 years. The above John Sproat, late in Kempleton, who died 22nd Dec'r 1850, aged 93 years. Fact 1 - 122AD: The Romans built Hadrian's Wall as a physical barrier between the Picts in Scotland and EnglandIn memory of William Brown, who died at Argrennan, in the Parish of Tongland, on the 3rd of Sept. 1821, aged 75 years. Also Alexander Brown, his son, who died on the 18th of May 1810, aged 18 years. On 21 January 1931, Daisy Sproat married for the third time. Her husband was a widower, Sydney Clarence De Melker, who like her previous two husbands, was a plumber. The first known Scottish immigrant, Robert Sproat, sailed to America on the Mayflower in 1620. Scots started coming to the United States in significant numbers in the late 1700s, when political upheavals and social changes at home displaced many Scots and sent them searching for a better home. Presbyterian Scots sought religious freedom in the colonies, and families who lost their land when the clan system collapsed hoped to start over somewhere new. Daisy de Melker (aged 46 years) was condemned to death by hanging. The sentence was carried out on the morning of 30 December 1932 at Pretoria Central Prison. Dillon continued to bring Sproat’s characters to life for the next seven years until he finally met the author at a performance in London.