Star. — London, England, 1822-08-16 00:00:00

SUMMER ASSIZES. INTERESTING TRIAL FOR MURDER. MONMOUTH, AUGUST 13. Racket! Edwards and Mary Sandbrooke, her ser vant, stood charged.by the CorOner's inquisition with the wilful murder of William Edwards, the husband of the prisoner Edwards. To-day the Grand Jury returned a true bill against Edwards, but ignored the bill as to Sandbrooke. About one o'clock Mrs. Edwards was placed at the bar, and arraigned on the indictment, which charged her with having, on the 28th day of June last, wilfully mixed a quantity of arsenic in milk and given it to her husband, who had languished of the poison till the 30th, when he died; and that so she did commit petit treason and murder. There were other counts charging her with administering the poison without stating that it was, infused in any liquid, and with procuring the deceased ignorantly to drink it. She pleaded " Not Guilty." The prisoner being allowed 35 peremptory chal lenges by her Counsel, Mr.CAMPBELL and Mr.TWIES objected to many of the Jurymen. Several of the panel were also challenged' on the part of the Crown. Even after 12 Jurors were sworn, Mr: Justice BAYLEY permitted the prisoner to challenge any of them on the list being read over with the places of their residence ; and on this being done, a general objection was made to all who resided in the town of Monmouth, in consequence of which five of the number sworn were dismissed from the box. Considerable difficulty occurred in finding persons competent to supply their places, the lha ne 1 being exhausted ; but such persons having at length been procured, the Learned Judge directed the Sheriff to add their names to the panel, and return them in stanter, which was done, and the full Jury sworn.- Mr. CAMPBELL addressed the Court by observing, that the prisoner would not have taken up its time by these numerous challenges, had it not been that a number of the most scandalous publications had been circulated, tending to prejudice her on her trial. The Learned Counsel held in his hand a number of handbills, ballads, and newspapers, containing shock ing details of the supposed murder, and assuming as matter of certainty the guilt of the prisoner. Mr. Justice BAYLEY joined in deeply regretting and censuring the publications, and in earnestly hoping they would not be suffered to influence the opinion of the Jury. The prisoner, who appeared very feeble in body, but did not betray any violent emotion or terror, was accommodated with a chair, by the direction of the Learned Judge. Mr. PEARSON opened the case for the prosecuti.m. He said that in a case of this deep and solemn in terest he should abstain from anything like general remark, which might possibly be found inapplicable in the result, or which would be suggested to the minds of the Jury without his assistance. He would' . confine himself to a mere outline of the evidence which would be laid before them, and would implore them while he did this to take nothing which he stated even for a moment as true, till it should be e.tablished on oath. lie then proceeded to describe the situation of the parties, who had been married about two years, and who kept the Cross Keys Inn, at 'Pontypool, until the death of the husband. Atter giving a general view of the evidence, he warned the Jury that one of principal witnesses, Mary Mor gan, had varied in her statements, and that there fore they ought to watch her evidence with the ut , most jealousy; and concluded by expressing his con fidence that they would give their anxious attention to the case, and return such a verdict as justice to the prisoner and to the Public would be ultimately found to require at their hands. Ann Williams examined by Mr. LUDLOW....-. 1 am aunt to the prisoner by marriage. In June last she lived at the Cross Keys public-house, in the parish of Trevellen, in this county, with William Edwards, who was her husband. I was there on the Friday before his death, between three and four in the after noon. The prisoner then gave me 2d. to buy white arsenic, to kill mice, from the shop of Mr. Ebenezer Jones, a druggist at Pontypool. I accordingly ob tained it and gave it into the prisoner's hands. On Sa to-day morning, I was sent for to the Cross Keys, about two o'clock : I went there, and saw the pri soner and her maid. I left the house ag-ain, with a paper riven me by Mary Sandbrooke, in the pre sence of the prisoner, and carried it to the shop of Mr. Prcbyn. On my return to the Cross Keys, I saw the prisoner and the maid, and told them that Mr. Pro by n declined giving me the drugs, but . the person who wanted them must come in person. Mrs. Ed wards desired me to go with the same paper to the shop of Mr. Jones, which I did, and returned with some other articles. I delivered them to Mrs. Ed wards herself, sheargave me two-pence received in change for my trouble, and said the woman who was waiting for the things in the house desired her to give it me. On neither of these days did I see the husband. On the Monday after I saw Mary Sand brooke and Mary Morgan on the turnpike-road, and afterwards went to the Cross Keys. There I saw the prisoner, who asked me if I had, said anything about what she had on Friday ? I replied, " I had, and would do so again." I had not been to the• Coroner. Cross-examined by Mr. CAMPBELL.—I was first examined before the Coroner on Monday, and was not long then before him, but was examined again on Tuesday. I did not say on the Monday, before the Coroner, that I received the paper on the Saturday from a strange woman. I never said so on any oc casion. I never said that I gave the poison to a strange woman ; but that I gave it to the woman of the house herself, and took my oath of it. I never , said that I gave it. to Mary Sandbrooke. I expected to have a suit of new clothes for giving my evidence; but I never said that I should not have said so much of this affair, if I had not thought so. I have not said so to Richard Thomas, the constable, or any one else. Re-examined.—Mr. Phillips, the Coroner, told me he would put things tidy about me to come here.— Some one from Usk told the I should be paid for my journey. Nothing passed on the subject of money and clothes before last Thursday, when I received my subpoena. By Mr. Justice BAYLEY.—Mysxact relationship to the prisoner is that of a cousin twice removed. We never had any quarrel. Mary Morgan ex - mined by Mr. PEARSON..---I am turned of 16 years of age. I lived as servant with Mrs. Edwards, and knew her husband. I recollect Mr. and Mrs. Edwards and Mary ,Sandbrooke going to Abergavenny fair, on the Monday before Mr. Ed wards died. I had lived with them a twelvemonth before that time. My master and mistress used fre quently to quarrel. They slept in different beds;— sometimes. in the same, and sometimes in different rooms. She has threatened to run him through with i a knife when she has had one in her hand. When he was absent, within six weeks of his death, she has wished some mischief would happen to him before he came home. I knew a person named James Lewis. Mr. CAMPBELL objected to any evidence tending to shew that Mrs. Edwards had an illicit attachment, as she could not be prepared to meet such a charge. Mr. Justice BAILEY intimated that the topic should not be pressed, and Mr. Pearson yielded. The witness proceeded.—All three returned from the fair the same evening ; my master riding one horse, and my mistress and Mary the other. My master was unwell that evening. On Tuesday even ing, between six and seven, when my master was in bed, my mistress sent me to Mr. Ebenezer Jones's shop. She desired me to procure three pennyworth of crow-fig (a vulgar term for nux minim). I ob tained several pieces, which resembled beans, and gave them to my mistress. On Wednesday morning I saw my mistress putting tea into the pot for break fast. She cut two of the crow-figs into small slices, and put them into the pot ; then poured hot water in, let it stand for a few minutes, poured out a cup ful), added sugar and cream, and carried it up stairs with a piece of bread and butter. She said she was going to take some breakfast to my master. I saw her go up stairs, but did not see into what room she went. My master did not rise that day. My mis tress returned directly, leaving the cup up stairs. Neither she nor I took any of the tea from that pot. In a few minutes she went up again, and returned with the cup empty. She poured out another cup, took it up stairs, and returned after some time wi;11 it empty. James Buckley, a soldier, was in the house that morning. On the evening of the same day, my mistress sent me again to Jones's, and directed me to bring an ounce of salts, a vomit, and laudanum. I obtained them. Oa the morning of Thursday, my mistress sent me with a basin of milk to my master who was in bed. It was my office to empty the ves sels in the room, but I did not do so on Wednesday or Thursday. When I came down stairs, from giving the milk, my mistress asked if I had given it him ? I said I was afraid to take anything up stairs. She asked why ? I replied, for fear she should do any thing to her husband and lay the blame upon me. Mary Sandbrooke, who had been out at work the earlier part of the week, came home on Friday even ing. Oa Saturday I was not in my master's room, nor did I ever see him again alive. On Saturday morning I went to the top of the stairs to call my mis tress,who had a key in her hand. I told her a woman • Wanted her, and asked if that was the key of mas ter's room ? She said, " Yes ;" 1 asked if site had locked the door? she said " Yes ;" she was afraid any one should come up stairs to take anything out of the room, The key had usually been in the door, and the door left open. I never saw it locked be fore, except on fair-days. Saturday is market-day, but it was not 'isually locked on market-days. Be tween two and three in the night after, I heard of my master's death. My mistress came down and said that master was dead. Mary Sandbrooke was with me cleaning the house. She sent me for Betty Cadwallader after I had cleaned the house, who came between five and six. My mistress directed Sand brooke and me to take a utensil to the canal, which I had never done before. and directed us to rinse the bucket in which we carried it. Its contents looked ellowish, and as if vomited. The next day my mis tress asked me and Mary to go to Ann Williams, to desire her not to say that she had been for the arsenic to Ebenezer Jones. We went and delivered our mis tress's directions to Ann Williams. I was also di. rected to wash out a small basin which appeared to have had milk in it. Cross-examined by Mr. Twiss.— My master had supper, unwell as he was, when he returned from the fair on Monday. lam sure my master was not out on the Wednesday, the day the tea was taken to him. When I saw him on Friday he was in bed, and had not been up at all that morning. The canal, into which I emptied the vessel after my master's death, was at the front of the house. It was between two' and three in the morning when we emptied it. I never heard my master vomit in his illness. lam quite sure the slicing of the beans was on Wednes day, and the time I saw my master in bed on the Fi day. I have never said that I believed my master was tipsy on Monday evening ; I did not think he was. I have said before the Coroner, that on the Wednesday, when the beans were sliced, my master went out, had his working clothes on, and stayed out all day: my mistress desired me to say this. I was then upon my oath. I believe I fixed a time for his Coming home, but what I do not remember. I also told the Coroner's Jury, that on the Friday my master went out in the morning, and returned be tween nine and ten at night. That was a false oath, as well *as the other. I also' told the Jury, not that it was the prisoner, but Mary Sandbrooke, who sent me to desire the old woman not to say anything. I heard my mistress give an order to Mary Sandbrooke respecting it; but Ttold the Coroner's Jury that I did not hear it. I said nothing to the Coroner's Jury about having seen the prisoner slice the bean into the tea-pot. I believe my mistress told me the crow-fig was to kill crows : and after this direction, she suf fered me to see her slice it into the tea-pot. lie-examined.—On Monday, my mistress desired me to tell these falsehoods to the Coroner's Jury. She told me for my life not to say that I had fetched the salts, the vomit, or the laudanum. She told me to say that my master was out on those days. No one has encouraged me ko come and give my evidence as I have done to-day. Mary Coslet examined by Mr. LUDLOW.—At one time I lived at the Cross Keys. Since 1 left it I have often.been at the house. On the Monday after Ed wards's death I was there. I went to Mrs. Edwards, and said, " Dear Mrs. Edwards, what a shocking thing is here !" and I said, " Well, mistress, have you given anything to master?" She said, " Given what?" I replied, "Given what we were talking of when I was here?" She replied, " Given what, Mary ?" 1 said, " You know what we were talking of when I was he r e?" She said, " Wh at was t h at ?" I said, " You remember what little Peggy said, when I was here, to give a little bit to master ?" and Mrs., Edwards saki, "For GOD'S sake, my good girl, do not say anything about that now." Mr. PZARSON proposed to inquire as to the con-, versation referred to by the witness on this occasion: but as it appeared to have been six months previous to Edwards 's death, Mr. Justice BAYLEY thought it would riot of itself be evidence to bear on the charge, and that it was not made evidence by the subsequent allusion. He, therefore, overruled the question. The witness was then cross-examined byMr.CAMP -11ILL.-• By little Peggy we meant Mary Morgan, the witness. My mistress charged me with having kept sugar in my box. I went home from my service ill, and afterwards my master said, " they did not want me." I continued afterwards frequently to visit at the house. My mistress once told me she had been in formed 1 had cheated her of money to buy a gosirn. Richard Jerry, examined by Mr. PEA ftscni.—l am a labouring man, living within three-quarters of a mile from Pontypool, and was acquainted with the deceased and the prisoner. I was at their house about three weeks before his death ; he was out, but his wife was at home. She asked me if I was married? J said, "No r She said, " that I was best off; no one had made such a job of herself as she had." I said 46 possibly so ; she said 44 she was tied up to a fool; she would as lieve see the devil as see him; he , was an enemy in her sight every way." • Ebenezer Jones, examined by Mr. LUDLOW.—I am a druggist, and live at Pontypool. On Friday even ing I served Ann Williams with two pennyworth of white arsenic. The next day she had an ounce and a half of white arsenic, three pennyworth of copperas, and spirits of camphor. The whole parcel came to sixteenpence. I served Mary Morgan with four pennyworth of laudanum on the Tuesday or Wed nesdAy, but I recollect nothing else. I cannot say whether I did or did not sell her nux vomica. Cross-examined by Mr. CA M PBELL.—My attention was called to this subject by Edwards's death ; but I never recollected selling nux vomica to Mary Morgan. William Morgan.—l am a schoolmaster, residing near to the prisoner. I searched the prisoner's hawse a few days after the death of the deceased, and found there copperas or vitriol. Cross-examined.—l know Ann Williams. I have had conversation with her, on the subject of the stuff she brought on Saturday. She said she brought it and gave it to the prisoner. Oa Monday, before the Coroner, she said she had given the poison to a strange woman in the kitchen. On Tuesday, before the Coroner, she named Mary Sandbrooke as the per son who hadgi.-en her the paper'. I have known the prisoner three years; her husband came to me to learn to write. Unever knew but that they lived re gularly and affectionately together. I never saw them quarrel. Mr. Richard Probyn, druggist at Pontypool, said that Ann Williams came to his shop on the Satur day, and that he refused to let her have what she, came for.—On cross-examination, the witness said that she told him she wanted it for a person, a fe male, on the road. She said nothing about Mrs. Ed wards or the Cross Keys. He had a conversation with her on the Monday, when he reminded her of what she said, and she then declared that she had told him she wanted it for Mrs. Edwards, of the Cross Keys. Before the Coroner, she said she received the parer from Mary Sandbrooke. The witness would not believe her on her oath. Upon re-examination, Mr. Probyn gave as his only reason for not believing Ann Williams on her oath, her contradictory statements on this subject. He had been subpoenaed on the part of the prisoner. By Mr. Justice BAYLM—Ou Monday, before the Coroner, Ann Williams said- she gave the paper to a strange woman in the Cross Keys. James Buckley, a private soldier quartered at the Cross Keys, remembered the journey to Abergavenny. Next day he asked the priioner where was the master? She said he had not risen from his bed, but was ill ft oin having had strange beer at Abergavenny fair. He never saw Edwards again alive. About seven o'clock on Sunday morning he saw him dead and cold. He knew of no medical man being called in during the illness. On Wednesday morning he heard a sound come from his room as of a person vomiting. There were Mrs. Edwards, Mary Morgan, and Mary Sandbrooke to attend him; but Mary Sandbrooke was away from Wednesday morning to Friday evening.. Thomas Thomas was called to speak to language used by the prisoner respeCting her husband some months before his death ; but the Counsel for the pro secution wished for the directioq of his Lordship befbre they examined him. _ _ The Learned Judge, after hearing in a whisper what the proposed evidence would probably be, said it would certainly be evidence, but the Counsel for the prosecution must exercise their own judgment. Mr. PEA ItSON, upon this, waved the question. Mr. Jabez Thomas, examined by Mr. PEA RSON. I am a surgeon, and opened the body of the deceased. The stomach was in a very inflamed state, and of a red colour, which I believe was produced by mine ral poison. In my judgment it could not have been produced by ordinary disease. There was nearly a quart of matter in the stomach at that time, which I removed. There appeared to be white particles ad hering to the coat of the stomach, and a white streak' of an inch in length, and a quarter of an inch in breadth. The white particles had the appearance of arsenic. Mr. Phillips, with my spatula, scraped off some of them, and put them on a white sheet of paper. They felt gritty to me. I gave about a fifth of what I found in the stomach to a tolerably large mastiff dog which was healthy. He appeared sick, vomiting, and in pain ; became convulsed, and died in about four hours. I applied tests to the contents of the stomach. First I made a streak on white paper with the feather of a quill dipped in it. I then rubbed over the streak a stick of lunar caustic ; it appeared yellowish, and afterwards became brown. This is a pretty sure test of the presence of arsenic. Since the Inquest I have made several other tests. Two by mix ing arsenic with other ingredients, and part of the contents of the stomach with other ingredients, on both which occasions I found that the results nearly corresponded. The next was Mr. Hume's test by ammoniaco-nitrate of silver; dipping a strip of glass in the contents of the stomach, which produced a bright yellow. The same application made to a solu tion of arsenic produced the same result. I also de composed part of the contents of• the stomach, and reproduced arsenic from them. From all these tests my opinion is that the deceased died or arsenic.— There must have been three drams in the stomach ; half a dribs would' produce death. I should thi n k a larger quantity mote likely to'produce vomitin g t h an a smaller, but I have no experience on the su bj ect. A strong and healthy man, as Edwards was, would struggle longer with arsenic than o weak one. Cross-examined by Mr. Twrss.—When I retailed arsenic its price WAS about twopence an ounce of eight drams. It could not be necessary to have two pennyworths to kill. There is a difference of opinion as to the way in which arsenic kills ; some believing that it kills by inflammation, and others by its effect on the circulation of the blood. Nuxivomica is a vegetable poison, and that which produced the death of Edwards was mineral. It is my opinion that cho lera morbas will not inflame the stomach, thou g h i t will inflame the bowels. The stomach may be in. flamed by other causes than poison, but it is not com mon. In my experience I have never had occasion, to apply those tests of which I have spoken; I tries' them from what I heard from others and from books. I never heard that the appearances produced by gar. lick in the stomach would resemble those produced by arsenic ; but in arsenic there is a garlick odour. Re-examined.—l did actually reduce a part of t h e contents of the stomach to mineral arsenic, which I have with me. Mr. Edward Harris Phillips, the Coroner, and alto a Surgeon, examined the stomach, and applied tests to its contents, and had no doubt that it contained arsenic, and that the inflammation was produced by that mineral. He said that the witness Ann Williams knew English, but not sufficiently to give evidence in that language. She was a woman of good charac• ter, and entitled, in his judgment, to credit on her oath. Mr. John Sloper, Surgeon, of Pontypool, who also saw the stomach and its contents, and applied tests to the contents, corroborated the opinion of the last two witnesses. This was the else for the prosecution. The prisoner being called on her defence, said " am an innocent woman." At the request of Mr. CAMPBELL, Mary Morgan was recalled, and her examination before the Coroner read over to her. She admitted it to be a correct statement of what she then swore. It differed from her evidence to-day, not only in the particulars ‘vhich she had admitted on cross-examination, but in others. It stated that her master was a little tipsy atter Aber gavenny fair ; that her mistress came down in the night on wlaich her master died, and said she was shockingly frightened at his illness, and that she seemed frightened at his death. Wh,2 , 1 asked the reason of her opposing statements, she persisted that she swore falsely betore on the persuasion of her mistress. _ _ Charles Waters was called on behalf of the pri soner' and examined by Mr. CAMPBELL—He said, Mrs. Edwards, on the evening atter her husband's death, sent me to the Coroner's house, requesting to have an Inquest on her husband's body the next dlr. Cross:examined.—l went to see the body. There were many people there, both men and women, but I can name none of them. Mrs. Edwards was sitting in the little room. Some people went up stairs wiine I was there, but not many. The people were talkint: about the landlord's sudden death. It was after came down that Mrs. Edwards asked me to go for the Coroner. Francis Hamer said, lam a working collier. I have known the prisoner many years, bo•h before and after marriage. When I have been at ti:e house, the prisoner and her husband appeared on the usual terms of married people. Three other witnesses were called, who stated that the deceased and the prisoner appeared on amicable terms, and that they never knew anything against the prisoner's character. Mr. Justice BAYLEY began his address to the Jury, by imploring them to give their serious and earnest attention to the case, and to dismiss from their minis everything they had heard respecting it before they entered the box. There were two questions for their consideration—first, whether the deceased came to his death by receiving arsenic into the stomach ? and secondly, whether it was administe►ed by the pri soner? On the first point the Learned Judge reca pitulated the substance of the medical evidence, and intimated that it left little doubt of the cause of Ed wards's death. He then proceeded to read over all the evidence applicable to the second question, dis tinguishing the particulars in which Williams and Morgan were confirmed by the chymists, and direct ing them in all other particulars to receive their tes timony with caution, especially that of the latter.— He warned them not to rely too much on the con versation of Mary Coslet, as conversations were always liable to great misconception, and as this conversation was not a very probable one in the relative situasion of the parties. There were some things in the case which could not be doubted, that Ann Williams pur chased arsenic ; that the prisoner had constant access to the deceased ; and that no medical man was called in to see him during his illness. The Learned Judge proceeded to comment on the whole evidence, point ing out every favourable circumstance for the p soner, especially the purchase of the two parcels ci arsenic, when one would more than suffice for the purpose, and concluded by an earnest prayer, that ALMIGHTY GOD would direct the Jury to the truth of this most awful issue. The Jury retired at eleven o'clock, and remained in deliberation till nearly one, when they returned into the box, and, amidst the breathless anxiety of the Court, delivered a verdict of—Otiilty. The prisoner being asked if she had anything :0 offer, merely begged his Lordship's favour. Mr. Justice BAYLEY, deeply affected, and almost exhausted by his fatigue and the agitation of his fee:- ings, proceeded to pass the awful sentence of the law. He observed, that the length of the trial, extenJwg beyond midnight, had given her (the prisoner) ano ther day for preparation, of which he implored .het to make ample use. After repeating his exhortatio:ls to penitence and prayer in the most earnest language, he concluded with adjudging that on Friday next she should be drawn to a place of execution, and that her body, after death, should be delivered to the sur geons for dissection. The prisoner, during this address, leant over the bar, so that her face was concealed. She appe.tred to be almost worn out by the agonizing proceedings of the day. HIGH-W ATER at LON DON HUMOR TO-hiaft ROW Morning - . 24 minute. after 2. Afternoon - 44 minutes after LONDON; Ptinsell and published by Leto place, 'fensple.bar. •