The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1809-03-27 00:00:00

- • MURDER BY POISON. YORKSHIRE LENT ASSIZES. On Tuesday evening, the Assizes at the Crown end closed before Sir !.."41MOK LK BLANC. Tke followino is a report of one of the most in teresting trials that occurred at them. It is taken from The York Herald, of Saturday, with au early copy of which we have been favoured. . Mare Altman stood indicted for the wilful mur der of Rebecca Perigo, wife of William Perigo, of Bromley, near Leeds, by poison, iii May, 181.7. Mr. Wit.t.tams opened the east, and ors billow ed by Mr. HARDY, who commenced a must elo quent and forcible speech, with observing, that lie had to detail circumstances of as extraordinary folly on the one ham!, and of iniquity on the titli..r. us ever came before a court of justice. Thu event v Inch occasioned this prosecution took place 30 far !rick as May, 1807; but he should be able in evi iicnce to thew ally the charge ems not brought for ward at a more eat ly period. In the black eiitalogue of human crimes, none manifested so !ouch depra vity as that of oni. (((( nog. it was mie of those of • ir:'ich the commission was most easy, and the pet:- N.4l6°n most difficult. When we received injury thrott.th the ineiliirm of those victuals from whence .se sought refreshment, or that medicine to which ee locked for relief in sickness, we might be truly said to he every hour in danger; and in the midst of lit'e to be in death. He should proceed to detail the evidence upon which the indictment they had heard rend was founded ; and unless the Prisoner :it the bar could rebut it by other evidence, equally , unexceptionable, they most convict her. When the deceased and her husband hest became ac quainted with the Prisoner, they lived at braniley i :old she lived at Leeds. They were of that class of people who beiieved in the c istetice of wise per sons, who run preset events, and perform actions at.r beyond the reach of human !tower. The de . eased was poorly, And thong:it she had an mil -1 wish on her; the exact meaning of which words e could not explain. Her lins!rilicl i who was very alhctionste, had recourse to the prisoner, who was reckoned n wise woirton, in artier procure her relief. The principal evidence he had to pro duce was the deceased's husband, whose memory, he uniiersiood, wrs so very retentive, that lie could go through a detail of a great variety of eircum str.,lc.-s, the ovviirrences of Its months, and relate `.V.: Litelitv. even the contents of several letters a lie received on this occasion, and which, for masons. %tele ortle.ed to he bornt as moil a., read'. By these letters lie was directed to gise no sWlnllll article. of pmperty, Ice. eze. which tliid ed to th.ir coot. ins more strongly in his me mory. ta the truth of this there could be no doubt. The person who was to work the cure, and of whom the PriaNier professed to he only the agent, was stated by her to be a Miss Blythe, of Scarben . ; anti the first letter he received from her was Coin II:11. ...rte.! to him lay the Prisisier ; and he read it at her house, after which it was destroyed.—Some of these, subsequently received, were open, and others not; part of them also had romethiag ofa post mark 011 them. This Miss Blythe, the Prisoner had craifessed. war not in existence ; but the letters were written by one Hannah Potts. lie cared not by St hoot they were written ; they passed through the Prisoner's) heads, rod it remained for her to shew, that at that time she knew nothing of their content:l, though she bridal ways talked with, Perigo mu the matters they treated of, cad evidently wmis acquainted with them. In the spring of laidi, Sarah Stead, niece of the went over from Leeds, rod binding her aunt iery ill, told her rhecould tell her Ufa woman who could cure her. Ou her return to Leeds she and ib Is sA Iteerirdingly called upou the Prisoner. whit desired to hare a Illannel petticoat sent. or any thiug the sit ce;i 4 ed wore next her skin. The husband shortly after took the petticoat to her ; and she said she oval send it to Scarborough. to Miss Myth ie. Soon after a letter mite. marked like the Searisorough post-mark, by which the deceased was directed to meet the Prisoner sit Kirstall-bridge. Stsc weut thi ther; bat the Prisoner in the meant time cagily to their house , and told the husband, that havin missed his w if e by the wa y, s h e w i s h e d h e woui d go clown and meet her. This the unsuspecting has h:mil did. The time of his absence she hstA no donbtedly employed in ti king an inventory 0r their furniture : fur all those articles were demandoil. one by our. in the suletisiiient letters from Scarilll rou 4 ll, for the use of Miss Blythe ; awl ,such of them as were not lik-ly to be itsci of destroylqi, were found is the Prisoner's Irou.e at Leeds, when she was taken up on the p.cseot charge. Here Mr. 11 tape (kelt at i rent length on the credibility of the evitleitee tLeill:4l he nitwit to bring forward ; but owing to t:c• death of the deceased. lie raid he would be eimibl.• to :snug a ny other esi 'hence of the letters, sate that of her :Thsbaiid ; for every letter or document that could ‘tlYct her she had taken care to have destroyed as +tom as its pur pose war ministered ; illlll had Providence not inter fered in an especial insulter, she would never have been suspected of being guilty of tin-ir murder. Nlr. Ji4RDY dwelt forcibly on this subject, and particularly remarked On a letter, in which pus (lent W:•re threcti:d to be taken, having come opeo from priso:ier. That she had directed these letters, t o ht. but at ut her own house, was nu instatice of the deepest subtillY ; wereitlan the contents of a letter or the middle of April. If they were taken 111 in coliscquenve sir eating the powders. site had therein told the.ti they were to be taken ill ; it' they were brought to. thou verge of the grave, yet they were not to despond ; for thought they seemed to he dead, yet they should live. Such &I.:air:in ces were most 'like') not only to induce them to take the poison, bat also to abstain from its advice. The letter ft:tiered them to begin this course of medicine on the tit!' of Nlay. For what pus ;Pose was this time appointed ? N by she hail promised to bring twenty pounds on the 20th of May. The live first powder+ they took were iisnovent ; evidently fur the purpose of iusiaring these guided people with greater confidence; and the poison was then to be taken jest four day:: hit furs the money was to come ; but it, had meter t our tet, nor ever womb]. They were directed not to let the lithe boy eat of the pudding. Why so, if it was harmless? Perhaps she wished to spare him. Lt cause he was ignorant of her deceits. Another, vr; he Goad, herever. might be rwaigswil ; [tight apprehendd, that if Ise partook of her fatal lioutity, the rytoptoma might, from Ilia yeuth awl weakness, appear too soon iu him, and thus give a tea:mature alarm Le her intended viciitns. They were ordered to k••ep the doors shut, for tear of ai, rue toy: they had nu enemy, however, except hers, If, but the doors be lug shut, might have prevented the neighbour* from rendering them ussistaece. They were not to have a doctor, fur they . were assured they should not die ; but they were directed, if taken ill, to have recourse to the honey-pot, saturated with poison. " Good God !" exclaimed Mr. I Isrtor, " can any person after this entertain u doubt that the Pri somer at the bar wished their destru,a ion ! Could ally person have laid so iliabolitail a plan with more art, or u greater possibility of eventual stweeas : To me the circumstances I have adduced, if proved, app.ar irreaistible ; and they cannot fail to strike you in the !Mine manlier, unless the Prisoner can explain or rehut theist by satisfactory giving your verdict um this uccesion, I cull on you to do your duty, Gentlemen, and I call on you to do no more. In eases resting upon eircurnstitn fiat evidence, doubts there gene, ally are, end there will he; but, Vouch et idence is to be utterly rejected, you may as well proclaim i m p un ity it, th,,, most horrid • es. If you put doubts against probability, and probability sink the scale, you must diernisii your doubts, and find the Prisoner guilty. By the Learned Judge you will be di rected to use your judgments aright upon the evi deiii•e as it acmes; and may that Almighty Being who briugs all human actious to light, tool from ' allow no secrets are hidden, guide you ni your ar duous duty, and enable you to do justice both to yourselves end to the Prisoner." Sarah Stead, the tirst Wain's% e,:ainine.l, lived at Leeds, and was niece to the deceased, %vim lived at Brantley, three or four miles from that place. On Whitsunday, 1806, Wages, went to her house, and in consequence of what pessed, called 'nom the Prisoner, whose name she did not then know, at her house in he Black Dog-yard, at the Bank, at Lets!,. Witness tat her she had been at Brantley, and lard fonini her aunt very low and poorly, and a man of the name of Butterfield had told her that she had had an coil rye lai4 on Air. The. Prisoner said she knew a lady who could core her, but neither named her, nor the place where she hied. A fortnight after Witness weut over to Bromley, and told her alit she knew a W. 0104111 that could cure het, if she a ould g., over to Leeds. Her tiliele came an the Tnesl iy after, aid Witness directed him to the Prisoner. When the IVitness first men tioned the deceased's illness, the Prisoner said the deceased were to *end the eilonter a flannel petti coat, or any thing wore next her skin. IVillimn Perin, onahand of the decased, is shoot 43 years of age. led a cloth inaonfacturer at Bronlev. His wife alied on the 44th of 3lay, 1t407. They hid been married c2O 7•11,71; and there was only a month or two iliff , ren. • in their ages. bite had, in general, a very good state of health. and was never coniineil a week its he: I.fe. lit they spring of !anti, she complained of a ilackeeifi.; or beating in her side, hut went &toot 41 g her work as usual, and made no other coniplaint. in conse. 'pence of some ronversation he had with the last wikeitss about his wife's illness, lie went, about the latter cod of July, to the Black 04,4•yaril, at the Bank, iu Leeds, to inquire for the prisoner. She was aitting at the lone, and, on his asking for her by name, desired hint to walk in, baying, " I sup twist. you are Sarah Stead's uncle, and have brought the Biome! petticoat;' and he replied " She said she would s-od it to Scarborough by that night's post, to a lady named Blythe ; and witness was to call oil the Tuesday or Wednesiluy, when there would he a letter to tell him what was to be dime. He did cull either on the Tuesday or Wed nesday. She had a 641:1' in her hand, which she said was from Miss Blythe, and after reading it to horn, blunt it.. It stated, that Mary Bateman was to go over to his house ou the 4th or August, and bring four guinea notes with her, which were to be put one in every corner of their lied, and they were to give her four other guinea notes in return. The four tirst notes were to he left ill the bed four months; fn., if touched before by the deeeased, it would her, and Miss B. wapitd mit take her in hand unless this protuise was given. Part of this letter the wittiess himself read, but lie could tint read it so quick as . the prisoner did. It was signed Miss Blythe. The sarisoiser said at first that she would meet the 4.4 guard at Kirstall bridge, about half past eleven, bat afterwards fiscal to meet her thereat one o'clock, Oil tile 4th of August, 1806. Ile,.aceortfingly, when he went home, iiiformed his wife, and she set out at the appointed time: about ballot three quarters oran boor after, while she was absent, the Prisoner rattle. and said to hint, " 1 have nn.Rell your wife ; 11:11.t. WIC seen her." Ile immediately went out to seek fur the deceased, leaving the Prisoner and her boy, whom She had brought With her, in the house. Lt about an ho.irow WI hour and a quarter, he retinae 1 with his wife, and found the Prisoner in the h0u5e...1;0114 nut the bed. The Prisoner took out four guinea tortes, fir which he gave her four in return: she then pulled out filer small begs of silk, mi,d sowed the notes she brought in them, and two of three bags were put by the deceased, awl - two by the witliems, at the four corners of the bed. The prisoner then went away, and said he ca:l when he Saone to Leeds, us there might be a letter fi,pr I About a week or a Cd•tnight after, he received it letter by the above boy, wl lie hail heard her call her own twenty times or weir % This letter, which he afterwurils inarelt, a as open , came Irma Searbro% was siglle,i M:ss Blythe, and said that Mary Bate man eortlil come to their home: an n few days, and that they must get two pieces of iron ovule in the shape, and about the size of a berme-shoe, to tie put I . ..lnuit the door, and to remain there eighteen mouths. They were to be fixed with three nails each, hut not to lie nailed with a hammer, but with the hack of a pair of pincers, which pincers were to lie teturned to Scarborough to Miss Blythe. The pr'imiiier did accordingly coins• a few plays after, and aaiil witness must go and get the mils mode, for the slim , must he wailed un by three o'cloek that after smolt. The nails were not to be neade by their own blacksinith, but by oue who lived at Stanning ley, a few miles off. • Soul! entte rifler, *tittles. fecAved another letter from thePrisouer, at her house t it was 61. pied either M. B. or Miss Myth!, but he corild lint tell how it was directed. This letter, after Imiiig read, was invent. In it he wus ordered Litany 411 e.. of bacon, as tine as he could get. It was for aome particular use, which was not mentioned, and the Priemer was to send it to Miss Blythe, at Scarliorooh. He ac-, cordiugly beualat toe bacon, atet rove it to the Pri soner's boy. This 1111111 Alan September, 1806; and from that time till A pril,lB97.lotgenerally received a letter every fortnight, sometimes by the post-boy. mid sionsetimes at her hieise, ia whiell vise lie paid her p istage for double letters. losteml of gning into a particular detail of all the several 411!11.4 lit' money she haft got from him between September, 1E406, mid April, P3o7,he was asked to state the annonat of the whole; and lie unsweied, be believed it was about 701. in sums of two, three, and four goinem at a tune. She always gave him somethino sewed op in return, whioli she told him was two, three, or four givineas, corresponding to the sums lie had give.; her. These they were not to o p en ea reluy acconin, bat to put them in the bed us soon as lie got lin ne. He hail also given her a qiiintity of goods of viirious kinds: maim; others, a camp tier!, for which he wive ill. This was in consequence of a letter he reeriv ed from Leeds, appointing him to meet the Pri- Rosier at kirkirete end, who went with him to one Thomas Dobbings, where rift of the 1.V.1 Wit% bought, anal the rest of one DAV it Ni IIekTHIV. Af ter which iie took it by her dc.;re to one Suttoo' ,, , ' where her brother's boatmati, she said, was to 4111 i for it, to take it to Scarborough. In Dobbin'a shoo, sow said it was to go to Scarborough, and Dobhili said it was is singular thing to send a bed stead .o far: Ile also brought her half a dimeii of their own china, at the time he came down to buy the bed : and likewise a teastahle, all to; o t i Scar borough. The value of the goo Is thus .al to her, is' the above-mentioned period, lies we WHY 151. or 161. at least. In the middle of Apo , Iso7, the witness received 11,1,etter from Miss If: the by the Prisoner's boy, which spoke of an illu •ss they were to take. [This letter was not proved to have been destroyed, end therefore the sulistan , e of it could not Ise received in evidence ; but frost what we collected from the opiming of 'Counsel, it stated, that both Bateman and ins wife were to take a very severe illness ; but they were told not to despair ; his Almighty God had lint given them over with death, a n d if they attended to her (Miss l 3:::) di rections they should tilinlly recover. They were to take some powders die hail provided for theme; and though these might operates° its to make them very ill, they were not to go for a doctor, but have recourse to a pot of honey Mary Bateman was to give them, by mewls of which they should recover. The powders were given, not to Perigo, lot to his wife, who took the above letter back to the Pri soner's.] On the let of May, he went down to the Priann et's, amt mentioned this letter. Ile said. it was a queerish thing Miss Blythe could foresee such thiugs as were to happen ; meaning that illness they were to take. I'he Prisoner observed, that Miss Blythe could see if any thing were wrong every day by the planets. She thea said, " I suppose you :are come for this honey i" and fetched nut of the cellar, a brown jar, w ith honey, and pat a small paper of white stuff its it. Ile knew the jar to be their own; and asked her what the white Iwader was for? She replied, she supposed it was to core their of that disorder, that it wo u ld Ores.- the Almighty to send upon them at same future tune. On the iitli of May he re:eivrd *outlier letter, with the Sciarlio rolk,ch past musk on it, :iri.lre.sed to hurt; but he slid nut see time Pris-iner till after the death of his wile. In Jim: lad he was at her house, and coin ii:ailied abaitt there things hem 4 lint settled, it, the la !non?), acre gone by. The Prisoner said she was mei ) * she had had any hand is, it, as the lady had not come home at the tine appointed, letin4 called away by her uncle Wilkaison, to go to Not. thighani. Witness 'aid lie was grieved they had not butt a dnetrr, but did ecciirding to the direc tions. She said, ." You Mappen did not lick all the honey ?" He replied, " No; I doubt we have tikes' more than done us good." She asked him what he int mit ; and lie said, at I doubt things ar'il't as they should he." The Prisoner said, " You iiiiike me so u n happy, I sha'n't sleep to night ; hut if you will !Mug the pot down to me in the morning, I w ill lick it all out before your face, and satisty you." Witness, in the latter end of Jule, was going on horseback by the Prisoner's, and she asked him to get off and ualk ie. She expressed her • atwitter that he should go to the doctor, contrary to Miss Blythe's directions; for he knew that if they did so they should all die. It hail made the Prisoner come some weeks before her time; and if her husband knew of it, he would have no more concern with her. After the honey WM mixed, he took the pot howe, and they put it et the cellar head. Before this, the deceased had brought 'mine powders bark with her when she went down to the Prisoner's house with the letters of the middle of April, marked Monday, Tuesday, Weduesslay, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday : At the time lie got the honey pot, the Prisoner mentioned the 'powder' to hon. and wished them to do every thing at-cording to Mr..; thr's directions, g. otherwise it will kill us all." The letter of the sth May. according to the wit- WWI 1141 11,1111 Mi "My dear friends, this is to let you know. that you roost make up that pod ding which I told you of in the last letter, begin ning nu the litli May, and you mast put town of their powders iii, which I vent from Scarborough to Mary Hateinall's, at Lived., and which she gave your wife whet' she way down, marked for !Monday, Tile/slay, IVednewlisy, Thursday, Friday, and 54.. tiorday. Mind what I ally unto yon, nod do every thing as I order you, and all will be well ; but if yon do not, it will kill us all. I will come over and sen d for vonr w i fe down to Mary Ilisteamii . s; and she will take me by the I I, ■nd say, God bless you, that ever I found yogi out. It pleased God Almighty to send me into the world, that I might destroy the works of darkness. I Ilan them works of darkness, hecaose they are dark nom yon." The witness read tilt letter over once of twice, and wrote a few lilies nut of it. lint duce burnt tf , at co py. %Viten I•efore the Magistrates, he had forgot that he had taken a copy, hut ternembered the contents. Ou the I Ith of May, the first rawjfar, marked 7 • , ~ rot Monday , was put into the pudding, sgrteiddie to the diret tams, and the ft 1114 . 11111. g plonk i..., every succeeding day : they r-it ISO pareettl•r taste, sof any tiding out what was right, till Saturil.Sy. do thee inorsihig witness was gkigg to ',red>. Ili i•,,i slop; e to see the powder- , pint ' , an the toddiags,. the et ceased called him down from Lisp erk foe, gest .p nes pose. Ue then set net for L. eil-,-tiorl oulps retests from thence, ebout ler initiates past twelvg,, huitsit * mouthful of cake, of a high both hr apd pis :yip partook, and ate it heti, ixt time. It isseted very hot and keen. The pewter for that dry was tice Or frvir times the quautiti of the pi cceding ones, but looked alike. The pudding le ing l'llUti:A,l. %dues. ate a mouthful of it ; and big will: four or " five times as much. lie would 'not more, be cause he did not like the tin-te of it ; the die cased also complained, but vroii:d sat it. A part that re mained she carried tato the cellar. A's she was re (unsling up, lie heard something fall front her mouth, and she immediately said, " I sin sici: !" She Was indeed very sick. In two minutes, witness him self was struck as sudden mu gnu, anal could lewdly get to the tub before he threw up. They huh v.- miter] fur twenty-four hours, and au vet hut the-4 clothes ref all sight. _The deceased, when she Met thrown up twice, brought the pot of homy out. awl took a tea-ipoouria; upon which shef erew up worse than before. In that eight au I test day sue took six or seven tee-spoonfoivi of the honey, and witness took four. They else drank a quantity of balm tete &c. slid were sick during tie night. A violent heat Caine up from the oitneee's stomach, his head was giddy, and staxged with pain, mid every thing apiwarcd sreen that he looked upon. The deceased complained of similes symptoms. His mouth grew very sore shout Sinidisy ingot: and her's blackish on Sunday, and grew worse and worse, so that she could not open it nithuut putting her hoods to it. Her symptoms were daily more aggravated, and, on the Sunday atter, tn.! clods 'o doctor was called its until (slat morning, whoa Mr. Ceurtey, surgeon and espothecury, of Leeds, was scut for, but she, died before lie genie, ug that his visit was countenueuded. They did not send for a doctor, in order that every thing might be done agreeable to the directions of the letter. Wit. ness grew rather better on the Friday, but sae so weak as ever ; mud continued so for a very (rug time after. His wife had been as well fur four mouths before as ever he had known her. The prisoner had ineutioaed to the witness as • . uncle of Miss Blythe'e named Wilkistsoo : sir one of the letters from Mims Blythe, the also tioaed her uncle Wilkineon, who herd at W , intw ' - iu Bolland.---(Thia letter was prosliseed in Com:. and was sealed with two seals; and the witness said, he believed the letters from Miss Myth were all sealed iu that way.] Ile wished much for these chimes to be at au end, and that Miss Blythe n wild come to Leeds ; and the Prisoner insured him she would goon come, as she had got to her on. ie Wil kinson's, at Whitwell, its Bollard. lies eremitism's( 0 of a letter he had sceeived, witness Mal tekter a parcel to Mr. Hick', coach-office, sit Leeds, direct ed to Miss Blythe, Centre Hotel, Buxton, and en tered it. Four or five days after dais, in Octoln r, 1807, Witness called at the Prisoner's, who sin.' she was very unhappy in her mind, end had nut been able to sleep for three or four nights, for set express officer's servant had beets there from Bux ton, for this parcel for Miss Blythe, which Wittiest, sleaskl have vent down by the carrier, and she had not received it. The Prisoner told hint 'Mist. Illy the had taken a bowie of her cousin 'it 'Minion, at Wibeey, near Fulnock, about three miles irons Brumley. It was on the 19th of October, ISOB, that witne.s opened the lied, and found the small hags that had been pat in, all of which l.e had believed to hare contained moue" , or tiles. John Rogerson opened some of them, and the witness opened the rest.— Those that die prisoner told him contained guineas. proved to have nothing its them but a leilfpersiy, or a piece of lead ; those which she said were half guineas, turned out to be farthings ; and the stern shillings-pieces to be only button tops. .Those which should have held bank notes, cautioned sic.. thing but pieces of old newspapers. Ile cut ti e semi* of the bed quite open, and fou n d ail the bags except the thug with g • 'a notes, he and his wife had put in in the prisoner's presence. The prisoner had only been in his house twice, to hie knowledge, viz. at the first visit when the bags were pot in; and secondly, when she scut him to Stannisigley to get the nails made, with a hick the horse shoe was to be nailed on. When he cattle hack lie found the pri soner and his wife in the house. On the day aft , r the bed was searched, the witness met the prisoner; nobody being present but themselves 'mil her little boy. Witness said he had opened die things mud found nothing but bits of lead, halfpeucee farthings, button tops, and hits of blank paper. The prisoner said, he had " opened them too soon ;" but Inc said: he thought "it was too late." " lie told bre he would bring three or four men dowivin the titer,,. ing."--Slie auswered, " Don't bring ally men dow n to my house, it would raise each a Jiang ha/loo! bat fix a tune to meet me in the nionsine, aed3 ow shall dud me." They accordingly fixed to me et no th e navigation beak*. lie informed IVi!liana Roger. son and J Stockdale. and they ng.rergl town along on the other side of the brink, and some lip tette-as when they were talking. In the morning they rust according to uppointment ; she sat herself down ea t he intlit side, but ins telling her that he bad brought two men with him, and one of theta coining use shit began to complain, as if sick and ponds., mod pre tended to be retching. Witbess tokrii I.er what was the matter : and she said. " That bottle yon gave me, on Saturday night, for me and my hus band, he has drank of it, and I have dreoli of it, and I think it has poisoned us both." A ...omits was with her, and elle said to the woman, " Did not you see bins give me a bottle lest right ?" 'I he women made mid answer, hot w elks's! elf. Norma is denied that he hod ever given her situ bottle, 'Fie constable sown sifter came ON slid took her into custody. Iler house was afterwards seercherl, end the camp-bed, china, tea-caddy, a piece of cloth. and several other articles, which were among those the *dries* had riven her to send to Miss Blythe, were found. This was the subotatioe of his esaini notion, which lasted nearly fivehours and a hale The Prisoner Fein g asked if she kart any qtresticirs to put to the loiMeets, desired that he might Ire spiked if the ever gave him any powders I He replied th.t I