The Express.
London, England, 1865-07-13 00:00:00

CONFESSION OF D& PRITCHARD.

Dr. Pritchard on Tuesday made a written con-
fession, of the murder of his wife—the entreaties of hie
daughter, who had an interview with him as Monday, being
understood to have wrung from him this partial arknow-
lodgment of his guilt. The document is as follows:—"!,
Edward Willhun Pritchard, M.D., 11.R.0.5.E., end
Ac., hereby make in writing, in the presence of
the Rev.' R. S. Oldham, M.A., the following conteraloo,
for transmission by him to the proper authorities:—
It was when my wife was at Ardentinny, in the summer
of 1863, that I fist became intimate with the girl Mary
Macleod, sleeping with her in my house at 22, Royal
Crescent. This continued at intervals up to the time of
our removal to 131, Sanohnhallntreet. She became preg-
nant in May, last year, and with her own consent I
produced a misarri•ge. I have reason to believe that
Mm. Pritchard was quite aware of this, and rather sought
to cover my wickedness and folly. My mother-in-law,
Mrs. Taylor, came last February to oar house, and caught
Mary Macleod and myself in the consultiog-room ; and the
day before her death, having apparently watched us, she
said to me in the same room, ' You have locked her into
the cupboard,' which was true; but nothing more passed.
I deciareltre. Taylor to bandied in themanner I have before
stated, and I now believe her death to have been mused by
an overdose of Battley'e solution of opium. The aconite
found in that bottle was pot in by me after her death, and
designedly left therein order to prove death by misadventure
in caae any inquiry should take place. Mrs. Pritchard was
much better immediately after her mother's death,
but subsequently became exhausted from want of
sleep. I accounted for this by the shock produced by her
mother's death ; and hardly knowing how to act, at her
own earnest request I gave her chloroform. It was
about midnight. Mary Macleod was in the room, and in
an evil moment (being besides somewhat excited by
whisky), I yielded to the temptation to give her suffi-
cient to cause death—which I did. I therefore declare
before God, as • dying man, and in the presence
of my spiritual adviser, that I am innocent of the crime
of murder so far as Mrs. Taylor is concerned, bat
acknowledge myself guilty of the adultery with Mary
Macleod, and the murder of my wife. I feel now as though
I bad been living in a species of madness since my con-
nection with Mary Macleod ; and I declare my solemn
repentance of my clime, earnestly praying that I may
obtain Divine forgiveness before I suffer the pen►lty of the
law.*

DR. PRITCRARD. —The following account of this
notorious crimisal, who is left for execution on the 28th
inst., will probably be read with some interest at the pre-
sent moment. Edward William Pritchard is the son of
Mr. John White Pritchard, a C4Pilll2 in the Royal Navy,
and was hero M 1825 at Soothes, Hants. After going
through the mud preliminary educaton, he was apprenticed
in Eleptember,lB4o, to Messrs. El wd. John sad Mar. Henry
Scott, surgeons of considerable practice in Portsmouth.
During his apprenticeship he is stated to have assiduously
studied the elementary branches of his profession sod con-
ducted himself with great propriety. On the completion of
his appreetioeship he came to this meteopolis, and entered
on bit hospital studies at King's College in October, 184.3 ;
them also he prosecuted with great zeal, and his friends
being desirous that he should enter the naval service of
his country, he memoraleed the autbcritka at the Col-
lege of Surgeons to be allowed to offer himself for ex-
amination at an earlier period than was at that thus
allowed. His application having been greeted, be appeared
before the court of examiners on the 29th of May, 1848,
and, after the usual examination, was admitted • mem-
ber of the college. He then underwent an examination
before the Navy Board, and was duly limited an semis-
tont surgeon in her Majesty's Davy, and has several rela-
tives in the cludiatant branch of that service. Those
who know what the position of the medical officer in
the royal navy was at that time, and which is not
much improved at the present time, will not be sur-
prised that • highly-educated and accomplished surgeon
should endeavour to emandpate himself from such thral-
dom. He, therefore, embraced the first opportueity.
aid resigned all connexion with the royal Davy, and
determined on seeking private practice. Finding it
was neemeare to possess a double qualification, be pre-
sented himself before the Society of Apothecaries, and
having passed the examination was admitted • licentiete of
the hall. He bad previously obtained (it is believed by
purchase) the "M. D.^ of Erlangen. He then proceeded to
°Lwow, when he practised with great moms, until his
apprehension for a crime, second only in atrocity to that of
the notorious William Palmer. While waiting for practios
he sought amusement and profit in the use of his pen, and
bemuse a laborious contributor to the advancement if
general and medical science ; many of his papers are dir
tribnted through the pages of the Medical Times and
Gazette, and the Lancet, the Transactions of the Mamma-
-1 ceutical, Obstetrical, and King's College Medical Societies.
He was the author of • " Visit to Pitcairn Leased," " Ober-
rations on Filey an • Watering Place," " The Guide to
i Fifty and its Antiquities," "Crest Lodgings for the Poor
deities," du. Dr. Pritchard was • fellow and member of
nearly 99 learned societies and institutioos in the United
Kingdom. and medical officer to several life assurance
dikes. In personal appearance the convict is • tall
slightly-built man, about lift. 10in. or Ilia. in height, with
sharp pointed features, aquiline nose, and dm not appear
older than the age stated—viz., 41 years.
DREADFUL BOAT ACCIDENT. —FOUR PERSONS
DIMMED. —Oll Tuesday melancholy accident
occurred in Poole Harbour, within eight of the quay.
Four men in the employ of Mr. G. Jennings of London, at
the South Welters Pottery near Pool*, together with three
women, their wives, or other relatives, were sailing in •
small boat in one of the chaser& le the harbour, when, by
some mishap, the boat espised, is is believed, owing to a
violent gust of wind, and the unfortunate persons were all
precipitated into the water. A pilot named Hart, and
two fishermen, witnessing the accident from the quay,
rowed immediately so the assistance of these in the water,
and they succeeded io bringing the following ashore :—Joba
Baker, Sheeran Lucas, Davenport, a daughter of Mr.
Devenport,ee and an old woman named Ford. Of these
Baker sod Lucas were speedily restored to eeimition, and
the life of the young woman Devoeport is sot despaired of.
Her father and mother were both drowned, and the body of
' the former his not been dissevered. Ford and his wife dad
alma immediately after Wag Magid to lead.

SHARD LISTS.-(THIS DAV

Tiro o'Clusa.,

The railway market is quiet to-day, and prioss-7
y are quoted the same as yesterday. The
generally
settlement will be completed to. morrow.
London and North Western stook is now quoted
124 to 1 ; Great Western, 67 to t ; Midland,
135 to k; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 122 to
; Caledonian, 132 to 133 ; South Eastern,
86 to 1 ; Great Eastern, 49 to 1, ex div. ; London
and South Western, 99 to 100 ; Metropolitan, 142
145, Great Northern, 1291 to 1301 ; ditto A,
144 to.

_
Foreign and colonial railway shares are in-
active, and prices exhibit no alteration.