The Express.
London, England, 1850-03-20 00:00:00

Truths Daily New.)
ANN Mutiny was the wife of James Mrnrrr,
a tarueock of the Est London Waterworks Company,
residing in the neighbourhood of Clapton. She had
been married eight or nine years, and had five chil-
dren, three of whom are living. Up to the hour of
her hosband's death she had maintained an teem-
pasty character : the husband, on tke contrary, was
a oufirmed drunkard and otherwise given to disso-
let* habits, by which the domestic happiness of his
wife was embittered. On the 19th of January ANN
SI num ase d twopennyworth of arsenic at the
shop of a purchased
to whom she was well known. She
declared on her arrest and since her conviction that
she purchased this poison to put an end to her own
life, which her husband's excuses had rendered insup-
portable. On that night, however' he returned home
utter. Her fastfading attachment to her helpmate,
to bee children, and to life, were re-awakened, and
she refrained from putting her design in execution.
The arsenic had bet n throws into a cupboard, and
there, she says, she left it.
On the 24th of January the husband was seined
with vomiting of er partakirg of some broth and hot
tea early in the morning. He was seen several times
by his Meads a^d brother workmen hotness
eight and half-past ten. He went out with
one of them to his ordinary duty, drank
rum-and-water and brandy to turn the sickness,
bet returned home at eleven, still unwell. At this
!lee a breakfast of beef and potatoes was prepared
for him. He could not est it. A Moil came in and
the husband desired him to eat this ford if he liked,
which be did to the las.. morsel without experiencing
any injurious effects. JANtes Menairr then asked his
wife for some gruel. She had no oatmeal in the
house, but immediately sent out and purchased some.
She made the greol in the presence of her husband
and 1 ie friend, and the former ate a considerable por-
tion of it.
3lroarrr's illness still continued. He was seen
vomiting at 12 o'clock and 1. At 5 o'clock a brother
her
called and saw Mrs. MERRITT, who told him
husband was very ill in bed, and asked him to go
upstairr, which he did. About the same time the
wife endeavoured, without success, to obtain the at-
tendance of a medical man. Between this time and
8 o'clock she sent for three neighbouring surgeons,
neither of whom came : one of them sent two pills.
At 9 p.m. Mrs. MERRITT called up her next door
neighb.ur to render her assistants. This woman's
name was Gturrr. She and her husband both
ease ictr Muairr's house and went up to the man's
bedroom. The man GILLETT was begged by Mrs.
biLitiarr I. fetch a surgeon, which he did at half-
past tee. The surgeon saw the man and prescribed
two more pills, and at half-past 12 Juni Meitarry
died.
On a post mortem examination, 81 grains of arsenic
were found in the stomach of JANES MERRITT. Sus-
picion fell upon the wife. It was enhanced by the
fact that her husband was a member of a burial
society, and that she received from the society
Dome money towards his funeral expenses
the morning following his death. But on the
otter hand, it is established that the death
of her husband would have done nothing to benefit
Mrs. Muterrr's circumstances. Whilst he lived he
was receiving 30s. a week wages. His wife, after
his death, had co hope for herself and her three chil-
dren but the workhouse, to which the orphans have
since been consigned. Besides this, the meant of
payment upon SIERRITT'S death was, on the 24th of
January, 71. 100, whilst had he lived only to the 2nd
of February, Mrs. MERRITT would have received 101.
So the ease stands : a case of circumstantial evidence,
resting upon the one main fast of the purchase by
the wife of the poison which occasioned death. There
is sot one fact established, and scarcely one suggested,
which goes to the administration of the poison by the
wife. Her defence is very simple. She had thrown
the arsenic carelessly into the cupboard. In the same
cupboard there were some soda powders which ter
husband was in the habit of taking in the morning,
under medical advice. She presumes he took the
arsenic instead of one of these powders. The drug-
gist acknowledged that they were both twisted up
in the some sort of piper, and it is to be borne in
lied that the morning must have been dark at half-
past seven on the 24th of January.
The depositions taken before the committing msgis-
trate in this case were vague and insufficient. At
the trial the case was opened by Mr. BODKIN very
moderately, and with a view ratherto a verdict for man-
slaughter ttaa murder. The woman had no friends
to defend her. A few hours only before trial the
attention of the Sheriffs of Middlesex was called to
her case, and copies of the depositions were humanely
handed to Mr. Ci.sessoo. Such were the dined-
outages under which the case was tried.
The foots we have narrated being proved, Dr.
LETTIIIBT, of the London Hospital. was called to give
evidence as to his analyse of the contents of the
stomach. In the course of his examination he
hazarded an opinion that the arsenic which occasioned
death had not been in MEsaires stomach more than
four hours at the utmost. This statement made a
strong impression upon the mind of the Jude.
When the examination in chief had concluded, Sir F.
POLLOCK very closely interrogated Dr. LETHIEBT SS
to his grounds for such opinion. "Are the data
upon which you rest your opinion at all
safer Quite safe," said Dr. LISTEIVIT, and he then
went on to state why. According to his theory, be-
rmes digestion is usually effected in a period under
four boars, the arsenic taken more than four hours
previous to the death alums Maos.rev would have
from his stomach into his intestines, which it
tiled not due. Ergo, the poison which occasioned
death had been taken only four hours before death.
Now, mark the consequenoes of this evidence. The
fan was in bed from 5 o'clock to half-put 12, when
he died. The arsenic was in a cupboard, In a room
below. It follow., therefore, that it must have been
administered to him, not taken
kaM by him. And if ad-
ministered to him, by whose but by We wife's?
The learned judge took this view of the case, and
charged the jury aemadiagly. Dr. LETIIIIIT, he said,
has propounded the malt of sr:Usti& investigation
into this subject. If he was to be believed, little
doubt remained upon the ease; if, on the other hand,
there was any question as to his evidesee, there was
nothing against the prisoner but the suspicion attach-
ing to bar purchase of the arsenic. The jury, relyiag
spoil Dr. Lemma's evidence, found a verdict al
guilty, accompanying it with a recommendation to
muff on account of the prisoner's good character.
See what a superstructure is erected upon the con-
cision that the poison which maxims' death was
administered only four hours before death occurred.
This woman, in effect, bas been found guilty of a series
et suaressive administrations of poison. Awned=
Dr. Lunsav, she most have administered
about sight in the evening—though there is net the
slightest evidence that the damaged took anything
whatever at that time. According to the min se up
far the prosecutioa, she administered arsenic in the
gruel which her husband drank at twelve o'clock,—
though that gruel was mixed in the presence of the
dsseased sad el his friend, with oatmeal which the