Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-03 00:00:00

THE GLASGOW POISONING CASE

TRIAL OF MISS M. SMITH, FOR MURDER

HIGH COURT OF JUSTICIARY, EDINBURGH.

We yesterday gave a portion of the evidence taken on the first day
in this extrao-dinary case, and now append the evidence afterwards
adduced—yesterday summarised In our telegraphic despatches—up
to the adjournment of the court:—
Thomas Ross, auctioneer, Glasgow : I recollect being In St'rling
. . .

on 22nd March last, and leaving by afternoon train for Glasgow. I
went to Coatbridge by the train. I saw a foreign gentleman when I
got out of the,traln. I did not know his name. The guard intro-
duced him tome as a gentleman who was going to walk to Glasgow.
I had nothing to eat, but the other gentleman had some roast beef
and a small bottle of porter. It took us ra,her more than two hours
to walk to Glasgow. It is eight miles. lie had a Balmoral cap on
his head. [Shown the cap.] It was one like that [Shown coat.]
That is not the coat he had on. He walked well, and was not tired.
He was smoking several fines, and appeared to be In good spirits.
We parted at top of Abercrombie-street, in the Galloweate. He told
me he was go'ng to the Great IVesterna•cad. Ido not know whether
Franklin-place is war that. Cross-examined : He told me he had
come from Alba that morning. He said lie bad walked from A lea
to Stirling. Ha said it was eight mils. He said nothing about
Bed: a of Allan. Our conversation was merely on local affairs. I
was not in any house with him from Coathridge to Glasgow. I am
quite certain of that. We were in no shop. By the Lord-Advocate :
We left Coatbridge at twenty minutes after five. William Stevenson.
lam warehouseman in the employmmt of llnggins and Co. The
late If. L'Angelier was in our warehouse. He was in the department
under me. He was unwell ha March. lam aware of his being un-
well one day in my absence before that. Ha got leave of absence in
March. He was going to Edinburgh. lam aware he afterwards-
went to the Bridge of Allan. Tend not see him between his going- to
Edinburgh and then to the Bridge o: Allan. I got a letter from him
from the Bridge of Allan : March 20.
Dear am happy to say I feel much be' ter, though I fear
I slept in a damp bed, as my limbe are a'l sore, and scarcely able to
bear me. But n day or t ..o will put me t rights. What a dull place
this is ; I went to Stirling to-day, hut it was so cold and damp, I soon
hurried hone again. Am I wanted? If so, lam ready to come home
at any t. me. J rat drop me a line al the post-office. You were talk-
ing of taking a few days to ymrself, so I shall coati up whenever you
like. If any letters come, please vent them to me here. I intend to
be home not later than Thursday morning.—Yonrs,
P. EMILE, L'ANGELIER.
He usually signed in that way. He was generally addressed "
in the office. I answered that letter. I found my letter in the p )st-
office, Bride of Allan, after L'Aegelier's death. That was in the
forenoon of Friday, 27th March. I never saw L'Angelier after he
went to Edinburgh. I got notice of his death on Monday, 23rd March.
Mr. Corbett, a partner, mentioned it to me. I went direct to the
French consul's office. I saw M. Thuan, a fellow-lodger of L'Ange-
lier's, there. He told me D. Thompson was L'Angelier's medical
man. I got Dr. Thompson to g) to lire. Jenkin's lodgings. I saw
L'Angeller's corpse there. I heard of another medical man having
attended him—Dr. Steven; and I sent for him. He came while Dr.
Thompson was there ; and they p ()posed an examination of the body.
I did not then authorise a post mortem examination ; but I did the
next day. I informed the procurator fiscal on Tuesday. I was
present when the examination commenced, and saw it was L'Ange-
lier's body. I did not expect L'Angelier would be in Glasgow on the
Sunday night. That would have been inconsistent with his letter.
His clothes were lying on the sofa al-de bedroom. I examined the
clothes, and Inn: various articles, such as pipes of tobacco, three
finger-rings some silver, and a bunch of keys, Sze ; and there was
also a letter in his vest pocket. It was a letter and an envelope.
(Shown latter and envelope.) These are they :

Why, my beloved, did you not came to me. 0, beloved, are yon
ill ? Come to me. Sweet en% I waited and watched for you, but you
came not. I shah wait again to-morro e night, the same hour and
arrangement. Do come, sweet love, my oen dear love of a sweet-
heart. Come, beloved, and clasp me to your breast. Come, and we
shall be happy. A kiss, fond love; adieu, with tender embraces.—
Ever believe me to be your own dear, fond Mass
The letter was addressed " M. Emile L'Angelier, Mrs. Jenkins', 11,
Franklin Place, Great Western Bold." I made some remarks on
that letter, but Ide not remember what they were. I remarked that
that letter explained why he was in Glasgow, and not in Elinbureh.
I found a bunch of keys in his pocket. I took them with me. I
gave them to Mr. T. F. Kennedy, our cashier. I knew M. L'Angelier
had a memorandum-book. I saw it on the Monday. I had it when
came from his hdgings, but I cannot soy where I got it. I got it
in his lodgings, but I cannot tell where. [Shown a memorandum-
book, and asked if that was the book. Witness repied that it was,
identifying the handwriting as his.] I took it with me to the office,
and put it into a parcel and sealed it up. I saw it subsequent y
given np to the public authorities. Crossemamined by the Dean of
Faculty : Look at that label and read it. " Glasgow, 30th March,
1857. Found in the desk of the deeeasea Pierre L'Angelier, in the
office of W. B. Huggins and Co., 10, Rothcharch-street. J. Mac-
kensie, B. 51' Lachlan, W. Anderson, J. Stevenson."—You signed
that ? I did.—You signed that d icument which states that the book
was found in his desk in Heddlngton's Warehouses, ferl you swore
jest now that you get in his lodgings ? I put it in hit desk sealed
up, and it was opened afterwards, and labelled when it was taken
ont. By the Court : Did you put that sealed parcel into L'Angeiier's
desk after you sealed it up? I did. By the Dean of Fatality:
When you pm, it tete W. desk, yr.) it acaloa uy t IL IN.O not.
Did yotletake it out of his desk? Nat after it was pat in till the
officers got it. Did you take it out of his desk at any time whatever
after you put it in? No.—Do you know who took the book out of the
desk ? I am not quite certain which of the officers it was.—Do you
know at all who took it oet ? I caw two officers take the things out.
—What do you mean by saying on the label that this was found in the
desk? I meant that they found it there.—ls that what you say? You
say it was found? Why did yen say so.? Because they took it out.—
How do you know they took it out that day? The book was there
when they came.—How do you know that? I saw the book.—Did
anybody see you find the book in the lodgings ? lam not aware.—
What day was it ? Oa the Monday.—Who was present ? Dr. Stevens,
Dr. Thomson, Mr. Thuau, Mr. Wilson, and Mrs. Jenkins might be in
the room. Can you tell me whether anyone of them people was
aware of your having found this book ? lam not aware.—How long,
after finding it in the lodging-house, was it before you put it into the
desk ? I cannot tell how long.—Was it the same day ? Ido not
mind.—Was it the same week ? The same week.—That is all you can
say about it ? That is you carry it about in your pocket?
I did not, beyond taking it from the lodging to the office.—From the
time you left it upon the desk, when did you next sea it ? I saw it
several times that afeernom ; and it was opened once or twice that
atfernoon.—ls that the Tuesday ?No ; the Monday.—By whom was
it opened? By me. By the C tart : Was it sealed ? It was sealed, and
opened and sealed again. By the Dean of Faculty : Was It sealed with
the office seal ? Yes.—Was there nothing to prevent anybo iy breaking
the seal, opening the book, and sewing it again? Nothing.—The
fiscal recpelted you to bring over the letters to him which were
in L'Aneeller's desk, and you did so ? I die so.—You took some of
the letters, not all ? Not all.—You saw the book. then ? Yes.—Was
it sea'ed ? No ;it was open.—Had you the key of the desk I had.
—Where did you get the key ? In the bunch I got from his lodgings.
—Was the back of the desk in a very frail state ? I was aware the
lock was.—Are you aware the back wan ? lam not aware.—Are you
aware L'engelier had complained that soma of the lads is the back
warehouse hod got into his desk ? lam aware that he complained to
me.—You saw the book in the desk upon Wednesday morning ; when
did you see it neat ? Ido not mind.— Did you ever see it again till
to-day? Yes.—When? I saw it repeatedly in the desk ; I can-
not say when.—Did you ever see it out of the desk after that ? Yes.
—Where ? I saw it out of the desk in the fiscal's office.—Did you see
it receive this label ? I del.—flow many times do yea suppose the
desk was opened between the ems L'enge'ler died and the time you
signed this label ? I cannot tell.—Has it not been a great number of
times? Frequently.—And by other parsons? I was always present,
although some other persona were looking at the letters and books.
By the Court.—Who were these people ? Mr. T. F. Kennedy, our
cashier; Mr. Wilson, oar invoice clerk ; and I think Mr. Miller was
present, and oneor the warehouse lads. By the Doan of Faculty.—
Anybody else? There may have been some young men belonging
to the works in the, same apartment. Any people who were
strangers to your establish,aent ? No. Ace you quite ears of that?
Not a single one. What do you say to Mr. elites? He was not in
that day. Has ha not been in year warehouse since laangelier's
death? Several times. I suppose he saw the latter, ? I do not
think he saw any of the letters in our place; not to my knowledge.
What did he come for? He came to implies after the death of M,
L'Angelier. Did he not ask to see anything? lam not aware that
he did. Did he address himself to you or to other people? I saw
him once or twice when he was in, and ha addressed himself to me.
Were you not at one time ander the impression that you found this
bock in the desk at the worchsuse, and not at the lodging ? I
stated so. You stated 30 more than once, did you not, in year
precognition ? I am not aware that I did so more than once ; I
did so once, and that was ray impression at that time. How
long is it since you changed your mind ? On the day that I
wrote a note to Mr. Hart, as soon as I remembered that I had found
the book.—How long ago It is a few days ago.—Did you make any
inventory or list of the things you found in L'Angeiier's lodging?
None.—Did yon make any inventory of the letters he had in his deee
in the warehouse? No.—lou never saw any list of them, dal you ?
No. You are not aware of any list being made of letters or clothes,
or any of the other things that were found in his lodging-house be-
fore 30th March ? No. By the Solleitor.General.—l have turned
over the memorandum bock, but did not attend to entries. (Sho vn
the. book). The entries are ail L'Angelier's handwriting. Tee
last entry Is on 14th March. The Solicitor-General then asked the
witness to read the entries. Objection having been taken to that by
the Dean of Faculty, the wallow' was removed. The Dean of Faculty
argued that there was ne eridenee whatever of this book being a
journal at all. It might be a memorandum-book, hut there was no
reason to believe that the entries were put under their proper dates.
The Lord-Advocate raid they had proved that the memoranda were
in L'AngelleVeheadwriting, and that they ware written under cer-
tain dates, Whether all these entries were written on the dates they
bore waa 'another matter ; but they would bo able to prove that
very many of tie t' lags mentioned in that book did happen on the
dates when they were entered. 7 hat, therefore, this was most mate•
flea and weighty evidence he nought it was impossiele to (lees,.
They had there, in the deceased's handwriting, and under carte n
dates, a mention of circumstances which tallied with many of the
events, as they would be able to prove. The judges retired to con-
sider this posit. On their return, the Lord Justice Clerk said he and
his brethren had, with a view to determine the general question
taken the women ®tap of looking at the entries ; end they had fermet.l.