The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-30 00:00:00

DISCOVERY OF POISON IN THE BODY OF MRS

PRITCHARD.
(From the Glasgow Herald.)

In consequence of a letter received yesterday by the local
authorities from Dr. Maclagan this case has now assumed a
more tangible, and, we may add, a much more serious cha-
racter than it had formerly done. We learn that, in the
communication referred to, Dr. Maclagan conveyed a dis-
tinct intimation that antimony had been found abundantly
in the urine, liver, spleen, intestines, and blood, of the late
Mrs. Pritchard. It thus seems evident that the poison in
question had been swallowed by the deceased lady in large
quantities—indeed, to an extent far beyond what could
have been administered in any preparation of antimony as
medicine. Hitherto the investigation has mainly taken the
form of what is known as " quantitative analysis," the ob-
ject being to ascertain whether there was poison in the
system or not. The examination, however, is still pro-
ceeding, and from this point it will be conducted chiefly as
a " quantitative analysis," with the view of defining in the
most exact manner the quantity of poison discovered in
the various parts of the body. At the same time the analyst
will conduct his further operations so as to ascertain, if
possible, whether or not there be other poisons besides an-
timony in the remains of Mrs. Pritchard.
Shortly after the receipt of Dr. Maclagan's important
communication Mr. Procurator Fiscal Gemmel proceeded to
Edinburgh for the purpose of having a consultation with
Crown counsel as to the grave aspect which the cue has
now assumed. Lile carried with him, we believe, a warrant
for the exhumation and examination of the body of the
late Mrs. Pritchard's mother. There are undoubtedly cer-
tain suspicious circumstances connected with her death.
Dr. James Paterson was called in to visit Mrs. Taylor, and
saw her almost in articulo mortis. When he was applied to
by the registrar for a certificate with regard to her death
he distinctly refused to give one, accompanying his refusal
with a letter, in which he gave it as his opinion that the
death was one of a mysterious character. Under these
circumstances Dr. Pritchard himself furnished a certi-
ficate, in which, if we are not mistaken, he stated that
the death of his mother-in-law took place after
twelve hours of paralysis, and one hour of apop-
exy ; whereas it is a matter of certainty that Mrs.
Taylor died after only four hours' illness—that, in fact, she
was in the act of writing a letter to a friend at 9 o'clock at
night, and was a corpse at 1 o'clock on the following morn-
ing. Taking these things into account it will be seen that
the authorities have some grounds for inquiry touching the
death of Mrs. Taylor.
We have reason to believe that now, when the presence
of poison inalargo quantity has been discovered,the autho-
rities will be in a position to adduce material evidence bear-
ing on its administration. Mary Paterson, a young woman
who succeeded the old servant, Catherine Latimer, and who
went to the doctor's house before Mrs. Taylor's death, and
has remained there ever since, states, we believe, that on
the Monday before Mrs. Pritchard's death she happened to
taste a small piece of cheese which had been sent, down
from that lady, and subsequently felt a burning sensation
in the throat, which was followed by sickness and vomit-
ing. Again, on the Wednesday following she was asked
by Dr. Pritchard to prepare an egg-flip for her mistress.
The doctor put in the sugar with his own hands, and the
girl alleges that having taken a sip of the mixture before it
was sent to the patient she was again attacked, but more
violently than before, with pain in the throat, with sick-
ness and vomiting. She further asserts, we believe, that
Mrs. Pritchard after tasting this liquid, ordered it away.
If we are not misinformed the girl M'Leod also states that
Mrs. Taylor at one time expressed some suspicion as to the
character of the food or cordial sent up to her daughter,
and subsequently, down to the time of her death, attended
to these preparations herself.
So far as matters have gone we have not heard any mo-
tive alleged at all sufficient to account for the perpetration
of so great crime, if it be the fact that murder has been
really committed. The girl M'Leod, in the course of an
examination lasting over the whole of one day and part of
another, gave a great deal of information as to what tran-
spired in the doctor's household during the period of her
service. She at the same time admitted, in the most ex-
plicit manner, the circumstances of her illicit connection
with Dr. Pritchard. This may be held as proving that the
doctor had ceased to cherish feelings of respect and affec-
tion for his wife ; but at the same time, as we formerly
hinted, it is inconceivable that a gentleman in his position
would do his wife mischief in order that he might after-
wards form a matrimonial connection with an unpolished
and uneducated person like the girl M'Leod.