The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-10 00:00:00

next sentence in the evidence of JOHN FLEMING,

The facts lay in a narrow compass. PIERRE
EMILE L'ANGELIER, a Frenchman employed as
clerk or packer in a very respectable house in
Glasgow, was fund about 2 o'clock in the morn-
ing of Monday the 23d of March, suffering under
all the symptoms that might attend a violent
attack of cholera, or the administration of a large
dose of irritant poison. He was so prostrated as
to be unable to open the door of his lodgings, al-
though he had obtained the pass key to admit
himself without disturbing the other residents.
For seine time he refused medical assistance, but
eventually consented to see a medical practitioner.
A few hours, however, terminated his career, and
subsequent investigations proved, beyond the pos-
sibility of doubt, that he died from the effects of
an enormous dose of arsenic sufficient to have
destroyed twenty lives.
The important question then arose, by whom
had that poison been administered—was it a case
of suicide, or of wilful and deliberate murder. It
could scarcely have been an accident; the quantity
taken, some 180 or 200 grains-4 of which would
have been sufficient to destroy life, excluding that
supposition. Every clue was, of course, eagerly
sought after, and it was discovered that he had
been carrying on a correspondence with a young
lady, who might have had a motive for removing
him. A letter was found in his pocket making an
appeintment with him for the Saturday evening.
This, according to his own statements, had induced
him to came back from the Bridge of Allan,
where he had been staying for his health, and he
had also been seen going in the direction of the
residence of the young lady. These were strong
circumstances, and, in addition, a voluminous
corresp cadence was discovered, which proved that
the deceased had seduced this unfortunate young
lady, and, in the most heartless and cruel manner,
had used the letters she had written, as instruments
of coercion, t) compel her to continue the illicit
intercourse, and to refuse the honourable
engagement which had been proffered by a
gentleman and a man of honour.
No punishment could be too great for the vain-
glorious and dastardly scoundrel who made such
atrocious use of the power he had obtained over
one far beyond himself in rank and position. But
this, although a matter to excite sympathy in
ber behalf, could not have justified her conduct
if she had really caused his death. Her dreadful
fate might have excited commiseration, but the
poisoner should be brought to justice, and the
majesty of the law fully and completely vindicated.
But was she guilty ? Had she become the execu-
tioner of her infamous seducer? There were strong
grounds of suspicion, but not the proofs that
would remove every reasonable doubt, and leave
no alternative to conscientious men. It is true
that she had purchased poison, but she did so
openly, and without disguise, gave her name, and
had the fatal drug charged to her father's account !
That did not look like guilt. One who, if guilty,
exhibited such extraordinary cunning, would nut
have been betrayed into so great an oversight.
Beside-, she had not obtained the poison before
the day alluded to in the first count of the indict-
meat, and on which a verdict of Net Guilty was
therefore very properly returned. She a's )
accounted for her purchase, and it was shown
that publications of the highest character—
" Blackwood" and " Chambers," had stated that
arsenic was used as a cosmetic, and even taken
internally. Nay, more, L'ANGELIER himself was
proved to have spoken of its usi', and to have de-
clared that he could take it with impunity.
It was also shown that she could scarcely have
seen him on the Sunday night. She had re-
mained in company with her young and innocent
sister up to half-past 10 o'clock, and then un-
dressed and gone to bed. It was difficult to sup-
pose that she could subsequently have met him,
prepared, and administered the fatal dose Is
would require an extraordinary degree of credu-
lity to believe it even possible.
He, too, had spoken of suicide, and the right
which, as he declared, a man possessed over his
own life. It was by no means impossible that
having failed to see her, he might in a moment
of remorse have taken the drug of which he could
easily have obtained possession. His vanity, the
paramount feeling of his mind, was injured, and
he might have taken the dose, which was far too
large to suppose it could have been given by
another, without immediate detection.
We yesterday gave the earliest, and, we be-
litve an exclusive account of the result. We this
day give the exact verdict. It will be seen that
the Lord Justice Clerk fully concurred in the deci-
sion at which the Jury arrived. They could not
have come to any other conclusion. But,
as it is, the prospects of the unfortunate young
woman's life are blighted, and it might
have been happier for her had she been
removed from a world that will always look coldly
on one who had committed a serious error at the
very commencement of her career, and who was
suspected of the greatest crime of which a human
being can be guilty. GOD help her I Whatever
might be the real facts of the case, she will require
lI
a sustaining power to enable her to endure the
terrible
consequences of the charges which the
Jury truly declared to be "not proven."

It appears that there is a really frightful faci-
lity of access to the deadliest poisons—altogether

apart from the town-druggist's shop, and the
store of the village apothecary ! The recollection
of this miserable fact we owe to the incidental evi-
dence adduced upon the Sixth Day of th® late
extraordinary trial of MADELINE SMITH, upon the
charge of Poisoning EXILE L'ANGELTER. The

startling evidence we allude to was given upon

oath by JOHN FLEMING, the storekeeper of the

the Glasgow dyer's storekeeper. That sentence
being simply, "No person gets into the store
except those engaged in it"—" those" being " three
men and a boy," as well as witness himself,
in his capacity as Storekeeper. But—mark what
follows immediately afterwards 1 "The Arsenic
is taken to the colour-room in, open wooden pails 1"
Remember—in quantities varying "at a time"
from 80Ib. to 901 b., and that, moreover, " several
times a month"—in other words, continually 1
The witness further observes—" There ale a
great many people employed on the works !" And
couples with this remark the statement—"
I
should not miss a few ounces at a time I" Now
this evidence of itself is sufficiently unwelcome and
appalling. But note the strikingly corroborative
testimony given to that same witness, directly
fterwards by ROBERT TOWNSHEND, Manager to his
brother, Mr. TOWNSHEND, a Glasgow Manufactur-
ing-Chemist. Quoth this witness, in his turn—
" IVe have large quantities of arsenic in our
premises at a time." Large Quantities ? How
much does • our reader suppose ? The wit-
" Less himself specifies the amount almost in the
same breath—" From one to two tons !" He
adds, "It is kept in a private office"—good !
And further, "It stands in casks, one cask being
open for use." So far good again—both in re-
gard to the privacy and in reference to the re•
striction to " one cask" open for use. BUT—
what are the very next words that fall from the
lips of witness ? "We employ from 100 to 140
people. I have no doubt, if so inclined, any of
them 'might manage to take some away !" So.
It turns out to he not at all an extraordinary
thing for a Printing and Dyeing Firm to have
3 cwt. or 4 cwt. of Arsenic at a time—in a " pure
white state" —in barrels " quite open," with the
lids " merely laid on"—carried " several times
month" from store-room to colour-room—in quan-
tities varying " from 801 h. to 901b."—in " open
wooden pails"—with " a great many people"
employed upon the establishment—and an ad:
witted impossibility of "a few ounces at a time"
being missed ! Again—lt proves to be in no
way at all surprising to find a manufacturing
Chemist not far removed from these Printers
and Dyers—having habitually " large quantities
of arsenic" upon his premises—" from one to two
tons"—standing in casks, one of which casks is
invariably open for use—and with from 100 to
140 persons free (any one of them), if so disposed,
to purloin it. The brother of the Chemist is the
one to make this acknowledgment—we give his
words again—" I have no doubt, if so inclined,
any of them might manage to take some away I"
And all this, -while the Legislature is directing its
attention exclusively to the endeavour of re-
stricting the " SALE" of Poisons by Chemists,
Druggists, and Apothecaries ,Surely a few
additional clauses might judiciously be sup-
plAnented to the " Sale of Poisons' Bill "
—now !—at once I—so as to render, henceforth,
punishable this frightful exposure of tons of pure
arsenic in large and crowded manufacturing esta-
blishments. Any indifference to this matter would
be a Cruelty as well as a Folly on the part of
the Legislature. Place restrictions upon the sale
of a few grains of arsenic across the counter of an
apothecary, and yet leave, at the same time,
3 cwt. or 4 cwt. here, and one or two tons then,
accessible to a crowd of attizans—and you render
this pretended legislation upon the matter a farce
and a delusion. In Heaven's name let us try,
let us at last try to place the Watchful Guard of
the Law upon Poisons, not merely in Retail—but
also, and surely, in an especial manner in Whole-
sale !

HER MAJESTY'S STATE BALL. —The Queen gave last
evening a State Ball, to which invitations were issued
to above 1,900 of the nobility and gentry. The arrange-
inentP, at Buckingham Pa'aca were the same as for the
former ball, and the galleries, state rooms, and grand

staircase were again decorated with a profusion of rare
and beautiful shrubs and plants, and were brilliantly

At the Queen's State Ball last night the Countess o:

Grenville wore the magnificent parure of the Devon.
shire gerreq, which the Duke of Devonshire had arranged
by Mr. Hancock, of Bruton-street, expressly for the
countess to wear at the coronation of the E nper ir of
Russia at Moscow, and they attracted universal admi-
ration. The brilliant star worn by her Royal Highness
the Duchess de Montpensier was also made by Mr.
Hancock expressly for the Ball,
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, travelling
incognito, arrived at Brussels on Wednesday morning.
The Prince afterwards visited the battle-field of Water-
loo, and then proceeded on his journey to Germany.
Prince Napoleon arrived in Dublin yesterday.
The Earl of Derby leaves town early in the ensuing
week for Knowsley, where the noble earl will entertain
a large circle of noble friends during tae Liverpool race
meeting.
The Right Hon. Wm. E. Gladstone, M.P., and Mrs.
Gladstone have returned to their mansion in Carlton-
house-terrace f,.r the remainder of the season.
The late Duchess of Bedford's funeral took place yes-
6.,rday, the body of the lamented Duchess was placed in
the burial chapel of the Russell family in Chenies Church
near Rickmansworth.
THE LATE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH.—The mortal re-
mains of the Duke of Marlborough were yesterday depo-
sited in the family mausoleum at Blenheim, Oxen. The
funeral was devoid of the least ostentation. The Duke
of Marlborough, Lord Alfred Churchill, Lord Alan
Churchill, Hon. Major Spencer Churchill, and a select
number of relatives and friends, attended the obsequies.
ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.—" Fre Diavolo " was per-
formed for the first time last night with immense suc-
cess,. The cast was as follows :—Madame Bosio (Zerlina),
Mademoiselle Maral, Signors Gardoni (Fra Diavolo),
Neri, Beraldi, Ronconi, Polonini, Zelger, and Tagliafico.
Every seat in the theatre was occupied.
HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—Among the fashionable
company honouring the performances at this theatre
with their presence last evening were :—The Duke of
Cleveland and Lady Augusta Paulett, the Marchior.ess
of Sligo, the Marquis of Sligo, Frances Countess Wal-
degrave, Lord Ward, the EaTI of Lonsdale' the Earl and
Countess of S.radbroke, the Countess of Bradford and
the Ladies Bridgeman, the Earl of Chesterfield, Viscount
Curzon and the Ladies Curzon, Viscount Chelsea,
Lard Burgher,h, Lord Suffield, Lord Edward Thynne,
Lady Harry Vane, Lady Mara Saunderson, lion. C.
Butter, Sir Ralph and Lady Howard, Sir John Lowti-er
Lady Louisa Primrose, Lady Mildred Hope, General
Patten, Colonel Connolly, Mc. Hubert de Burgh, Mr.
Percy Doyle, Colonel W. Lockyer Freestun, M.P., and
Mrs. Lockyer Freestun, Major Wombwell, Captain
Bateson, Captain Lyon, Captain and Mrs. Garth, Mr.
and Mrs. Combe, Mrs. Walter Evans, and Miss Gieborne
Mr. T. H. Sotheron Estcourt, M.P., and Mrs. Est-
court, Mr. and Mrs. Peel, &c.
SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY.—A. special meeting of
this company was held at the Bridge-house Hotel, yes-
terday, Hon. J. Byng,in the chair, to consider certain
bills now before Parliament, in compliance with the
Wharncliffe order of the House of Lords. The first bill
was to authorise the construction of a relief line from the
Greenwich Junction on the North Kent Railway to
Dartford, via Eltham The bill was adopted. Resolu-
tions were also passed approving the bill for connecting
the leading line with the Great Western Company, and
of the West-end of London and Crystal Palace Bill.
EAST KENT RAILWAY.—A special general meeting of
shareholders in the East Kent Railway Company was
held ye-terday
was
street, for the purpose of considering " A Bill for making
at the offices of the company. Moorgate-
a Railway from Herne Bay to Faversham." The resolu-
tions necessary to effect the objects of the meeting,
were adopted nem. die., the proceedings being of a
purely formal character.
CRYSTAL PALACE. —ONE SHILLING DAY, Thursday,
July 9,—Admissions on payment, 7,257 ; ditto, by sea-
son tickets, 580 ; total visitors, 7,837.