The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-06 00:00:00

a taste ; but experiments were made by myself and
two other scientific gentlemen, so far as it was pos-
sible with so dangerous a substance, and we found
the taste very slight indeed—a little sweeti-h.
The other gentlemen concurred in that opinion.
It has always struck me as very strange that
neither Orfila nor any of the authors who have
doubted my observations have said that they made
any experiments themselves. Orfila merely ex-
presses his belief it has a taste, notwithstanding
what I have stated. I think the taste is not such
as, taken in coffee or cocoa, could possibly be de-
tected. Severe," persons who have taken arsenic
largely without knowing at the time what it was
observed no taste—sometimes a sweetish taste,
sometimes an acrid taste • but in regard to the acri-
mony there are two fallacies--first, that when
asked afterwards about it they confounded the
roughness of it with the acrimony ; and, secondly,
the burning effects slowly developed by the,:poison
.
afterwards.

By the Dean—The arsenic was sereetimes given
in a simple fluid, such as coffee or water ; some-
times in thicker substances, as in soup. I cannot
say what quantities were given in the cases referred
to. I have only seen', two cashijof poisoning by
arsenic in my lifetime. The cases I have referred
to are merely recorded.. Dr. Orfila is undoubtedly
a high authority in medico legal chemistry. In
the arsenic me tasted we took it both in a solid and
liquid state, and allowed it pass along the tongue
as far as we do it with safety, and allowed it to re-
main a couple of minutes in the mouth and then
spat it out, We took, perhaps, one or two grains
each in our mouth, and we kept it sufficiently long
to ascertain the taste.

The Dean—The taste of that quantity.
By the Lord Advocate—ln the great majority of
criminal cases the quantity of arsenic taken is not
ascertained, even within a presumption.
By the Court--Orfila once maintained that there
was arsenic in the human body, but be afterwards
retracted that opinion.
By the Dean—lt is new to me to hear that any
author bas said that arsenic is naturally found in
the stomach.

The letters founded upon as evidence for the
Crown were then read. They were very numerous,
hut the following copious extracts sufficiently show
the nature and progress of the attachment and inti-
macy between the prisoner and the deceased :
No. 1 of inventory for the Crown, letter enclosed
in envelope, bearing the postmark April 3, 1855 :
"My dear Emile,—l do a 4 feel as if I were writing
to you for the first time. Though our intercourse has
been very short, yet we have become as familiar friends.
May we long continue so. And ere long may yon be a
friend of Papa's, is my most earnest desire. We feel it
rather dull here after the excitement of a town life. But
then we have much more time to devote to study and
improvement. I often wish you were near us, we could
take such charming walks. One enjoys walking with a
pleasant companion, and where could we find one equal
to yourself l . . . With kind love, believe me yours
ever sincerely, " MADELINE."

No. 5. Fragment of letter enclosed in envelope,
posted at Row, Helensburgb, April 18, 1855 :
" My dear think you will agree with me in
what I intend proposing, viz., that, for the present, the
correspondence had better stop. I know your good feel-
ing will not take this unkind—it is meant quite the re-
verse. By continuing to correspond harm may arise ;in
discontinuing it nothing can be said." . • .
No. 11 is a letter from the prisoner to Miss
Parry, without date.

" Dearest Miss Perry,--Many kind thanks for all your
kindness to me. Emile will tell you I have bid him adieu.
Papa would not give his consent, so I am in duty bound
to obey-him. Comfort dear Emile ; it is a heavy ilow
to us both. I had hoped some day to be happy with him,
but, alas, it was not intended ; we were doomed to be
disappointed. You have been a kind friend to him; oh,
continue so. . Think not my conduct un-
kind; I have a kind father to please. Farewell, my dear
Miss Perry, and, with much love, believe me yours sin-
cerely. "
' No. 13 is in an envelope addressed to M. .L'An•
gelier at Jersey, and bears the Helensburgh post-
mark of Sept.. 4, 1855.

"Monday, 3.
"My dearest Emile—how I long to see you. It looks
an age since I bade you adieu. Will you be able to come
down the Sunday after next? You will be in town by the
140: I do not intend to say anything till I have seen
you. I shall be guided by you entirely, and who could
be a better guide to me than my intended husband ? I
hope you have given up all idea of going to Lima. I
will never be allowed to go to Lima with you, so I fancy
you shal' want to get quit of your Mimi. You can get
plenty of appointments in Europe, any place in Europe.
For my sake do not go. . . , It will break
my heart it you go away. You know not how I love you,
Emile. I live for you tame ; I adore you. I never could
love another as I do you. Oh, dearest Ernik, would I
might cl top you now to my heart. Adieu for to-day. If
I havailms I shall write another note before I post this.
If not I shall have a letter at the garden for yon. So,
dearest love, a fond embrace. Believe me your ever de-
voted and fund, "
No. 17, in envelope with Helensburgh postmark,
April 30, 1856 : _

"Tuesday, April 29.
"My own, my beloved Emile, —I wrote you Sunday
night for you to get my note on your birthday (to-day),
but I could not get it posted. Disappointment it was to
me—but—'better late than never.' My beloved, :nay you
have many happy returns of this day. . . . I wish we
were more alone ; I wish I were with you alone—that
would be true happiness. Dearest, I must see you ;it is
fearful never to see you, but I am sure I don't know
when I shall see you. P----- has not been a night in
town for some time, but the first night he is off I shall
see you. We shall spend an hour of bliss." .
One or two scrolls, in the form of letters, found
in envelopes in L'Angelier's desk and addressed
"Mimi," were proposed to be put in in evidence,
but there being no proof that they bad ever been
despatched or intended to be despatched the Court
disallowed them as evidence.
No. 23, postnalrk, " Helensburgb, 7th ;" month
illegible; year 185. It reached Glasgow on 7th
May:
a Wednesday morning, five o'clock.
"My own beloved Husband,—l trust to God you got
home safe, and were not much the worse of being nut.
Thank you, my love, for coming so far to see your Mini.
It is truly a pleasure to see you, my Emile. If we did
wrong last night it must have been in the excitement of
our love. I suppose we ought to have waited till we
were married, Yes, beloved, I did truly love you with
my soul. I was happy ; it was a pleasure to be with
you. Oh, if we could have remained never more to have
parted. . Beloved, we shall wait till you are quite
ready. I shall see and speak to Jack on Sunday. I
shall consider about telling mamma. But I don't see
any hope from her. I know her mind. You, of course,
cannot judge of my parents ; you know them not. I did
not know, or I should not have done it, that I caused
you to pay extra postage for my stupid cold letters; it
ehall not occur again. Darling Emile, did I seem cold
to you last night ? Darling, I love you—you, my own
Emile. I love you with my heart and soul. Am I not
your wife ? Yes, I am. And you may rest assured,
after what has passed, I cannot be the wife of any other
but dear, dear Etnile. No, now it would be a sin.
I felt a good deal offpain, last night. I shall always re-
member last night. I dread next winter. Only fancy,
beloved, us both in the same town, and unable to write
to each other ; it breaks my heart to think of it. Why,
btleved, are we so unfortunate? . . . Isbell always
remember last night. Will we not often talk of our
evening meetings after we are married ? Why do you
say in your letter, "If we are not mat ried ?' I would
not regret knowing you. Beloved, have you a doubt
that we shall be married some day I I shall write dear
Mary soon. What would she say if she knew we were
so intimate ? She would lose all her good opinion of us
both, would she not I"

No. 31, letter in envelope, posted at Helens-
burgh, June 14, 1856 :
" My own, my darling husband—Tomorrow night
by this time I shall be in possession of your dear letter.
I shall kiss it and press it to my bosom. Hearing from
you is my greatest pleasure, it is next to seeing you, my
sweet love. My fond Emile, are you well, darling of my
soul T . I am welt. lam longing so to see
you, sweet pet, to kiss and pet you. Oh, for the day
when I could do so at any time. I fear we shall spoil
each other when we are married, we shall be so loving
and kind. We shall be so happy, happy in our own
little room ;no one to annoy us. All to ourselves we
shall so enjoy that day."
envelops, -n en
No, 33, posted at Helensburgb,
June 14, 1856

• " Friday Night.
" Beloved, dearly beloved husband, sweet Emile,—
How I long to call you mine, never more to leave you
What must occur ere that takes place God only knows.
I often fear some cloud may yet fall on our path, and
mar our happiness for a long time. I shall never cause
you unhappiness again. No, I was unkind, cruel, un.
loving, but it shall never be repeated. No, lam now a
wife, a wife in every sense of the word, and it is my
duty to conduct myself as such. Yes, I shall behave
If you only saw
now more to your mind. lam no longer a child
me now---I am all alone in my little bed-
room—you would never mention your home as being hum-
ble. I have a small room on the ground floor—very
small—so don't fancy I could not put up with small rooms,
and with humble fare. But if you think it would do you
good—a tour—go by 1.11 means for six months or so. I
trust you will take great care of yourself, and not forget
your Mimi. 06, how I love that name of Mimi. You should
always call me by that name; and, dearest Emile, if ever
we should have a daughter, I should like you to allow
me to call her Mimi,
for her father's sake.
you ask me, I shall burn your last letter. . . . I
must go to bed, as I feel cold, so good night. Would to
. . As
God it were to be by your side, I would feel well and
happy then. I am thine for ever, thy wife,
thy devoted, thy own true
"Mt a L'ANGELIER."
No. 37, in envelope, with postmark Helens-
burgh, 15th of July, 1856 :
" My,sweet, beloved, and dearest shall be-
gin and answer your dear long letter. In the first place,
how are you! Better, I trust. You know I feel di-ap-
pointed at our marriage not taking place in September.
But, as it could not, why, then, I just made up my mind
to be content, and trust that it may be ere long. We
shall fix about that our next meeting, which I hope