The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-10 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

SOUTH WALES ClRCUlT.—Chester, Dec. 6.
(Before Mr. Baron Guaiszv.)
AWFUL CASE OF PARRICIDE.
A young woman, aged 20, having the appearance
of a servant, was placed at the bar, charged with the
wilful murder of her own father, Richard Gallop, at
Monk's Coppenhall, on the 2d of November, by the
administration of arsenic.
The Attorney-General, Mr. Temple, and Mr.
Townsend, were counsel for the prosecution ; and Mr.
Trafford for the prisoner.
From the evidence adduced in support of the charge,
it appeared that about eight months ago the deceased,
who was a joiner, and his family removed from Liver-
pool to Crewe, in the township of Monk's Coppenhall,
for the purpose of working at the extensive works be-
longing to the Grand Junction Railway Company.
The deceased and his wife did not live happily toge-
ther, and about six months ago the latter committed
suicide by cutting her throat. After that the family
consisted of the prisoner, her father, the daughter of
his wife by a former husband, and a lodger, named
William Frazer. After the death of his wife, the
prisoner's father treated her with considerable seve-
rity, and, on one occasion, when she had roasted some
potatoes too hard, he threatened to beat her with a
strap. This she complained of to her half-sister, and
said that, as she had no comfort at home, she would
go to service. During the time the prisoner was re-
siding in Liverpool, she had become acquainted with
a young man named Duval, and about the beginning
of October, there being a cheap train from Crewe to
Liverpool, the prisoner announced her intention of
going by it, but her father was very angry with
her, and refused to allow her to go, as he said it was
only for the purpose of seeing her sweetheart, and he
disapproved of the connexion. Shortly after that
the prisoner purchased a pennyworth of arsenic, for
the purpose, as she said, of destroying rats and mice.
Subsequently she purchased a second pennyworth,
and on the 2d of November she purchased twopenny-
worth. About three weeks before the last men-
tioned day the father of the prisoner became ill, and so
continued up to that day, when, after partaking of
some arrowroot, he was seized with violent vomiting
and purging, which increased during the night, and
early on the morning of the 3d of November he died.
A surgeon attended him during the night, and treated
him for cholera. On the Sunday morning a con-
stable, named Kenty, went to the house and saw the
prisoner. He told her he had come for the purpose of
making inquiry respecting the death of her father,
and cautioned her. After this he proceeded to put a
number of questions to her, which, together with her
answers, he produced.
Mr. TRAFFORD objected to this evidence being ad-
missable, as it had been made by the prisoner under
inducement, and he cited the case of the King v.
Drew, quoted in the 2d vol. of " Russell on Crime,"
p. 829.
The Learned JUDGE overruled the objection.
The constable Kenty then read the statement to
the Court, from which it appeared that the prisoner
admitted she had purchased the poison, but said it
was purchased by the direction of her father, for the
purpose of destroying rats, and that she had seen a
rat on the previous Thursday, and had told her sister
of it. Whilst Kenty was in the house the prisoner
took a handkerchief from a chest, which the con-
stable took possession of, and in it he found a packet
containing ma. vomica. The prisoner afterwards
placed a small paper parcel in a drawer, which the
constable also took possession of. In a cupboard he
found two loaves of bread and a piece of cake. All
these were placed in the hands of Mr. David Wadie,
of Liverpool, for the purpose of being analysed.
It was proved by the evidence of Mr. Stevenson, a
surgeon, that the body of the deceased, on post mortem
examination, presented all the appearances internally
of having been acted on by some irritant poison, and
both he and Mr. Rayner, of Stockport, were of opinion
that death was caused by the effects of arsenic.
The half-sister of the prisoner proved that on the
Friday before the death the prisoner made the cakes
and the bread, and that the (the witness), the prisoner,
and Fraser, the lodger, all partook of the cakes, imme-
diately after which they all were taken ill and obliged
to go to bed.
Mr. Wadie, the chemist, deposed to having analysed
the stomach of the deceased, and its contents, in which
he discovered white arsenic. He also discovered
arsenic in the cakes and the bread ; and in 200 grains
of arrowroot he detected 100 grains of arsenic.
It was attempted to elicit, in behalf of the prisoner,
that she was labouring under insanity ; but the only
facts deposed to by the witnesses on this point were,
that about six months ago, at the time her mother
committed suicide, her conduct was rather strange;
that she did not sleep for a whole week, and that,
during the time the mother of the prisoner was preg-
nant of her she was insane, and several times attempted
to destroy herself.
Mr. TRAFFORD addressed the jury for the prisoner
at some length, contending that the case was enve-
loped in so much doubt that the jury could riot safely
convict. That the probability was, the deceased had
taken the arsenic by mistake, and that if adminis-
tered by the prisoner at all, the probability was that
she had done so when labouring under the effects of
insanity.
The Learned JUDGE briefly summed up the case
to the jury, telling them that if they believed the
prisoner had administered the arsenic, it was their
duty to find her guilty. As to the plea of insanity,
his Lordship observed that there was no evidence
whatever to support it. That was a species of defence
too much relied on of late years, to the danger of
public security and the great hindrance of justice.
The jury consulted together for about five minutes,
and then pronounced a verdict of Guilty, but begged
strongly to recommend the prisoner to mercy.
The JUDGE—What ! recommend a prisoner to
mercy who has been guilty of the murder of a parent !
The Learned BARON, having placed the black cap
on, proceeded to pass sentence of death on the pri-
soner. His Lordship said—Mary Gallop, after a
long and patient trial, you have been found guilty by
the jury, upon evidence which could leave no doubt,
of the murder of your own father ; that murder com-
mitted by the most odious and detestable of all means
—that of poison ; an act of deliberation evidently
meditated some time before, carried into execution
with perseverance, with great art and contrivance;
and I wish I could see any symptoms, in the conduct
you afterwards exhibited, of repentance or any feelings
of remorse for what you have done. It is impossible
for me to show you any mercy. Prepare for that
awful account to which you sent the author of your
being with little or no preparation at all. Seek for
the mercy of God—repent of this and all your sins;
and by that means seek for that mercy hereafter
which it is not in my power, consistently with my
public duty, to show you here. his Lordship then
proceeded to pass sentence of death upon her in the
usual form, and the prisoner walked from the bar
with a steadfast step, having manifested throughout
the whole trial little or no consciousness of the
situation in which she stood, beyond a wild and almost
incessant roll of the eye, and an occasional flush of
the countenance.
MANSLAUGHTER OF A WlFE.—Henry Jones, 32,
was charged with killing and slaying his wife, Eliza
Jones, at Brinnington, on the 25th November last.
The facts of the case were these :—On the day in
question, the prisoner went to the Cotton Tree public-
house about half-past eight o'clock in the morning,
where he remained nearly the whole day drinking.'
In the middle of the day the wife of the prisoner, who
was in a very delicate state of health, went to the
house for the purpose of trying to induce her husband
to accompany her home. He refused to do so, and
beat her, on which the landlord turned him out of the
house. The deceased followed, and although she used
the most endearing terms, he again beat and dragged
her some distance, after which he took a running
kick at her, and kicked her on the pit of the stomach,
which caused her instant death.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty, and
His LORDSHIP sentenced him to ten years' trans-
portation.

December 7.

RAPE CASES.—The Court was occupied the greater
part of the day with trying four cases of rape, and
one case of unnatural crime. Of course the details
of the cases are unfit for publication. The following
are the results :
Joseph Hanmer was indicted for a rape upon Ann
Caroline Tunstall, at Bowden.—Guilty.
James Bradbury, 26, for a rape on an infant under
the age of ten years.—Guilty.
Thomas Wignett, 40, for a similar offence on a
child of the age of seven years.—Guilty.
His LORDSHIP in each of the above cases sen-
tenced the prisoners to be transported for life.
John Massey, 18, wai indicted for a rape on
Harriet Bray, a girl between the age of ten and
twelve years.
In this case it appeared the prosecqtrix had con-