Star.
London, England, 1822-08-16 00:00:00

SUMMER ASSIZES.

INTERESTING TRIAL FOR MURDER.
MONMOUTH, AUGUST 13.
Racket! Edwards and Mary Sandbrooke, her ser-
vant, stood charged.by the CorOner's inquisition with
the wilful murder of William Edwards, the husband
of the prisoner Edwards. To-day the Grand Jury
returned a true bill against Edwards, but ignored
the bill as to Sandbrooke. About one o'clock Mrs.
Edwards was placed at the bar, and arraigned on
the indictment, which charged her with having, on
the 28th day of June last, wilfully mixed a quantity
of arsenic in milk and given it to her husband, who
had languished of the poison till the 30th, when he
died; and that so she did commit petit treason and
murder. There were other counts charging her with
administering the poison without stating that it was,
infused in any liquid, and with procuring the deceased
ignorantly to drink it. She pleaded " Not Guilty."
The prisoner being allowed 35 peremptory chal-
lenges by her Counsel,
Mr.CAMPBELL and Mr.TWIES objected to many of
the Jurymen. Several of the panel were also challenged'
on the part of the Crown. Even after 12 Jurors were
sworn, Mr: Justice BAYLEY permitted the prisoner to
challenge any of them on the list being read over with
the places of their residence ; and on this being done,
a general objection was made to all who resided in
the town of Monmouth, in consequence of which five
of the number sworn were dismissed from the box.
Considerable difficulty occurred in finding persons
competent to supply their places, the lha ne 1 being
exhausted ; but such persons having at length been
procured, the Learned Judge directed the Sheriff to
add their names to the panel, and return them in-
stanter, which was done, and the full Jury sworn.-
Mr. CAMPBELL addressed the Court by observing,
that the prisoner would not have taken up its time
by these numerous challenges, had it not been that
a number of the most scandalous publications had
been circulated, tending to prejudice her on her trial.
The Learned Counsel held in his hand a number of
handbills, ballads, and newspapers, containing shock-
ing details of the supposed murder, and assuming as
matter of certainty the guilt of the prisoner.
Mr. Justice BAYLEY joined in deeply regretting
and censuring the publications, and in earnestly
hoping they would not be suffered to influence the
opinion of the Jury.
The prisoner, who appeared very feeble in body,
but did not betray any violent emotion or terror,
was accommodated with a chair, by the direction of
the Learned Judge.
Mr. PEARSON opened the case for the prosecuti.m.
He said that in a case of this deep and solemn in-
terest he should abstain from anything like general
remark, which might possibly be found inapplicable
in the result, or which would be suggested to the
minds of the Jury without his assistance. He would'.
confine himself to a mere outline of the evidence
which would be laid before them, and would implore
them while he did this to take nothing which he
stated even for a moment as true, till it should be
e.tablished on oath. lie then proceeded to describe
the situation of the parties, who had been married
about two years, and who kept the Cross Keys Inn,
at 'Pontypool, until the death of the husband. Atter
giving a general view of the evidence, he warned the
Jury that one of principal witnesses, Mary Mor-
gan, had varied in her statements, and that there-
fore they ought to watch her evidence with the ut,
most jealousy; and concluded by expressing his con-
fidence that they would give their anxious attention
to the case, and return such a verdict as justice to
the prisoner and to the Public would be ultimately
found to require at their hands.
Ann Williams examined by Mr. LUDLOW....-. 1 am
aunt to the prisoner by marriage. In June last she
lived at the Cross Keys public-house, in the parish
of Trevellen, in this county, with William Edwards,
who was her husband. I was there on the Friday
before his death, between three and four in the after-
noon. The prisoner then gave me 2d. to buy white
arsenic, to kill mice, from the shop of Mr. Ebenezer
Jones, a druggist at Pontypool. I accordingly ob-
tained it and gave it into the prisoner's hands. On Sa-
to-day morning, I was sent for to the Cross Keys,
about two o'clock : I went there, and saw the pri-
soner and her maid. I left the house ag-ain, with a
paper riven me by Mary Sandbrooke, in the pre-
sence of the prisoner, and carried it to the shop of Mr.
Prcbyn. On my return to the Cross Keys, I saw the
prisoner and the maid, and told them that Mr. Pro-
by n declined giving me the drugs, but
.the person
who wanted them must come in person. Mrs. Ed-
wards desired me to go with the same paper to the
shop of Mr. Jones, which I did, and returned with
some other articles. I delivered them to Mrs. Ed-
wards herself, sheargave me two-pence received in
change for my trouble, and said the woman who was
waiting for the things in the house desired her to
give it me. On neither of these days did I see the
husband. On the Monday after I saw Mary Sand-
brooke and Mary Morgan on the turnpike-road, and
afterwards went to the Cross Keys. There I saw the
prisoner, who asked me if I had, said anything about
what she had on Friday ? I replied, " I had, and
would do so again." I had not been to the• Coroner.
Cross-examined by Mr. CAMPBELL.—I was first
examined before the Coroner on Monday, and was
not long then before him, but was examined again
on Tuesday. I did not say on the Monday, before the
Coroner, that I received the paper on the Saturday
from a strange woman. I never said so on any oc-
casion. I never said that I gave the poison to a
strange woman ; but that I gave it to the woman of
the house herself, and took my oath of it. I never ,
said that I gave it. to Mary Sandbrooke. I expected
to have a suit of new clothes for giving my evidence;
but I never said that I should not have said so much
of this affair, if I had not thought so. I have not said
so to Richard Thomas, the constable, or any one else.
Re-examined.—Mr. Phillips, the Coroner, told me
he would put things tidy about me to come here.—
Some one from Usk told the I should be paid for my
journey. Nothing passed on the subject of money
and clothes before last Thursday, when I received
my subpoena.
By Mr. Justice BAYLEY.—Mysxact relationship to
the prisoner is that of a cousin twice removed. We
never had any quarrel.
Mary Morgan ex-mined by Mr. PEARSON..---I am
turned of 16 years of age. I lived as servant with
Mrs. Edwards, and knew her husband. I recollect