The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-04-17 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

MOND.Ik, APRIL 13.

The interest excited here is becoming; if possible, more in-
tense; the street is quite blocked up by the crowd. On the pri-
soner arriving at the court, she was again received with loud
yells and groans. She still continues her self possession; 'and
frequently confers with her attornies. The court is crammed
almost to suffocation." The aldermen on the bench have all
taken full notes of the evidence from the commencement.
The learned Recorder took his seat at 9 o'clock, arid shortly
.afterwards proceeded to sum up the case to the jury. He should
submit to them such observations as he thought it proper to
make, and the ultimate result was to be theirs, and not his.
The issues of life and death were by the constitution of the
realm committed to them, and not to him. The, prisoner vvas
charged with having inurdereds by means of poison, a lady of
the name of Clara Ann Smith, the poison being yelow arseuic
mixed in water gruel. They would have to Make up their minds
ou the three following points:—First, whether Mrs. Smith's
death was occasioned by poison; secondly, whether that poison
was carried into effect by the prisoner; and, thirdly,' whether
the prisoner knew that she was poisoniog Mrs. Smith. If they
were of opinion that she did administer the poison knowing it
was poison—if.their consciences' were made up on these points,
however fatal and tremendous the consequences might be to the
prisoner, they•werehound to make a' true deliverance between
the king and the •king's subjects, and they were bound to pro-
nounce her guilty. They would have to exercise their judg-
ment. The. verdict was theirs, and not that of the court. They
were charged with the duty of pronouncing t hequestion of guilty
or not guilts; thav' were in the exercise .or their independent
judgment, with which they were charged by the constitution of
the realM with.that delegation of duty imparted to them by the
law and constitution of this realm—a ditty which no person
should preschie•to trench upon or diminish-:-a duty they were
hound•to execute—a duty which they could devolve on no other,
person,:nor could any person exercise it for them. They must,
in the discharge of their duty, at whatever hazard, if they
thought the prisonerguilty, pronounce her to he guilty; but if
in the. exercise of the righteous judgment of their' own consci--
once; and the just and correct discrimination of their own
powers in investigating truth and falsehood, bring themselves
into the condition of conscientious and rational doubt, then
they would acquit her. That alternative was imposed on their
consideration, and they would deliver their own conscience„
and protect the public justice of the realm. [The learned res
corder occupied nine hours in his summing up. He in the first
place went through the whole ()file evidence from his notes,
without comment, and subsequently retraced the same ground,
endeavouring to reconcile the apparent discrepancies and in-
consistencies, and making his observations at great length upon
point which bore materially upon the case.]
retired for rather store than a•quarter of an hour,
everhye
ty
during which time great and more than ordinary excitement
was manifested in the court. The prisoner apparently retained
most perfect composure her solicitors and Other persons crowded
!round her, with whowshe appeared in most anxious Communi-
•cation•;i but we could 'observe her eyes constantly wandering
towards. the door, in anxious expectation for the jury's return,
upon the countenenee of each of whom she was observed, upon_
their leaving the court, to have looked updh With a steadfast wish.
to discriminate the opinion they had each formed of her css
Upon.an intimation that the jury were about to return, a scene
took place which we never before witnessed. !There was a general
'anxiety to obtain a sight of the prisoner thrpognont the.eottrt,
which occasioned so much noise and eiies of so various a nature,
that some time elapsed before order'cbuld be obtained, or the
judge had any 'power to proceed. •
To these who had the opportunity of noticing the countenances
of the jury it was' quite evident what verdict they had agieed to
return; and more especially' soon after Wards, from the circums.
.stance of so mans being, quite over Come. 'Fire noise. haViog in
a degree sorriewhat subsided, the names of the jury there called
over, and they were then in the usual manner asked what verdict
they had to return; when the fdreman,'ina.most-soleinu mauner,
and evidently with a great degree of feeling, returned the vet-
..dift. of Guilty. The prisoner
.previeSlv'lo this had advanced
towards the front of the dock, in which she had been allowe 1,
by the humanity of the judge, althtmgh contrary to the usual
custom in such cases, to sit during the whole of the procsedinga.
Her countenance at this interesting and awful moment was
voice,sliglit Va`ttehhoaunfkled,
ratherbut faltering,sb e
a d di
e as evtlord,
t in an au lible
,cent, I am innocent: Standing at this, bar, -T call upcia the.
Almighty to put his jtidgthent upon me if what ram now,sa. tug
is not true. I know" nothing of it,' I am innocent, nod the,
Almigfity, hope, Will put his judgment upen Me at this moment
if I am not innocent."
he recorder and, magistrates then retired for a quarter of an
hour, during Which' time the prisoner again,resinned her seat.
and entered into conversation with those who were congregated
around her, but. we observed 'her eye constantly fixed upon the.
entrance to the bench. Upon the recorder returning she again
came forward with a firm steplo the front of the dock, when
the judge, after the usual preliminaries, and, putting, on the,
black cap, proceeded to pass the following sentence :7--g; You.
stand at that bar convicted of murder, by poisoning an ancient
lady, a sdjourner and an inmate of your htsuse, annd-whoever has
heard, and attended to the facts'and!eireinastances which have
occupied the attention cf this court during the' progress of a.
laborious investigation of two days,—whoever combines in his
mind and exercises his judgment upon t hat felatiou Of facts and
ciqiiinstandes, cannot flit to say that the jUry ,yl6 h..yi.! pro-
nounced yoti guilty of this enormity of molder 'hale route
to :the correct conclusion. In this place you have had as
patient and laborious—as .just and righteous—as fair, and
as uupreju.liced a trial as if you had been arraigned at
the bar of any other court, and tried by any other jury,
and any other judge, in any of his majesty's emirts.7-
Yonhave had here; within the precincts of this city, and within
the same jnriidiction, the same justice in- the name,of the King,
and in exectitiou of the King's law, as the King's judges and"
the King's courts could have administered to you any r
.othe
plaCe; and: the- result of that investigation' has convinced the
Jury, and no man whose mind is conscientiously directed, and
whose judgment had been sedulously applied to the investiga-
tion of the case, contd. petinit 'himself for one'inoment to doubt
the existence of your enormity. I will not here pain and dis-
treis.rov feelitigs; but invoke you to reflect upon, what' lois
happened., I will not allude to the past, but I will shortly allude
to the future, In this world your stay can 'be but very shcrt.
(The prisoner here said " My. Lord, 1 hope you will rive me my
bo3y,") The period which is left to you to live on this earth is
narrowed indeed, and I conjure you •to • apply what remains of
,youi life to bring your mind intoa state of contrition—to apply
such portion as .vet remains of your human existence in inces-
sant prayer! to the Almighty, in the hope that you may in another
world, through the mediation of Jesus Christ, who died to save
the world; to make•an atonement tbr its enormity, that you may
through him attain to the threshold of mercy in another world;
which, consistently wit I 4 public justice, and trie law ot this realm,
cannot' he extended to you here. I therefore admonish you,
and conjure you, to reflect upon is hat has passed, in order that
yinimay look forward with hope that-repentance and reflection
may end in mercy, which it is folly for you to expect un thiaside.
the ;grave." The learned Judge then passed tiprin her the ow.;
NI sentence of the law, directing. her to he executed on Wed-
nesday, and her body to be buried within the precincts of the
gaol.
The prisoner then said, in an audible voice, "May the Lord
have mercy upon my Soul:" She was petfectly unmoved during
the whole of the sentence, and .was asserting her innocence
! during the breaking tip of. the court. She was than removed,
and immediately partook of refreshment under the doCk.
iuiinense crowd of persons was waiting in every avenue
leading from the court, and upon !her departure from the Guild
hall, on her way- to the gaol, she was assailed with the most
frightful and discordant yells, and the carriage in which she was,
conveyed was followed by an immense concourse, and such was
the 'excitement of the populace, that it was apprehended by
many persons, that if she had been acquitted serious Conse-
i encores would, have ensued froth the fury of the lower ordera.•
She will ibe executed on Wednesday morning, wtran,na doubt
many thcesands. will, attend the awful ceremooy„

OXFOIUD Kct.sTER, ApItIL. 13,. ~
Tl)b. NUMMI, Al sruw-IN-TriE-worn.
Edwin Jeffrey„.aged 21, was indicted for the wilful murder of
Francois Jacques lien, in the parish of Stow-in-the-Wold, on
the 11411 of .March, 1531. The remarkable circumstances at-
tending this. case, the long .I)oriort of time the murderer re-
!halved undiscovered, together witlt the consternation .which the
event, excited throughout this county when it occurred, gave to
the present trial an unusual degree of interest. The court .was
.filled at p early hour.. ,

'The prisoner,` n elov,nislr 'boy 'of sinister aspect, pleladk
guilty; but at the earnest recommendation of Mr. Justice ColeJ
ridge he retracted his ',lei,- though reluctantly.
yr.,Alercander (with wisorm,was Mr..Cripps) stated the case.!

The unfortnuate'duceased. was a yersorr et' tirniable mannerS,;
and eudearingeociat qualit ics,a native of-France. He.had been
.settled fiir some years in England, and. at Stow held the situ.:-.
tion of agent to a provident bank. On the evening pf thelOth
of Nlarchlre,went out to take' an atterilirinernriilk, and'within
an hour was. found dying in the middle of the bighwa y from .the
;village of ,with his skull battered to'pieces. His• gold re-
peater, chain, and seals, and his purse were gone. Month after
month passed away, and no trace of the perpetrator.appeared.
Two men "were apprehended abut two months after the. event,
and a bill.preferred,at.thelast Gloucester assizes; but the 'grand
jury threwnut the hill, In September last the prisoner was
dis-
covered inamsequeuce,of bisnffering the repeater.of Mr. Ren
for sale; And the principal evidence•againsthini. was that,of •
The Rev, Mr. Ford;..of Itisingtou, examined by' Mr. Alex-
ander-41s a clergyman and magistrate. I first sair the prisoner
at Nurthleach gaol on the 29th of September. 1 asked -him if
be. had anything to say? He said, `.` Sir, I.committeithe
cautionediiim4trongly,.telling hint thaVanytliiiig• he
said might be given in evidence against him. He made a-de-
claration confessing his guilt, which 1,,t00k down, -and.to'which
he affixed his
,mark. (Here the declaration was pia in:and read,)
The..,prisooet statedliis object in doing the murder was to get
possession of the repeater. • That be on the 10th of March saw
11Ir. Rens pass near 111 r. yard,: whose servant prisoner
was. ..Thathe (the prisoner).took a, stick from the slaughter-
honSe, crossed a .fiela; and again met Air. Ren to the highway,
near tho.horsepool. That Mr. lien bade hits good night, and
he:returned-it, That. be went :towards • him •an 4 'struck him
down, lie only gave him one blow. .Mn ,ItemitrUggled very
much on the.ground after he was,down,l,and cut his head indo-
ing so. That the prisoner then took his ,watch, chain, .and
seals, and bid them in a neighbouring flea'''.
Mr.,Justice Coleridge summed up, and the jury, Without he-
sitation,!rcturned a verdict of guilty.
TO learned judge.then passed the dreadful sentence of the
taw on the prisoner, setting before him, with much feeling, the
enormity of his offence, which could receive no mercy from man,
at the same time' expressing the consolation-it 'gave him (the
judge) to find that the prisoner bad thruWir hitnSelf on Him,
with whom there is mercy. He was ordered to be executed On
Wedhesday.

LOND6II7` ET.

LORD c.IIA3II).tR!,AIN:S-QgFICE, ArRIL,I3.

Notice is hereby given, that the . Levee,intended to be held by. his
Majesty attEiki Janws's-palacei on 'Wednesday next, the 15th instant,
is postponed to Wednescloy,the 29th instant, at two o'clock.' -
'The King has bet:o pleased td appoint Sir Burnett, b.,
one of his,lttajesty's Thy siciaus • it( Ordinary, 'in the. room of Bit Gil.
WA Blane deceased. '