The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1847-10-09
NUMBER 40.

Reverenced and despised by turns and so made keen
" sensitive to contempt; tantalizcd by visions OF
wealth, and tormened by very real poverty; welding
a knowledge that, turned to good ends barely kept
him alive but which, in the service OF wealthy crime,
might be to him the true philosophers stone ne
longed for; apothecary could scarce AFFORD 10 De
an honest man. Yet it would be an injustice to-
wards the profession TO suppose that 1t contained
many such wretches as him whom Mrs. Turner now
proceeded to consult DR.. franklin was commonly
reputcd to have poisoned his own wife; he was quite
ready TO undertake the Office for Ovcrbury Al
terwards when arrested, he made amends by betray-
ing his confederates and seeking 10 impiicatc innoT
cent men, Being asked whether Somerset had taken
a part In some stage of the business he obigingy
answered, "If you wish me to say 30, he did. He
also declared that this project of poisoning was but
part of more extensive scheme than the powder
plot-that he knew the names Of many nobemon in
it-with much more in the same strain, so palpably
fictitious that ~ the officers of the prosecution
could believe uponht His examinations are fnll
of gross Inconsistencies. At the scaiod, he assumed
airs of the Astrologer and bestowed on friend re-
ceipc for raising spirits. Malignant 10 the last he
told the executioner, whilst he performed the f.
nal offices about his person, that he trusted there
would soon DO some great lords for him TO operate
upon And this is the wretch whose evidence has
served as materials for history
All things being now prepared, and the unsuspectng
victim entirely In the hands Of his destroyers, the
reader probababy expects to hear OF his speedy dea
By no means Overbury lived four months longer,
during which time, II we are TO believe Franklin
deadly poison vas his daily food.
"Sr Thomas Overbury," says this most credible
witness, never ate white salt, bui there was white
arsenic nut into it," Once he desired pig, and Mrs
Turner put into il Lapis costitils The white powder
that was sent to him in letter, by Somerset he
E'rankln) knew to be white arsenic. AT an~hel
time he had two cartridges sent him rom
court; and water and onions being the sauce, Mrs
Turner put in canthardes SO that there was scarce
any thing he did eat but there was some poison mix
ed" III be true thut Overbury lived through TINS
treatment for four months, he must certainly have
been poison proof.
\ The fact is, that from the documents now made
public by Mr. Amos, there seems great reason TO be-
Iieye that these poisons never administered at
all This indeed cannot be said TO diminish the mo-
raj guilt of Lady Somerset and her coniederafes-
The poison was prepared nnd sent TO the Tower and
believed TO have been given to Overbury; but they
appear to have been prevented from reaching nm by
the Lieutenant Sir Geryase ELVES. This rests on
the testimony Of ELVES and Weston--evidence not
absolutely free from suspicion, but which seems con
frmed by variety Of circumstances In the. first
place the character of Elves and his whole demea-
nor point him out as man whose veracity is to be
depended on; and he persisted In the same story
when on the scaffod. II Is true that one must view
with distrust the selfexculpation OF man charged
with crime; but Elves is confirmed in every point
by Weston and there can be no reason why the lat
Ter should have taken part in fabrication which
condemns himself Westons story is, in effect,
confession Of his guilt; besides all which, their
(evidence clears up what would otherwise be unac-
lcountable-the strange vitality Of Overbury under
This unwholesome diet The story, then, goes on as
/ follows