Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-07-31
TIE ASIA'S MAILS.
Remai kabIe Murder Trfa' In sgoyv Sco,,o.
---The Young Lady VINO Poisoned her Law
Her Observation-Disclosures Europe. &c


the trial of Madeline Smith, OF Edinburgh. for tbS
murder of her lover at Glasgow, one Pierre Emil
L'Angelier This extraordinary investigation ev
tended nine days, and the British public on botb
sides of the Tweed followed the inquiry with. breath
less attention from the commencement to the cIosa
The outline of the case, which became known in th
spring of the year, revealed the fact that LADY Of
education of good family and excellent prospects in
life, handsome, accomplished, and extremely young
was charged with numbering her lover by means Of
| olson, in order to marry another. Her grandfather
one of the most renowned architects in the Brit
ish Empire, and his plans for the new House of Par.
lament adu ged second to those of the success
full competitor, Sir Chas. Barry The Scotsman. At.
ter giving the charge OF the Lord Justice Clerk to the
jury, says:
The Jury retired about ten minutes after one o'cloct
Immediately upon which the audience in court fell
into keen excitement and discussion. At thirtytwo
minutes past one, the jury bell runs, and they en-
tered the box three minutes af:erward The prisoner
Still gave symptoms OF emotion.
The Lord Justice Clerk minated that it must hp
understo cd that there must be no expression of feel
ing by the audience, whatever the verdict
The names of ire jury having been called, Mr..
Mofat, Of the high school, was announced as chan
ceIIor, and read the verdict follows:
q In regard to the first count, the iurv bv ma
iority, find verdict of not guilty
6 In regard to the second count the iurv find bv
a majority verdict of not proven
In regard to the third count, the iury, bv a ma.
5ority find verdict of not plovenn
The SEQ sman says: Instantly on the announce
m mt of these last words vehement burst of cheer
ing came from the audience especially from the GAL
IerIes, which was again and again renewed with
increasing loudness, In spite of the efforts of the
Judges and the officers of the court,
The excitement produced outside the court when
the yer Iict became known was immense.
Whilst the chancellor reading the verdict the
prisoner gazed at the jury steadily, but with no signs
of agitation, and when the verdict of not proven
~. ,ool
ly fell, her face broke into bright but somewhat
agitated smile, and her hand warmly grasped by
her agent (hlr. Ranking side and the Jail
matron on the other-expressons of sympathy which
seemed to affect her more deeply than any incident
of the nine days trial.
The Lord Justice Clerk in thanking the jury for
their services (and intimating that they would be re-
eved from similar duties for five years) stated that
they would have perceived from what he had said 10
them that his own opinions quite conceded with the
conclusion at which they had arrived.
The prisoner was then dismissed from the bar
The report that she had sailed for the United States
is not correct.
The dead man, LAngelier, is not one whose fate
there is any need to commsserae. His conduct 10
one who had been his victim was base and unmanly
in the last degree, and only be excused on the
ground stated by the Lord Advocate that by the law
of Scotland irregular marriage mi ght be held 10
| have taken place, and that LAngeler had right
to consider Madeleine Smith his wife and TO proh
biz her union with another 1t appears that the
prisoner was left at Ciapon boarding house in 1853,
when she only II years. old, and that within
two years of that time she met the deceased, said to
be native of jersey and at that time in the employ
ment Of Glasgow warehouseman at a salary of IS.
! or los week, with his board and lodging Ian
getier paid his addresses, which were well received
! by the young lady, but forbidden by the parents,
who, doubtless thought his position and prospects
lot such would ente him to ask their daughters
hand. Months passed, however, and the intimacy of
the pair continued. Madeleine slept the ground
floor and used to receive the visits of her lover first
at the window and then in the room itself. In the
spring of 1856 find from her letters that she had
| been seduced by LAngelier, and from that time TO
the close of the year she writes him almost daily IN
the wild style with which the readers of the trial are
familiar. Ry the beginning of the present year, how
ever, her passion had cooled. Amir. Mianoch had
propo ed all innocence to her, and in spite of stolen
interviews and boarding school heroics she thought
ii better to have a solid Glasgow of business
tt an a French clerk on G3O year, who boosted 10
everybody of his success with women in general, and
herself in particular.
But LA gelier had no notion of giving her up
He did not ii app, ars, insist upon her marrying him,
but he would not allow her to marry any elSe.-
Ii in vain that she wrote TO him that their love
had mutually grown cold, and that they had better
forget each other Emile would show her letters to
her father and Minnoch if the match were not at
once broken off. This was the motive for the crime
|
Frenchman, Madeline is obliged to write back that
the affair with Mr. MinnOch is a false report. She
seems DESTROYS to get Laughter away, so that her
marriage might take place before he could prevent
it. LA geer, however, remains, and persists in his
threats. On the 9th Ct February she is distracted
with terror She mplores him not to bring her to open
shame she soIemnly declares that she has no other
engage nm having, however, promised her hand
to MIR. Mlnnoch the 28th of the previous month.
Dates now become of Importance. The prisoner
for some eason or other telgns renewal of her al
tachmenlkfor LAngeler. She wishes to bring him
back her; the prosecution say that she may poison
him-she says that she might coax him to give back
| the letters On February IL he Dimes with Miss
| Peuy He tel S her that he is to see Miss Smith on
the 10Th. We know not if he did her that
day. but we know from The testimony of his landlady
that on the night he WIS seized with sudden illness
as men are i'll from arsenic. That the prisoner
administered poison on the 10th of February is the
first charge OF which she was found not guilty
Every Glasgow chemists book searched, and no
purchase of Arsenic proved prior to the l9h. SO
that with respect to this first day there sufficient
doubt 10 Justify verdict of full acquital But on
the 2lst Madeline purchases arsenic al the shop OF
| Mr.. Murdoch. She signs her name required by
the act of Parliament, and not only gives her real
address, but the dose, value siXpence only, put
down 10 her fathers account. Miss Smith explains
the purchase by stating that she used arsenic as
cosmetic, by dissolvng 1t in the water with when
| she washed-a process respecting which sCenl1c
opinions are divided. However, LAngeer is again
i'll on the night of the 22d, but RECEIVERS seconi
lime. Time passes on, and We must conclude there
are more negotiations for the surrender of the letters,
for Miss Smith still keeps her engagement with MI
/ Minnoch.
On March 9th she again buys arsenic-lo poison
rats or improve her complexion, according to hef
various accounts-and this lime it is in company
with Miss Buchanan, young lady from the ClaPton
school I'Angelier goes to Bridge of Allan, to re-