Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-07-30

world On Jnes nrSL cnafges OF dICempt TO
poison, she has been found ''not guilty."
while the second charge, to the same effect
and the actual murder have been declared
mot proven" The death of Pierre Emile
L'Angelier is pronounced by the Jury to be
mystery, which the evidence brought before
them was uaabe to solve. Thus ends the
case; human judgement acknowledges itself
batfied, and ceases its attempt to unveil what
is perhaps forever destined to be hidden.
The dead man, L'Angelier, is not one
whose fate there is any need to commiserate.
His conduct to one who had been his victim
was base and unmanly to the last Cegree, and
can only be excused on the ground stated by
the lord advocate, that by the law of Scotland
an irregular marriage might be held to have
taken place. and that LAngelier had a right
to consider Madeline Smith as his wife, and
to prohibit her union with another man. ii.
appears that the prisoner left Clapton board
ing school in 1858, when she was only II
years old, and that within two years of that
time she met the deceased, said to be a native
OF Jersey, and at that time in the employment
of Glasgow warehousemen, at a salary of
IS. or los. week, with his board and lodg-
ing LAugelier paid his addresses, which were
well received by the young lady but forbid
den by the parents, who, doubtless, thought
PDohNACAt NAAS-
entitle him to ask their daughters hand.
Months passed, however, and the intimacy of
the pair continued. Madeline slept on 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 1855 we
find from her letters that she had been seduc-
ed by LAngelier, and from that to the close
of the year she writes to him almost daily in
the wild style with which the readers of the
trial are familiar By the beginning of the
present year, however, her passion had cool
ed. A Mr.. Minnoch had proposed in all
innocence to her, and in spite of stolen inter-
views and boarding school heroics, she
thought it better to have solid Glasgow
man of business than French clerk at ESQ
year, who boosted to everybody Of his sue.
cesses with women in general and herself in
particular.
But L'Angelier had no notion of giving her
up. He did not, it appears, insist on her
marrying HIM, but he would not allow her to
marry any one else. 1t was in vain that she
wrote to him that their love had mutually
grown cold, and that they had better forget
each other. L'Angelier threatened to show
her letters to her father, and to Mr.. Minnoch
if the match were not at once broken off
This was the motive for the crime alleged by
the prosecution. Under the threats of the
Frenchman, Madeline is obliged to write back
that the affair with Mr.. Minnoch is a false re-
port. She seems DESTROYS to get EAngelier
away, so that her marriage might take place
before he could prevent it. L'Angelier, how
ever, remains, and persists in his threats. On
the 9th of February she is distracted with ter
ror. She implores him not to bring her to
open shame, and solemnly declares that she
has no other engagement-having, however,
promised her hand to Mr.. Minnoch on the
18th of the previous month. Dates now be-
come of importance. The prisoner for some
reason or other, feigns renewal of her at
tachment for L'Angeler. She wishes to bring
him back to her. the prosecution say, that
she may poison him-she says that she might
coax him to give back the letters On Febru-
airy 18th, he dimes with Miss Perry. lie tells
her that he is to see Miss Smith on the 10TH
We know not if he did not see her on that
day, but we know from the testimony of his
landlady that on that night he was seized with
sudden illness as men are i'll from arsenic.
That the prisoner administered poison on the
18th of February, is the first charge of which
she was found not guilty.
Every Glasgow chemist book was search
ed, and no purchase of arsenic was proved
prior to the 10Th, so that with respect TO this
nrst day there was sufficient doubt to Justify
verdict of full acquittal. But ON the DIST
Madeline purchases arsenic at the shop OF Mr..
Murdoch. She signs her name as required by
act of Parliament, and not only gives her real
address, but has the dose, value sixpence
only, put down to her fathers account Miss
Smith explains the purchase by stating that
she used arsenic as a cosmetic, by dlssolving
it in the water with which she washed--a
process respecting which scientific opinions
are divided. However, L'Angelier is ill again
on the uight of the 22d. but RECEIVERS a sec
ond time. Time passes on, and we must
conclude there are more negotiations for the
surrender OF the letter, for Miss Smith still
Keeps on her engagement with MIR. Minnoch
On Marcl g, she again buys arsenic--to pois
on rats or improve her complexion, according
to her various accounts-and this time is in
company with Miss Buchanan, Young lady
from the Clapton school. LAngelier goes to
Bridge of Allan to recruit his health, and not
to the Isle of Wight, five hundred miles off,
as his mistress advises him to. There he
writes her letter, saying he believes she is
going to marry Mr.. Minnoch, and demands
direct answers to several questions on the sub
ject. He is proved to be anxious for a letter
in answer to this last missive when he re-
ceives it he returns in perfect health. He
comes home in the highest Spirits and saws
of March he goes out little before O'Clock,
He is seen sauntering along in the neighbour
hood of Blythswood Square about 20 minutes
past g. About l.2 he makes call on a
friend, who is not at home. Then we lose
sight of him for two or three hours. He had
gone out to see the prisoner, having come
back all the way from Bridge of Allen for the
interview he had reached the neighborhood
of the prisoners residence-the question is,
did they meet The prisoner says no that
the interview was for Saturday, not Sunday.
The prosecution asserts that they did At all
events, L'Angelier is found, four hours after
wards, in agonies at his own door. He is
doubled up, speeches., and has not strength
to turn the latch key He dies, and dies of
arsenic. The prosecution AYERS that lie is poi.
soned by the prisoner she declares her in
nocence, and suggests that he must have done
it himself in hit of jealousy. Evidence is
adduced that he was vain, foolish, extrava.
giant, always talking of love affairs, and threat.
ened suicide when he was disappointed.
This is all the light that can be thrown on
the terrible occurrence. That the Jury should
declare the crime not proven, is hardly sur.
prising for the circumstances are as myste.
rious as any that have ever been related in a
court of justice. If on the one hand the
prisoner purchases arsenic, and thinks of her
complexion for the first time when she is dis-
tracted with terror, respecting her good name,
on the other hand fine buys it so openly thar a
Juryman might well think her conduct moon.
patible with murderous intention. In her
first letter after the purchase of arsenic in
February, she tells her lover that 81 am TAX.
ing some stuff to bring back the color" of