The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-07-28
INTERESTING NEWS FROM EUROPE BY THE
STEAMSHIP ASIA AT NEW YORK

The Liverpool dates by the steamship Asia are 10 the
18th instant inclusive The great domestic event for the
week in Great Britain the trial and acqual Of Made
lene smith for the alleged murder of her lover
tended notice of which appeared in the Union few days
since We the report of this intensely interesting
case.
AcQuIrTAL or MISS ssurI.--TAKnG TIN VERDICT
The domestic event Of the week which had excited the
most engrossng interest the trial OF Madeleine Smith
of Edinburgh for the murder of her lover at Glasgow,
one Pierre Emile L. Angeier This extraordinary nyesti
cation extended nine days and the British public
both sides of the Tweed followed the inquiry with breath
less attention from the commencement to the close The
outline Of the case which became known in the spring of
the year, revealed the fact that lady of education of
good family and of excellent prospects In life handsome,
accomplished, and extremely young, charged with
numbering her lover by means of poison In order to mar
ny another. Her grandfather one of the most re-
nowned architects in the British empire and his plans
for the houses Of Parliament adudged second 10
those Of the successful competitor Sir Chas Barry The
Scotsman after giving the charge OF the Lord Justice Clerk
TO the jury, says
The jury retired about ten minutes after o'clock,
Immediately upon which the audience in court fell into
keen excitement and discussion, AT thrtytw minutes
past one the Jury bell rung and they entered the box
three minutes afterward The prisoner still gave no
symptoms of emotion.
The Lord Justice Clerk minated that it must bender
stood that there must be expression of feeling by the
audience, whatever the verdict
The names of the jury having been called Mr. Mofat,
Of the high school, announced as chancellor, and
.. In regard to the first count the jury, by majority,
find verdict of not guilty.
In regard the second count, the jury find by
majority, verdict of not proven.
In regard to the third count the jury by majority,
find verdict of not proven
The Scotsman says Instantly the of
these last words vehement burst of cheering from
the audience, especially from the galleries which
again and again renewed with increasing loudness in
spite of the efforts Of the judges and the officers of the
court.
verdict became known immense.
Whilst the chancellor reading the verdict the pris-
gazed at the jury steadily but with signs of agi
tation, and when the verdict of snot proven the
third charge pronounced her head slightly fell her
face broke into bright but somewhat agitated SMILE and
her hand was warmly gasped by her agent Mr Ranking
side and the Jail Inatron the otherexpresions
of sympathy which seemed to affect her deeply than
any incident of the nine days trial
The Lord Justice Clerk, in thanking the jury for their
services and ntmatng that they would be relieved from
similar duties for five years. stated that they would have
perceived from what he had said to them that his
opinions quite conceded with the conclusion at which
they had arrived
The prisoner was then dismissed from the bar The re-
port that she had sailed for the United States is
rect
The dead man. LAngelier is not one whose fate there
is any need to commiserate. His conduct to one who
had been his victim base and unanly in the last de-
gree, and ONLY be excused the ground stated by
the Lord Advocate that by the law of Scotland rreg
ular marriage might be held to have taken place. and
his wife, and to prohibit her union with another man
1t appears that the prisoner left at Capon boarding
house in 1883, when she only IL years old, and that
within two years of that time she met the deceased said
to be native of Jersey and that time in the employ
ment of Glasgow warehouseman at salary of S. or
los. week, with his board and lodging. LAngclier
paid his addresses which well received by the Young
lady, but forbidden by the parents, who doubtless
thought his position and prospects not such would
title him to ask their daughters hand Months passed.
however, and the intimacy of the pair continued Mad
Spnfn
visits of her lover first at the window and then in the
room itself In the spring of 1856 find from her let
tiers that she had been seduced by LAngeier and
that time to the close of the year she writes to him almost
daily in the wild style with which the readers of the trial
familiar BY the beginning of the present year. how
ever, her passion had cooled Mr. Minnoch had pro-
posed in all innocence to her. and spite of stolen in
terviews and boarding school herocs she thought bet
ter to have solid Glasgow of business than French
clerk on $50 year. who boased to everybody of his
successes with women in general and herself in patc-
ular.
But Angelier had notion of giving her up He did
not, It appears, insist upon her marrying him. but he
would not allow her to marry any else. 1t was in
vain that she wrote to him that their love had mutually
cold and that they had better forget each other
Emile would show her letters to her father and Mr. Min
noch II the match were not at broken This was
the motive for the crime alleged by the prosecution I'm
der the threats of the Frenchman Madeleine obliged to
write back that the affair with Mr. Minnoch is false re-
port She seems DESTROYS to get Angecr away so that
her marriage might take place before could prevent it,
On the 9th of February she is distracted with terror She
impores him. not to bring her open shame and solemn
ly declares that she has other engagement-baving
however, promised her hand to Mr. Mnnoch on the 2Sth
of the previous month Dates become of Importance
The prisoner for other egns renewal of
her attachment for LAngeier She wishes to bring him
back to herthc prosecution that she may poison him.
she says that she might him give back the letters
On February IL he dimes with Miss Perry He tells her
that he Is to Miss Smith on the 10th We know
not If he did her that day. but know from the
feStiffeny of his landady that that night he was
ked with sudden Illness rs men are i'll from arsenic
That the prisoner administered poison on the 10th of Feb
ruary Is the first charge of which she was found not
guilty. Every Glasgow chemist book was searched and
no purchase of arsenic proved prior the 10th so
that with respect to this first day there was sufficient doubt
to justify verdict of full acquitta But ON the 2st
Madeleine purchases arsenic at the shop of Mr. Murdoch
She signs her required by the act of Parliament
and not only gives her real address, but has the dose
value sxpcnce only put down to her fathers account
Miss Smith explains the purchase by stating that she used
arsenic cosmetic by dssolvng it in the water with
which she washcda process respecting which scientific
opinions divided. However LAngeer is i'll again
on the night of the ed but RECEIVERS second time Time
passes and must conclude there are more neron
lions for the surrender of the letters Miss Smith still
keeps her engagement with Mr.. Minnoch On March 6
she again buys arscncto poison rats or improve her
complexion, according to- her various accounts-and
this time IL in company with Miss Buchanan youno
lady from the Clapton school LAngecr goes TO Bridge
of Allan to recruit his health and to the Isle of Wight
500 miles off, as his mistress advises There he writes
her letter saying he believes that she is going To marry
Mr.. Mnnoch and demands direct answers To several