The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-04
THE SnEYHURST PoIsONIHG Gaze IN ENGLAND
A Physician Commits Bigamy and then
Poisons the Second Wife to get
Possession of her Property.
THE PALMER CASE OUTCOME IN HORRORS.
Trial, Conviction and Sentence
of the Prisoner.

Up-6ouO0GWS VI tuO vOHultS-100
Prisoners Speech Asserting bis
Innocence Passing Sentence,
&C., DO, DO.
Tho English papers received By the Africa are full Of the
proceedings OF most interesting murder trial which had
just taken place in London and the details Of which pos
sessed features remarkable the famous Palmer case
which excited much attention few years SINCE The
following history the presents all SALIENT points,
HISTORY OF THE sMErHURsT CASE.
From the London News or August 20 j.
Another cause celebre has been concluded. Thomas
ave days, been condemned to death Like the infamous
Palmer tho prisoner WAS Of the medical profession, and
like Palmer, too, the crime with which he was charged
Iocous than tho murder OF Cook but that
the crime OF SmethurBt ID even more daring and more
heatess Even nov that the jury have pronounced their
should be guilty Of the charge although after reading the
evidence IL well nigh impossible doubt that the yer.
the story is full Of mystery. This man was not
only man Of educston, but he had retired from his
profession and was living with his wife in furnished
lodgings His wife was certainly old woman, ABOVE
seventy, he having married her some thirty years
ago. but. he himself told the jury after the Judge
hsd assumed black cap he bad taken her an excur
sion to Paris and Heidelberg last year, had behaved
her with the utmost Kindness and had brought her back
safe to England" And must BIO admitted that single
from him. No account wan given Of his previous life,
except that he had kept water establishment the
independent means and CT respectable connexions should
have been left alone In his difficulties. Not slsge friend
to support him in the Dock to vouch for his
Sometimes the appearance and manner OF q man
furnhh indications OF his character. The murderer
ss oa@ dignity SSsA inspires
spect Smethurlt displayed neither Of these charac
teristics. short, rather thicliset man, with brown
hora hatd
those rcpusvo features which sometimes mark great
criminals In fact the sister Of the poor murdered
with couutensnce showing AVAILABILITY" II ia true that
in addressing the Court his voice somewhat trcmbied but
AZ the awful moment after the verdict Of "guilty had
been and the Judge had assumed tho black
cap, the spoke with audacous self possession and
deliberate uency Of fssehood which confounded those
who heard him. ~. a
Toward. The close OF laet year Mr. and Mrs smehurst
reside tho house CT Mrs Smith, at BsyswAter
stthis ssme house lived two ladies, Miss Louiss aud
Miss Isabella Bankes Their connections respecta
be- and their pecunisry mesrs amounting to something
above Ell each rendered them quite independent
Member Of The sisters was Ms Isabella had reached
Although che was somewhat beyond the age Of passion
she seems 70 have conceived liking for Dr. Smsthurss
and in fact their conduct scandazed Miss Smith that
she insisted upon their leaving the house. II is not quite
clear whether Mas Banses knew that Smelhurst was
married man. though having lived In the same house with
him and his wife, Is Difficult. 10 understand her igno-
OF the fact Tie probability is that Smethurst had
persuaded NILS Barkes that the Old lady above seventy
the fact that the ceremony Of marriage between Sms-
hurst and Miss Bankes was performed at Besea church
However tina. might be, they lett Mise Smiths, and,
after staying short time at Mrs Grabowski's they
finally took up their abode at the house Of Mrs. Wheat
ley, at Alma Villas Richmond, for which they paid los.
q week. According to Smethurst he had settled tho
whole matter with legitimate wife, and she had agreed
questions ss 10 where or how he lived smetnurst and
Mics Banked lived at Mrs. Wheatleys until tho end Of
last March, when the lady became very Ill. For some
sho had
hms but the diEesse was now serious moreover II ap
pened that the lady had become pregnant In fact,
deliberetion 1t was decided to summon DR. julius,
~. 49, leading practitioner In Richmond Ill az the
only attendant s.en sr1aees as nv t shs
be was too poor; though at the very time he had
balance Of some f200 at the Bank On this Aectonate
quasi husband, therefore, devoved al the dsagreeabe
n!stered by his own band the chamber utensils we're
placed ou,side the bedroom door by his own hand
During the day no human being entered that room but
Sne,huret during the night TO human being Sat BY the
bedside but SmetburBt The complaint under which the
poor woman suffered required. above all things clean.
ness and pure air and this snethurs. as medical
must have well krown, and yet during the many weeks
Of illness "the bedroom was thoroughly cleaned
cut" though indeed, the bed was made by the Andady
than Goo his bankers to insist upon acting the
munro TO q sick woman, and performing all
the most tender and disgusting Offices 1t WAS
perhaps stranger still that, Of all the varieties OF
rice, beef tea, blaucmange meal, coffee and jelly.
that enter ed that bedroom not one scrap-except
sour rce-ever came out again. II anything was mixed
with the poor wornans food human being had an
Opportunity OF tasting H. According 10 Smethurst indeed
bis tender regard for Mics Bankes and his parsimony
TO find that living upon this diet with such fatigue and
under such anxiety the afflicted husband he told the
jury he parting address, should have lost in weight
some si1tee pounds. r#H. n s.r FIT as.
was The 9th Of April that Dr. julius first saw the
poor lacy whom he took for the wife OF SmothurEt
HavDg learnt the symptoms Of the case from him. he
prescribed certain remediea Thew n relpf 1npy
heiiher stopped the vomiting nor the diarrhca From
he oh 10 the 18th he went on trying all sors Of prescp
pletey puzzled, he handed over the patient to his
partner, DR.. Bird. His remedies equally failed
sacked by various witnesses from the of medicine
but smda all the anomalies OF disease they searched ia
VAN for case in which no single symptom was abated
jos At length Dr. julius came to the conclusion that
scme drug was being administered to counteract the effect
OF be medicines Now that drug was in his opinion,
- tsm a,av ,a POISON Dr. BT after ysuy atemDg
ueGn comparing notes IL found that both agreed.
Tue neither Dr. julius Dr. Bro had the poor
la1y alone. Smeibura. himgeh always In tie room
and himself explained she symptoms More medical al.
vice was demanded and the cninens Dr.. Todd OF Kings
Cohsge Hospital was sent for He saw tbs patient. pre-
Tood, therefore came TO the conclusion with DR.
julius and Dr. BIRD, that something administered to
couDteract the effect OF the ordinary medicines and that
II must be come srians poison In short IT, those exre-
riepced medical men to believed this man alone in
shat Tretcoed room In Alma Villas was daily and hourly
with bis own bands administering to the lips OF the lonely
woman, rbose character he had destroyed, scientific
doses OF that subtle poson which kteably sappng
ber strength and drying up the OF leand ali
tns under the very eyes OF three medical men, OF
shtm at least Of the highest reputation.
But the end was drawing near. Once only had the
sister Of poor Isabella sanks appeared She see
Ter sister about the 10th Of April But then was
y" permitted to do anything for the sick womAn-not
en- 10 maze her some blancmapge or arrowroot In
spite OF her desire 10 come again. she prevented by
Smehurft and In fact II was only Just before her DEATH
ana when she wss speechess thai she was again per
mted to sec her. But the esme day which
Sethrrs wrote 10 Miss Banks gay that slater was
too weak TO her. be called attorney for the puv
pose OF getting will prepared by which Miss Isabella
Bsnkes WIS 70 leave him al ner property The poor wo-
man. orsooth could not see her SITTER bu. she could
strange attorney. Tho attorney the Sunday
morning. and the will by which Smeshurst obtained the
wbee property Was executed. il ia worthy OF remark
that in this will Mss 3apkes In nspna