The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-13

neriy has Lecome even as st.urian deposit, |, no
longer possesses any interest for The public 1t Is
nothing more than specimen Cor the curious III
vcs.igation Of the old fcgy biologists in politics
What is the object Of this bugger- mugging aud
secrecy? Can anybody tell?
THE FRFQUENCY OF MURD BY PoGsoN.-lt
seems necessary to refer TO this subject again. Tel
egraphc dispatches, u few days ago, announced
the conviction OF DR.. King for poisoning his wife,
at Coburg, in Canada; and another conviction
also for wife murder at Hamilton in Canada. 1t is
only short time since young and beautiful
woman was hanged for poisoning her husband at
Quebec. The poisoning of postmaster by his
wife in Massachusetts has not yet faded from the
memory Of our readers The conviction Of Ste
phens, for poisoning his wife, took place only
fortnight ago in New York, and of Johnson very
recently for similar offence in Virginia And
these are only samples Of many other cases.
In the same column which contained the intel
lgence of the conviction of King aud Mitchell,
we had despatch from Albany touching the
case of Mrs. Hartuug, from which it appeared that
the Governor had utterly refused to pardon that
poisoner or to commute her sentence, and added
that he will not interfere in any case of poisoning
where the guilt is clearly proved, and especially
when the murderer is the husband or wife. This
is a very proper determination, and we hope The
Governor will stick to It, notwithstanding the
unconstitutional attempt of the Legislature to
interfere with the pardoning power, which be-
Ia, 10 <bo nd to
an ca post facto law, committing the sentence All
ex post facto laws are unconstitutional If the Lee
gislature has the power to commute sentence,
it has the power to pardon, and by parity of
reasoning it has the power to increase as well as
to diminish the amount of punishment awarded
by the law in any particular case. If the law
which condemns the female sex to the same
amount of punishment as the male be wrong,
let it be repealed But while it is the law, let it
be carried out In poisoning cases it is especially
necessary to make some wholesome examples
without distinction of sex.
The most extraordinary exertious have been
made in behalf Of Mrs. Hartung-her youth and
beauty have been urged by some of the Albany
newspapers. The most notorious OF the slow
prisoners of France, in the latter end Of the Be-
venteenth century, possessed these claims in the
highest degree. We refer to Madame de Brin-
villiers, wife of Marquis, young woman
connected both by birth and marriage with
some Of the noblest families. She was stepped in
wickednees from the time she entered her teens.
Yet we are told she was "beautilul and accom-
plished, and in the eye of the world seemed ex-
emplary and kind" She conceived guilty
passion for poisoner named Sainte Crox, who
was introduced to her by her husband, and i'm
mediately conspired with him to carry of,
by slow poison, her father and two brothers,
that she might inherit their property. She ad
ministered the doses with her own hand, first
trying them on dogs, rabbits and pigeons, then
on patients in the hospitals, and finally on herself!
After despatching her father and brothers, she
might be married to Sainte CroiX. But the lat
ter contrived secretly to administer antidotes, for
he did not want to marry 80 bad woman. She
was caught at last and after conviction confessed
her crimes, and persisted on the scafiold, where,
according to Madame dc Sevigne, she laughed in
the most heartless and impensent manner.
Cases of poisoning in the United States have
become go numerous, Of late, as to carry back
our thoughts to this woman and to the "slow poi
sonipg" of two centuries ago in England, France
and Italy. From the last named country it ex-
tended to the other two, and at first it was called
the 'Italian" crime. 1t has been practised in all
ages; but in the sixteenth century it gradually
increased, till in the seventeenth it spread over
all Europe like pestlence. In the time of
Henry VIII Of England an act was passed rem
dering it high treason, aud booming those found
guilty of it 10 be boiled to death. The case Of
Sir Thomas Overbury, who in 1913 was first
committed to the Tower Of London at the in-
stance of the Earl of Rochester, aud there dosed
for six months with slow poison, which, not
working sufficiently fast, was at last followed up
by dose of corrosive sublimate, which finished
the business, is one of the most remarkable cases
on record. The Countess of Essex lewd wo-
man, who obtained divorce from her husband
in order to marry Rochester, was an accomplish,
and the offence of Overbury was that be strong
ly demonstrated with his friend Rochester against
the marriage. In this crime were implicated Sir
Jervis ELVES, the Lieutenant of the Tower; Wes-
ton, the under keeper; the Earl of Northampton,
uncle Of Lady Essex, and the chief falconer, Sir
Thomas Monson. All these parties were cou-
victed. and some Of them executed. But Essex
and his Countess, after being imprisoned for Ave
years, were liberated. This had a most disas-
trous effect on society, and many followed the
bad example. 1t was just retribution on King
James, who pardoned them, that he was after
wards poisoned himself
The most celebrated of the Italian prisoners
were La Spara and Tophania, who were both
executed-the latter at seventy years of age,
after confessing that she had been accessory to
the poisoning of COO persons. This hag's poison
was colorless and tasteless, and could not be de-
tected. 1t was put up in phials and called after
her name, Aqua Tophania, but she labelled it
"Manna of st. Nicholas" which was miracli-
lous oil, said to have issued from the tomb of the