Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1865-08-03
Interesting Criminal trial--A Glas-
cow Physician Charged with Poi
sOning his Wife and MOther-in-
Law. .-.

HIM. .. I~...
DR.. Pritchard, Glasgow physician, was
brought to trial in Edinburgh, on the 4th inst
on charge of poisoning his wife and her
mother with antimony The Scotsman gives
the following synopsis of the facts which led
to his arrest, and of the opening scenes of the
trial. -.
On the 2lst of March last, the accused was
apprehended by the police authorities of Glas-
gov and placed in custody, pending the in
vestigation of certain suspicious circumstances
connected with the sudden death of his wife.
The respectable position held by DR.. Prltch-
ard in the society of Glasgow, and the prac.-
tice as a physician which he had been enabled
to attain in the course Of a six years residence
in that city, had awakened an unusual degree
of interest in the public mind on the fact of
his apprehension becoming known. Deep and
painful excitement WAS asoecasioned, which was
rather strengthened than diminished by the
mystery invariably attached to the prosccu-
ton of all criminal inquiries in Scotland
When first apprehended, it was the received
opinion that the charge to be preferred against
the prisoner merely -feisftad to the deatirot
his wife, but it soon became evident that the
matter at issue was much more serious.
For some time previous to her decease Mrs
Pritchard had been in delicate state of
health and her mother Mrs. Taylor, wife of
Mr.. Taylor, silk mercer, Edinburgh, had gone
through to Glasgow to nurse her during her
sickness. Mrs. Taylor took up her abode in
the house of DR.. Pritchard, and ministered to
her daughters comfort, but while SO engaged
she was seized with illness, and died suddenly,
about three weeks previous to the day on
which the prisoner was apprehcn6ed, APop'
lexy was assigned as the cause, and as Mrs.
Taylor was about seventy. years OF age, no
public attention was awakened and the body
was accordingly conveyed to Edinburgh, and
buried in the Grange Cemetry. Circumstan
ces closely following on this, however ava
kened grave suspicious. Mrs. PrltcharQ died
shortly after her mother, and a report was cir
culated that she had been cut off by gastric
fever. The family ground at the Grange was
fixed on as the place of intcrmcnt, and ar
ranecments were made for the funeral with
out delay The body was taken through tt
Edinburgh by rail, and DR.. Pritcharl accom-
panied It to the house of his father-in-law
where it was to await burial!
The deaths of the two ladies' occurring with
in SO short an interval of each other, coupled
with certain hints which they had received
set the police on the alert, and while DR.
Pritchard was absent in Edinburgh they i'll
stituted inquiries which led to a warrant bein!
issued for his apprehension. Previous to th
last rites being paid to his wife, Dr. Prtchar'
!, returned to Glasgow by the late evening tram
but on stepping from the carriage at the raj
way station in Queen street he was taken int
custody and conveyed to the police Office
:, Meanwhile the authorities had transmitted t
Edinburgh information of what had bee
:. done, and at the same time had issued a wal
rant for post mortem examination OF tn
. body of Mrs. Pritchard previous to its inter
. ment The discharge of this duty was ii
! trusted to Professor Douglas Maclagan, (a'
- sisted by DR.. Arthur Gamgee) and DIR. Littl'
:. John, and resulted in the first place in the as
!. ccrtainment of the fact that death had not rt
. suited from natural causes. Subsequent e.
: animation of the intestines disclosed the pre-
ence of minute particles of antimony in tn
liver of the deceased. The official determ
/ sation Of this point having fully eonfirme
), the suspicious entertained against the prlsone
e it was resolved to prosecute wider lnyestig
tons into case tnaI h''u NV "''e'ii0i
grave and mysterious aspect, The next ste
: taken was to order the exhumation of tt
7 body of Mrs. Taylor from the Grange Gem
e e tery This was done upon the 3lst of Marc
y =, the vital parts were preserved for chemic
Y. ANALYSIS The analysis was conducted
N N Professor Maclagan, DR.. Littlejohn and Pr
=, fessor Penny, of Glasgow; and, after. pr
:. tractcd examinatin, report was given
- :, which they attributed the death OF Mrs, Ia
'e lor, like that of her daughter, to the presen'
of antimony. On these important facts beir
7 elicited, DIR. Pritchard was fully committed {
:, :, the charge of murder ,ra.
III At three minutes past tenthe prisoner can
VI u, up the steps and took his place in the doc
!" '" He was dressed in deep mourning, and,
IL taking his seat between the two policemen,
removed his hat and gazed quietly arour
le him, He is a stout, well built man, prept
:; sessinp in appearance, and with strikil
Il sharniy defined features He wears his hf
long. Is slightly bald, and has q large bus
g. a beard. The expression OF ms c0untenan /,
o. o. was sad but he appeared qultse, calm, and
Il manner was composed and collected. VIII
the Judges took their seats he rose and bow
al to the bench, but Immediately afterward
sumed his seat. Considerable attention "
attracted by the brother of the prisoner ent
7 ing the dock and taking his seat beside hi
"a Previous to doing so he shook DR.. Pritcha
fe. warmly by the hand, ,9,7a
he The prisoners counsel in heightened arr
nl- ments moved the Court to separate the t