New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-17

If Mr. SINNERS decease But the circumstan-
tal evidence involved the later rather than
the earlier housekeeper Kate Dover IL was
who had bought arsenic on the day before the
murder, under the pretence OF colorlng MOVERS
She it was who had stuffed the fowl with sage,
onion and arsenic for Mr.. Skinner, and had
left in the tin mess of imprisoned dressing
for her own benefit, so that he should eat and
die. while she could feign sickness and then
accuse Mrs. Jones of murder
In this case. it will be observed, the circum-
stontial evidence was more direct than in the
case of DR.. Lamson; and the atroclty Oh the
crime was aggravated Ivy cold-blooded at
tempt to incriminate an innocent woman. But
there WAS no motive for the crime. MIR. SKIN
ner's will was still in Mrs. JOness favor, ana
Kate Dover had 10 motive for Fastening his
death. On the contrary, her interest lay III
nrolopring his life, at least until he should
alter his will IN her favor. Her lawyer per-
ceiyed his advantage. Adroitly admitting that
the prisoner had bought and used the poison,
and then made a false charge against her rival,
he ARMED that she could not have meant to
kill him. but only to brighten him by making
him very sick and accusing her rival of
POISONING
altering his will in her favor, or possibly into
marrying her outright. The jury readily ac-
cepted mn explanation which made the crime
ineligible, and while detesting the creature
in the dock, who had lied to their faces and
who was admitted by her counsel to be an UNI
scrupulous woman, they rendered verdict OF
manslaughtcr.
Returning. after this DEPRESSION, to DR.. Lam
sons case, we find that he had definite mo-
tive for wishing to get rid of his brother-ln-aw.
He was in great financial straits, and had already
resorted to questionable means OF extortlnS
money from his relatives. About 81 900 would
revert to his wife and her sister if this cripple
should die before coming of age. Here was
motive for poisoning the lad which, taken In
connection with the circumstantial evidence,
was sufficient to convince the jury OF the prs
oner's guilt, although they were predlsposed to
favor him and had been swayed by the emo
tons excited by the eloquent plea made by
his counsel. There can be little doubt that,
in view of the vagueness of scientific knowl-
edge respecting the symptoms OF aconltlne
poisoning, he would have been acquitted
if the motive for the crime had not been so
apparent On the same ground 1t Is sale to
assume that Mrs. Jones would have been con-
victed of murder if the circumstantlal evil
dence had implicated her instead Of her rival,
and that Kate Dover would not have escaped
the extreme penalty of the law if her employ
er's will had been in her favor and he had
threatened to change it in the interest of her
predecessor The common tendency illustrated
by these cases is disposition on the part of
bench and jury to render crime reasonable i'll
its conception and execution. Let the circum-
stantial evidence be what it may, twelve prac-
teal Englislmen cannot be convinced that a
murder can be deliberately planned by
murderer who has nothing to gain by the
crime aud no adequate motive for committing
it, once supply the motive, and the circum-
stauuJl evidence is construed rigidly enough