The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-08-15
The Maybrick Poisoning Case.

There have been few cases more remarkable
in the annals of the English courts than that OF
the alleged poisoning of Mr.. Maybrick, an Eng
fish cotton broker, by his American wife. The
interest in the case in this country arises from
the fact that the Maybricks resided for some
years in this country, where the husband was
cotton buyer, and from whence he returned to
Liverpool and began business cotton broker
ON his own account, Two of the witnesses, one
of them negro were from Norfolk, and went
over to Liverpool to testify in Mrs. Maybrlck's
defense. The testimony against her was very
strong. 1t was proved that the husband and
wife often quarreled; that on one occasion he
struck her, blackening her eye, and that in one
instance at least she had been unfaithful to him.
letter also of hers had been intercepted OF an
discriminating character. There was thus estab-
lished motive for the crime. The brothers of
Mr.. Maybrick seemed to have disliked the wo-
man. They set watch over her during the
brothers illness, and had all her actions report
ed to them. She was, moreover, an object OF
suspicion not only to the brothers, but to the
physicians, nurses and maids, and, from the
brothers point Of view there seemed to be war
rant for it at the trial The nurse testified that
during one of the last days of Mr.. Maybrick's ill
ness she saw the wife pour white substance
into his beef tea. Stains that were proved to be
caused by arsenic were found on her dressing
table, her gowns, aprons and handkerchiefs.
There was proof adduced that she had bought
arsenic anywhere, but she was known to have
soaked fiy-paper which contains considerable
amount of arsenic. Stringent orders had been
given that she was not to be allowed to admin
lister anything to her husband, and it was in
testimony that she had not done SO except in the
one instance already mentioned. 1t seems to
have been the conviction OF the Maybrick
brothers that she was a murderess in intent If
not in act, and when traces of arsenic were
found in parts of the body submitted to analy-
sis, their belief was confirmed that she had COM
passed her husbands death. Everything brought
out by the prosecution pointed to that one terri
BILE fact and none other. When the defense call
ed it's witnesses the case took different turn.
Some unknown friend or friends had engaged
Sir Charles Russell as Mrs. Maybrick's counsel.
He stands to-day at the head of the English bar.
He was attorney-general during Mr.. Gladstone'S
administration, and was the leading counsel for
Mr.. Parnell before the parliamentary commits
sion where he made the ablest speech that has
been heard in England during the last half cen
tury. The case was apparently SO strong against
Mrs MAVERICK that it seemed impossible to break
it down, yet it was SO handled as to leave
strong doubt as to whether she was really guilty
; OF the crime of which she was accused The
two witnesses from Norfolk testified that Mr..
that he was one of those men who were constant
ly dosing themselves. The negro witness testi-
fed that while in Norfolk, Mr.. Maybrick fire.
quently sent m out to buy arsenic, which he
was in the habit Of mixing with his beef tea. A
London druggist testified that he had often sold
him tonic called Pick ne-up,' every dose of
which contained from six to seven drops of an
arsenical solution, and that he was accustomed
to take this tonic four or five times day. An
ex-mayor of Liverpool stated in court that Mr..
Maybrick had admitted to him within the pie
vious two months that he was in the habit of
using remedies containing poisonous ingredi-
ents. All this concurrent testimony tended to
lay the ground work of a doubt in the minds of
the jury but it did not explain the arsenic stains
on the clothes of Mrs Maybrick or her admins
tration to her sick husband of white powder in
a cup of beef tea. Under the English law prison
ers are not allowed to testify in their own be-
half but the judges have authority to admit
such testimony in special cases and within GER
tain limits. This concession Sir Charles Russell