The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-06
Likely to Cause Radical Change in the Anti
quated English Rules of Evidence Relat-
ing to Testimony Of the Accused.
The Royal Naval Review at Last Comes
OFF and Proves a Brilliant Success.
The Process of Winding Up the WARM Egypt
Hyppolite Repulsed-BloOdy Riot of Cool.
les in China-0ther News by Cable.
THE MAVERICK TRIAL.
The Prisoners Statement Has Started an I'm
portant Agitation in England.


The Prisoners Statement Has Started an I'm
portant Agitation in England.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
LONDON, Aug. 81 One result of the May
brick murder trial in Liverpool is the re-
newal of the agitation. rife here some years
ago, in favor of allowing prisoners to tes-
tify in their own behalf. Sir Charles Rus
sells application to the judge presiding at
the trial, for permission to read state
ment prepared by the accused, and the
judges consent, under certain restrictions,
given Saturday, served to start a heated
discussion as to the propriety of permitting
such proceeding. But to-day the reading
of the prisoners statement adds interest to
the discussion, and gives it point.
Those who urge the necessity of
absolutely essential the facts disclosed in
this statement are to enable the jury TO
gain a clear understanding of the case, and
yet how utterly impossible it would have
been to present the facts except through
the accused herself 1t is little remarka-
BILE that. though the necessity for this re-
form in the law of evidence is all but uni
versally admitted, and, in point of fact, has
been admitted for years, no action was pos
sbls ti This is due t. the political cal features
duced with this reform in view the
Irish members promptly move the ex-
tension of the. principle to Ire,
land, and as this is always refused
but obstruct it. The Irish members are
determined that until England is willing
to allow Irish political prisoners to testify
In their own behalf in Ireland, England
must be content with the clumsy and anti
quated rules of evidence she now applies.
nj hQ
and it is not at all improbable that public
opinion may compel the government to ad-
NIT more rational methods in England,
even at the cost of like justice to Ireland.
Mrs. Maybrick's Statement in Court.
LIVERPOOL, Aug. Sat the trial of Mrs.
Maybri for the murder of her husband,
the defense was continued. DR.. Mac
Namara ex-president of the Irish College of
Surgeons, testified that in his opinion Mr..
May bricks death was due to gastro-enter-
tits and not to arsenic. DR.. Paul, tOxicO-
logical examiner in the Victoria University,
declared that it would take months to
eliminate arsenic from the system, if it
were taken over twice. He also thought
the symptoms in the case of Mr.. Maybrick
accorded with those of gastro-enteritis. A
chemist testified that ladies often pur-
chased fly papers for use as cosmetics. A
hair-dresser said that arsenic was fire.
quently used by ladies to improve
their complexion. Mr.. Poole, ex-Mayor
of Liverpool, testified that in
that he took poisonous medicine habitually.
This concluded the evidence, and Mrs.
Maybrick then read her statement. In
this she explained the presence of fly papers
In the house by saying that she had bought
them for use as cosmetics. For many years
she had used cosmetic prescribed by DIR.
Griggs, OF Brooklyn, which contained arse
mic. She had lost the prescription. and
wishing to make substitute, had soaked
the fiy-papers in elder flower water and
lavender water, and had covered the vessel
holding the mixture with a plate and a
towel to exclude the air. Continuing. Mrs
May brick said: "On the night of May 8.
after the nurse in attendance upon my
husband had gwen him, some meat
He complained of being very
sick and depressed. and implored
me to give him a powder. Earlier in the
day he had made similar request, and
had declined to administer the powder
But that evening was overwTought, terri
bly, anxious, miserably unhappy. His dis
tress unnerved me, and. as he said the pow
der was harmless and could put it in his
food, consented to mix it with some meat
deceased fell asleep and appeared better on
awakening. was not anxious to admins
ter the powder. Afterwards l placed the
bottle containing the meat Juice on the
wash-stand, where it remained until
Michael May brick, my brother-in-law, took
possession of it. The day before my hus-
band died made full confession to him
of n fearful wrong L had done him, and re-
ceived his forgiveness"
This statement caused sensation in the
courtroom.