Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-08

Supposed 10 Have Dcsed Many Persons
TO Dea,h-SusefilAurxt' Escape.
The judge who presided at the Maybrick
trial. Sir James Fitz James Stephen, OF the
queens bench division % the high court OF
justice, is Of the most distinguished law
yers In England BE IS also rae author az
A History Of the Criminal Law Of Eng
land, in three volumes. In the last named
worA, which Is by far the best treatise ever
written ON the subject, Mr.. justice stephen
devot a good deal Of space % the consider
alton OF cases Of murder by poisoair SAYS
The New York Sun.
THE CASE or JOHN DoSE1.LAN
The first OF TIE poisoning cases Of which
an account Is given Is that of JOAN Donellan,
who was tried in ISL for the murder OF kis
hrother~in-law, Sir Theoiosius Bcuxhtou.
The deceased had been suffering from Il
slight allmeat, for which he was in the habis
Of taking medicine. but he bad been out fish
ing an hour OF Two on the afternoon OF ths
day preceding his death Early the next
morning re asked his mother 70 give him his
medicine, and she handed him hottie from
2 shelf In an outer room % which other
members OF the household, including tbs
prisoner, had free ACCESS
planned Of nausea, suffered from convulsions
FOR about ten minutes, then became quietc..
and disposed 70 Sleep, and died shortly after
ward. The mother Immediately conjectured
that she had made some mistake IN regard ~
the mediciEe. and said 50 - Donellan. He
then asked for tie physic bottle and rinsoi -
ont with water TIE theory OF the prosecn-
tion was that laurel water was tho, poison adj
81
the smell Of laurel water resombled that *
the medicine which she had HANDED % her
son. The medical evidence against the prison.
er was given by four physicians, one Of them
a p.ofesscr az Oxford, ard they al agreed
that the death OF SIR TneodOsius Boughton
was caused BY poison
To contradict their evidence the priscncr
called toe celebrated surgeon and physiolo-
cst, John Hunter who testified IA substances
that the symptoms were consis tent wIth tAoss
of epilepsy OF apoplexy. Tie charge Of the
judge was extremely unfavorahls - the de-
PENDANT, who was convicted almost ifnme-
diately and was subsequently, hanged Sir
James Stephen says that the ccaduct Of tho
judge and the verdict of the Jury were
warmly ceDsured at tina time. and be ak
presses doubt whether tho prisoner would
have been convicted 1T the present ,lay, b.
cause the medical evidorIce was not nearly u
strong as it might have been. he seegns in
clined 10 think, however, that che verdict
was right
WILLIAM PAL1ER's FRIGHTFUL vILLAIyY.
The next case Is that II William Palmer,
who was a physician, aud who was tried for
numbering sportinf. man banned John Par
sons Cook, with whom he wus on intimate
terms, aud with whom be had bocn Involved
III money transactions. which created q
strong motive on bis part tor desiring the
death Of Cook. The poison used was sup
posed to have beeu administered by Palmer
TO Cook at various times while they we're in
company. The first occasion was at the sit
ting room Of a hotel. whers, Cook conrlaiuel
that some brandy and water which hr had
Just been drinking burned bis throat dread
fully, and told another nieDd that be thought
Palmer had doa.d him.
The principal medical question En- the case
vas whether death wus causesi by strych-
nine or rheumatic tetanus Lord Campbell
presided nc the trial, which lasted twelve
days. No more horrible xf1laiu than Palmer
ever stoodin a dock. The prejudice agaiBt
him was 50 strang that Il was considered
necessary 90 pass an act II parliament to au.
thorizc his trial In London. IL he bal not
been convicted and hanged for the murder
~ Cook be 1voJdG have been put upon trial
for the murder OF hls wife ard brother, ard
II was believed at th9 tIfae Is,ysl that he had
Killed many other person. By poison.
WILLIAM DOVE, Who POISONED HIs WIFE.
The third case L. that of william Dove,
who was tried in 1856 for poisoning his wife
by strychnina. Tic Doves Lad Ii yes1 unhzp-
PLY together land tifero was proof FIAT tha
prisoner hIi Threaten - 10 lif BIZ wife. ard.
among other tbargs, md aaid DO .vonid gis-e
her pin that woa!d % FOR hcr (" Tha de-
fensc was insanity and one a. tho medical
witnesses suggested ttat the IrlaCaer hal
allowed his mind tosiWsll on bis vifsh death
~ long that ~ lsa. b. became n v.ufirn % au
uncomfortable propensity D. XII her. Tba
jury found hitD guilty. but monumental
him 70 mercy on tao ground Il llls defectfva
intellect
CONVICTED, BUT AETEEwGRDs TszpoETn
The Last q TIN ca=.s occurred in Isc2.
Thomas SDstlihurgt WIS ifsiictes for tbs
murder o. Isa1eil1 Banks, with whom ls
bad gone .irouEh a shauD cezauloHy d mar
riage- He lived with the depeapzi feqs
months, when sEs teoenas il and cliesk, asd
Srne'hhBrst vas as,tst.-t upon a csars,e a
having causesi her death sby sdrainiszarfhg
poi=on. II spIs~Fei' ha. he death II lLsf
Bankas wonld resil'sn, giving hirzs q stIr1sgf
money equhf % ssSsfas thoasaEt 1oriara. has
there Egas 10 oySdrDcs esss hs va ia Frsszps
inZ want Of rsoney attssy f!na.
One q tho prEn-ipal points azainst him
was that he bad ar allowed any ons lat
hianss1 and the g1a63ca1 s.tssnssauss % ss.s
Aiss Bsnkes duftRz her Hlns@. Bsssanssr<
istersd foo3 ard IDc<scias 70 bar asl1l hltosef
acted ~ her phys@la1- Tho eIgerts ~hs
were called foT to- pyoascB19rfe-itsSi tlass
sons Frrisas. poiar. RAD t~ao sdrssnAors,t
with re drug vt,k szefs p<fzzrl11d. aDsi
aL0 tnat t.s post-rortsra eTpearsrcs q tks
BODY inffoetea that dests Ead bscn ozsz.sli
By sotoe Iosscaosas irT4taut. There VA cou.
Edsr@hls taa:irpo1y TX tbs dn9exjsct. bows
ever, - tic eject tEss tEs ETTuD tor1s vSsr~ IN.
Consistent With tk1sa Which ~ozid - yro-
daoet by possorz1ng, Ard tat ds@ts mat
have been dss SIMPLY 70 tAs1ao
Ihs Trlsoaey -ss convicted a.1 ses.rroaf
= death, 81 tbs hogse s-rresssY szflss-sp.sss-
~ Al ~tse5 ~ Qzes8 q gract a s4r1ozs, uroa
.he Grsuson e a Gis-lE17zsst~s fkyE.04za,
that alsbongh rns fac.s wsrs RI = szzvyscsga
aEa-uv- Eass.kAETvt, taars was - shsoazss
aEd 9onpls,s -vi3esos q BIZ gale. he FTas
oDer was pag1oE@d-
FssiBv-aszs ss GIBBS.
CO - Cstsfo - fz--.g-sr 81. s-.rs