The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-04-26

Eliza FenniBg.
Another spscter that will not be laid,
but walks forever up and down the gloomy
halls of English justice, is the pathetic
wrath of the young and beautiful Eliza
Fenning. She was but twenty-one years
of age when she was suddenly taken from
the house in Chancery lane. London,
whore she was living as a domestic serv-
ant, and arraigned at the Old Bailey court
house on the charge of administering
poison to the family. No one died from
the attempt at poisoning. but at that time
QSlj) il was a capital felony to administer
poison with intent to kill. The family
had undoubtedly been poisoned by eating
of dumplings made by this hapless girl,
but she had herself eaten of the same dish
and suffered Ia the same degree as other
members OF the household. she had not
mado the slightest attempt TO remove the
evidence of her guilt, II guilty she was.
She had lett The poison bearing dish un-
washed. 1t is hardly conceivable that
such being the evidence, she should have
been convicted. But the recorder of Lon
don who presided at the trial seemed TO
be very prejudiced against her. and
charged the Jury strongly for CONJUNCTION.
The only motive ascribed to her was that
she had had a slight quarrel with her mis-
tress, and had determined to poison the
entire family by way OF revenge. After
conviction petitions signed by thousands
prayed the mercy of the king, but the
recorder fercely fought the movement for
pardon. The girls master Telented, and
wou d have signed the petition for par
hrrF fF lad ,rk
to do so. New evidence was discovered
after the trial and before the execution,
which made 1t all but certain that she
was innocent. Sir Samuel Romiliy re-
cords the fact that sn offer was made soon
after the girl was convicted to prove
that there was in the house OF her
master when the poisoning took place a
person VINO had shortly before labored
under mental arrangement, and who in
that state had privately declared to a
reputable witness, who was forthcoming,
that he feared much that he should de-
stroy himself and his family. Mr.. Gibson,
a reputable merchant of London, was
ready TO testify that some months pre-
viously this mentally unbalanced person
had called upon him and had said to him
with great agitation: My dear Gibson,
for heavens sske get me secured or con-
fined for Il ! am lett at liberty / shall do
some mischief; l shall destroy myself
and my wife. l must and shall do it un-
less al means OF destruction are removed
out of my way; therefore do, my good
friend, have me put under some restraint,
something above tells me | must do it,
and unless | am prevented / shall certain
lv do it." Mr. Gibson communicated
this confession to the poor madam's fami-
Nv, but they left him az liber-
ty, and it is almost certain that
it was his act for which Eliza Fen
ming was sent to her death. The recorder
refused 10 entertain this pr0ifersd evil
dence. and the unfortunate girl, the only
child of respectable parents, who were
then still living, was taken out one morn
ing IN April, 1915, and hanged in front of
NewgRte AS the door was reached that
opened upon the scatiold the clergy man
of the iail made last effort 10 extOrt a
confession, but she replied: Before the
Just and Almighty God, aud BY faith OF
the holy sacrament have received, l am
innocent of the ofense of which | am
charged" The chTonicleB of the time cav
that as she stood on the drop she looked
as serene az an angel. The vast multitude
who witnessed hor death all but unani-
mously believed her innocent, and the
air was filed with sobbings and groans
as the drop fell. The people of London
were furious after her death. and the
house OF the crown prosecutor lad TO be
protected from destruction. A tremendous
demonstration was made at her funeral /;
six young girls clad in white led the wav
and 10000 people followed her body in
mournful silence through the streets TO
the cemetery OF st. George the Martyr.
the windows being yelled and draped in
mourning. and every hOUsetOp thrOnRed
with weeping people. You will find in
the books OF the great lawyers on the
philosophy OF evidence some expert
opinions to the effect that Eliza Fenning
was rightfully convicted, but the balance
of probability is entirely the other way.
1t lie 10 the credit of human progress
that within recent years no man has been
executed on evidence so inconclusive as
that on which Capt Doneilan and poor
Eliza Fenning were condemned. L is q
comfortable reflection that in every case
of conviction OF murder by poison on cir
cumBtanuai evidence within the past
forty years either ths condemned person
has confessed his guilt or else the death
sentence has not been carried out. Mrs
MAY brick has been convicted, but not
hanged. Carlyle W. Harris has been con-
victed. but II is not yet certain that be
will be executed.
The Palmer Case.
All prisoners must, for.obvious reasons
be brought to justice if at ali, on circum.
stantial evidence. William Palmer, the
young Staifordshire doctor, who poisoned
three persons in order to collect the In.
surance policies on their lives. would have
easily escaped punishment if the rule had
been applied to his case that jury shall
not find a man guilty of murder by pois
oning unless there is direct evidence o.
the fact. Palmer is famous in history as
the fret in long line of modern poison
ing doctors. He was only thirtv-one wears
OF age, but was much given to the race.
course and its incidental vices To pro.
cure money to maintain his dissolute life
he poisoned his wife, his brother and
finally his friend, Mr.. Cook. for whose
murder alone he was tried. He
had employed strychnia. fata
preparation, which leaves no trace
in the body OF the victim
By this precaution Palmer thought that
be had securely guarded himself against
detection and punishment. But when he
was arrested and charged with tho Ofense
he betrayed so much nervousness al
every point of the proceedings that he
gave the jury good reason, by his OWL
behavior alone, to believe that he was
guilty. he tried to bride the coroner who
held the inquest on Cooks body; he Of
I Z n