The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-21

mestic servant. and arraigncd at the
Old Bailey Court House on the charge
of administering poison to the family.
No one had died from the attempt at
poisoning. but at that time Nsl5) it was
with intent To kill The family I'M
doubtedly had been poisoned by eating
vi dumpiings made by this haplcss girl.
but she had herself eaten of the same
dish and suffered in tile same
degree as the other members OF the
household. She had not made the
slightest attempt torcmovc the evidence
of her guilt, if guilty she was. She had
left the poison bearing dish unwashed.
1t is hardly concciva bic that, such be-
ing 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 convc-
tion. The only motive ascribcd to her
was that She had had IL slight quarrel
with hcrmisLrcss 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 ticrcelv
fought the movement for pardon. The
girls master rclcnted, and would have
signed the petition for a pardon. but
the recorder persuaded him not to do.
New evidence was discovered after
the trial, and before the execution,
which made it all but certain that She
was innocent. Sir Samuel Romily re-
cords the fact that an 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 person who had shortly before
labored under mental arrangement.
and who in that sta tc had privately de-
clarod TO reputable witness, who was
Forthcoming. that he feared much that
he should destroy himself and his
family. Mr.. Gibson, a reputable lner-
chant of London, was ready to testify
that some months previously this men
tally unbalanced person had called
him and had said to him with great
agitation: My dear Gibson. for
heavens sake get me secured or con
fined for if am left at liberty | shall
do some mischief; shall destroy myself
and my wife. ] must and shall do il
unless all means of destruction are re-
moved ont 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 certainly do it."
Mr. Gibson communicated this confess
sion to the poor madman's family, but
they left him at liberty, and it is almost
certain that it was his act for which
Eliza Fenning was sent to her death.
The recorder refused to entertain this
proffercd evidence, and heunfortunatc
girl, the only child of respectable
parents, who were then still living. was
taken ont one morning in April. 1915,
and hanged i'll front of Ncwgatc. AS
the door was reached that opened upon
the scaffoid the clergyman of the iail
made last effort to cXtort a con fessiou
but she replied: before the lust and
Almighty God, and by the faith of the
Holy Sacrament have received | am
innocent OF the oifcnse OF which am
charged"
The chronicles of the time say that as
She stood or the drop she looked as
serene as an angel. The vast multitude
who witnessed her 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 had to
DO protected from destruction, A tire