The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-22

poisoning. June Is she was taken te-
fore magistrate, and for the first time
she heard evidence brought against her.
July 81 she was put on trial without
having any opportunity or means to pro-
cure witnesses or evidence TO rebut the
charge brought against her.
The trial was al a time Of great ex-
element. and the feelings Of the pub
lie were so wrought UP by hostile press
and false in1amed publications that
there was no more show for fair trial
for her than there would be for the VIC
tim OF western lynching party 10 get
a fair trial from the mob stringing HIM
Up.
Public opinion swept everything before
it, and the jury made up their verdict
from reading the newspaper reports"
The trial lasted eight days, the last two
being taken up with the summing up of
the Judge. There was no direct evidence
offered against Mrs. Maybrick. Every
thing was circumstantial. But the Judge
instructed the jury TO diSbelieve her
statement. because she did not produce
the druggists prescription. She told Of
going to London and meeting Briefly to
consult about getting legal separa ton;
the Judge charged the jury TO believe
she went there for an immoral purpose,
and told the jury that purpose formed
motive for murder.
Through his two days Of charging he
distorted every fact and construed every
circumstance against Mrs. Maybrick,
and made the most violent speech for the
prosecution that an infiamed and dis
ordered brain could create. Sir Charles
Russell (now Lord Chief Justice) IN COM
menting on Justice Stephens charge 10
the jury, said:
He passionateiy invited the jury to
find verdict OF guilty, tagging two days
20 sum up-the first day as judge and
on the second raging like a violen, coun-
sci for the prosecution against her.
With all Of Justice Stephens raging
prosecution" ne did not anticipate a YER
dict of guilty. and sad to the clerk while
they were out, TT is impossible 20 find
her guilty in the face OF the medical evil
dence"
The jury. consisting Of woodturners.
plumbers. ironmongers, etc, were out
Gully thirty-six minutes, and when they
returned verdict Of guilty, protest was
made by the people in the court room.
The judge was hooted and missed and
with difficulty reached his carriage. The
sentence Of death which followed raised
the populace to a more intense excite
ment, and even the press, which had
been extremely hostile heretofore
awoke to sense OF the enormity OF the
verdict and united with the bar in con-
dempat.on Of the result The jury. COM
menting on the verdict said that I'VE
could not hear the whole of the evidence
very distinctly, and even If we could
have done so il was impossible for us Z.
carry away with US in our memories the
important details. We therefore made
free use Of the newspapers and made
our own cuttings
There being no court OF criminal appeal
in England and the only resort being 10
the Crown for pardon, a monster Pc
tition containing about five hundred
thousand names was prepared, request
ing Home Secretary Matthews 20 review
the case. Every member of the bar pres
ent at the AssiZes signed a memorial in
the prisoners favor. Mr. Matthews held,
with the concurrence OF Trial Judge
Stephens, that the evidence docs not
wholly exclude a reasonable doubt
whether death was n fact caused by the
Of arsenic" and comr1ut-
I'd the death sentence TO life imprison-
nent.
Since the review OF Home Secretary
Matthews. Mrs. Maybrick's friends have
found evidence and filed il with different
home secretaries absolutely disprov:ng
all OF the suspicious against her One OF
the witnesses for the prosecution mas ad-
nitted under oath that the evidence was
for him by the police. and
That IL was "a regular got-up case by the /
police" The judge IN his charge lad /
great stress on the testimony OF a wait |
pr who swore TO a meeting with Briefly |
n London hotel as showing motive. !
All OF which testimony has been des- |
.-oyed by the walters protest. over his /
own signature, that he was employed by 4
he prosecution and went by their ord .
.rs," and did not truthfully identify 1
Mrs. Maybrick or her alleged paramour.
,s he had shown al the trial. and that, \
ne stood by them all morn- /
ng" in the court room. he did not recog-
lie D. suspect he had seen them until I.
le was told so by ;he inspector and they
we're pointed out by the police.
Valentine Blake has come forward and I.
es;ifed that he furnished Maybrick in
February. 1889. $50 grains % arsenic.
vhich fully accounts for the great guam
iiy found in his belongings Captain
'ohn Fleming. who was well acquainted
with Maybrick and commanded ship
which carried cotton from Norfolk 70
liverpool for Naybrick from time 4
inc. swore that he had seen him put ar
anic like pepper n MS food" when
warming il over and cooking IL NJ
q prominent jewe,e- OF Nor
ok, Va. has seen him take arsenic
Iough 70 kill several men at once. and
made his Af.idsvi; 70 &. and 50 have
numerous o-he- persons who were fnti-
nate with him while living IN Norfolk.
a, and VINO were personally well known