Arizona republican., 1899-06-19
HOW TO FREE MRS. MAVERICK.
Suggestion of an EnglishTnan Who
Was Present at the Trial.


The publication of frequent reports
that Mrs. Florence Maybrick was to
be set at liberty has drawn from
George Armstrong. an Englishman re-
siding in this city, a criticism of the
methods heretofore employed to Sc
cure her release, and a suggestion how
to so about it now, which, he says, f
carried out, will crown Ambassador
ChOate's efforts with success.
Mr.. Armstrong said: fAt the time of
Mrs. Maybrick's trial in Liverpool for
the murder of her husband Toy arsen-
iCal poisoning 1 was secretary OF the
Coal PorteTs' union, an organization
with nearly 500 900 members, and [
was delegated by the union to attend
the trial. The verdict was not in &C
cOrdance with the testimony and the
conviction of the woman was denounc-
ed by press and people al over the
country, while the judge was mobbed.
Mrs Maybrick was sentenced to death,
but through the intervention Of the
coal porters' and other trades unions,
Sir Charles Matthews, who was then
home secretary committed the SEN
tence to imprisonment for life.
when Sir Charles was asked why
he ccmmuted the sentence his reply
was: I am not satisfied that her huS-
band died from the effects Cf poison.
This admission by the home secretary
should have brought about the wo
mans discharge under the English
statutes, for if her guilt was not prov
en- she could not be held under the law
as guilty. I dc. not say that Mrs.
Maybrick was innocent. / simply
contend that She should not have been
convicted under the evidence. She
had much against her, however. The
judge who tried her, Fitz James Ste
vens, afJerward died in a mad house
and was undoubtedly of uns0und mind
at the time of the trial, which fact was
made particularly manifest in his sum-
ming up Of the case. counsel fer the
crown interrupting him four times
with the objection hat the judge was
not stating facts and was repeatedly
misquoting the testimony of counsel
and witnesses. In addition to this, the
jury was one of the most illiterate that
ever entered a bcX-in fact, three of
its members could not even write their
own names 10 the verdict which they
brought in.
Appeals on behalf OF Mrs. Maybrick
have been made ON sympathetic ana
been a mistake Mrs Maybrick ceased
to be an American citizen when she
married Maybrick and became a Brit
ish subject. Under these circum-
stances she was wholly amenable to
the British law and the legality of her
trial before an English judge cannot
be questioned. As regards sympathy,
she was a bad women anyhow, and if
she did not kill Maybrick it was con-
clusively proved that she had been I'M
faithful to him
There is only one course for Mr..
Choate to pursue if he wants to secure
her pardon, and that is to attack the
legality of the sentence under the evil
dence, and particularly tC make use of
the home secTetary's admission that
he was not satisfied that Maybrick had
been poisoned. AS a matter Of fact,
it was proved at the trial that May
brick had been addicted to the arsenic
habit for years and it is quite likely
that he brought Oh his own death.
eff Mrs Maybrick is dealt with
strictly in accordance with the law
she cannot be kept in prison another
moment [ feel that gIr. Choate. who
is an astute lawyer as well as states
man, will succeed: but as tc the guilt
or guiltlessness of the woman, she
alone can answer that. for it has never
been proved either way. hilade1-
phia Bulletin.