Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-03
ODD LAWS IN ENGLAND.
Illustrations of How Justice Csed
TO Be Administered.

(st Louis Post-Dispatch)
Here are some instances In English
criminal law showing that justice was
wont 20 miscarry generations ago Just as
II does Occa siOnly to-day, ana ln"1
LAWYERS then had all the natural cunning
OF the moderns.
Nearly two hundred years age certain
Englishman found himself n financial one
nculties. and. seeing no outlet for his en-
barressment grew weary OF hie' ana
finally resolved to end il by the aha OF rat
poison His wife. being averse to being
left widow and legacy OF debts,
apreod t0 share his fate. The husband
dosed himself literally and died. Ills
better half repentcd, or lacked the
courage at the critical moment. ana sur
vived. Should she be indicted for muir
der? was the startling sequel when I'M
mediately harassed the crown lawyers
They ultimately decided IN the athrina-
tive: but the capital sentence never was
carried into effect.
Another singular case. lew Ycai9 i"
ter concerned a man, his two seIN""ls
and a pcripatetic charwoman. one Ol
tho servants surreptitlously got the char-
woman into the house and shared a bed
room with her for the night \ strange
cat at approaching midnight chose 10
mako the house it's home too, ana as II
provled about in search OF a late suppoi
The servants grew frightened, ana alarm
ca their master with the cry OF lhleN',.
uo bravely descended, sword in hahd.
The charwoman was hastily secfe'eu "",
der a table. where she received l"'"'
wound from the robbor hunter VINO WHs
aimlessly stabbing every shauoW an"
nook on the off chance.
The legal question that seemed TO re-
suit was whether the tragedy came under
he head of murder or manslaughter only
but IL was finally held by the court TO De
ei,nnie misadVenture, inasmuch as 80
charwoman had no more right 10 De III
the house than burglar had.
hundred years ago certain man leh
deeply I'm love and determined TO marry
the object OF his affection, but the aWN-
ward thing was, no was already III inc
bonds Of wedlock. Undeterred, ne DrlDeu
another man 20 arrange q skilliul way vi
uncoupling him. and this amiable mul-
si5,oI ,n due course. supplied him with
al, annie I'm which q deadly drug TO match
tts aavor was sccreted. The tempered
fr,it was handed TO the wife, but she
I'm her husbands presence, handeu IL, III
turn. to their only child. Inc ia'her
,ru1lv Objected. but being unable 10
think of "A way to regain tho apple Win
ont engondorng suspicion, allowed u 10
be consumed. The unfortunate emu
quickly succumbed 10 the effects. Dlu tne
crime constitute murder and, II So Wno
vas tho murderer were the questions
nth evercised the minds OF many OF the
leeal lights of the day. This was decueu
~ the ultimate execution Of the HUSBAND.
The points raised were rare, but strange
lv enough. a few years later a Tragedy Oh
similar lines occurred. An apothecary us
pensed a prescription for customer 4He
iatter's wife imbued with sinister ueslsh,
dosed the drug with potent poison pu.
tho husband. fearing all was not rish.
with the medicine. returned 70 the chelh'SV
with il. and suggested that ne hau hi"u0
sone mistake in its preparation. PerturD-
"a ~ snch an idea. the later demonstrat-
ed his confidence in himself by putting the
hottie 10 his lips and taking draught.
Ills temerity cost him his HE.
An exceedingly interesting case was de-
,errnined late ia the reign OF King George
III. Two inveterate enemies met tosether
ga the highway, and OF one accord each
drew sword and attacked the other fierce
L. The only witness being an army oiticer
who CHANGED TO come ON the scene. SUD
denly the blade Of one antagonist snapper
but before the other could follow up tho
advantage the solitary spectator had
whirDed out his sword and handed II 20
the defenseless man. The latter continued
the struggle. and eventually ran his enc
my through the heartThe non-combatant
was. afer much judicial confab. adJudged
guilty Of granddaughter.
sheriff was arrested and imprisoned
as felon for having caused convict
murderer 10 be hanged instead OF be
headed. while q turnkey narrowly es-
capped the capital sentence for having
killed with his heavy keys. a prisoner
who was 20 be executed "A few days la
yer. In another case a man went unlaw-
iuiiy 10 shoot deer. but his aim or eye