The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-04
MRS. MAVERICKS CASE.

The London Chronicle, which is usually
accurate in its news announcements. says
that Mrs. Florence Maybrick is likely to
be liberated shortly, as the result of the
pressure brought to bear by Ambassador
Choate in favor of reopening the case. She
should have been pardoned long ago, and
her liberation at this time will be a tardy
act of justice. The British authorities are
proverbially firm in the administration of
law and the dispensing of justice, but in
this case they have shown degree of stub
bornness that is inexplicabe on any other
ground than prejudice or pride of opinion.
The case has become a celebrated one, as
much by reason Of the stubborn attitude of
the British authorities regarding it as by
its peculiar circumstances and the sensa-
tional character of the trial. Mrs. May
brick is an American woman of Southern
birth and connected with some well-known
families. BY long residence abroad she had
become almost expa triated. though still re-
tanning her claim TO American citizenship
as far az woman can. She is, or was,
woman of personal beauty, though of rather
frivolous character. In 1889, she being then
twenty-six years old. she was arrested in
Liverpool on the charge of having murdered
her husband by the administration of ar
senic. The trial lasted seven days, and
ended in her conviction and sentence TO be
hanged. The evidence showed that Mr.
Maybrick died from arsenical poisoning. but
Ii was also shown that he had been in the
habit OF buying and taking 1t as a tonic
and while 1t appeared that Mrs. Maybrick
had probably at times administered the drug
there was no evidence whatever that she
had done so with homicidal intent AS a
motive for the alleged crime the court per-
mitted 1t to be shown that she was carry
ing on an Illicit intrigue with another man
than her husband-in short, that she was
guilty of adultery. When the jury returned
a verdict Of guilty the crowd in the court
room Kissed. and the judge. on leaving
was hooted. The course of the judge and
his conduct of the trial was extraordinary
From the beginning TO the end OF it he
evinced strong prejudice against the de-
fendant-in fact, decided personal hostility
AS rule British judges go much further
than American judges do in directing the
course OF criminal trials. but in this case
the Judge went to such an extreme as to
excite much unfavorable comment, almost
prostituting his own position and usurpng
the functions of prosecutor and jury. A
few months after the trial he was removed
from the bench and sent. hopeless .lunatic,
TO an asylum. In Difference 20 public senti-
ment in England the home secretary re-
viewed the case and commuted Mrs. May
bricks sentence to imprisonment for life.
II she was guilty of any grade Of homicide
she vas guilty of murder. and as there is
no prejudice in England against hanging
women the change Of penalty was really
equivalent to convicting her of grade Of
homicide with which she was not charged.
She was sent to prison and has remained
there ever since. in spite Of many efforts to
secure her pardon by persons in England
and the United States who believed she