The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-09

<HE GAIN hope for the reiease Of Mrs.
Btt Maybrick from Aylesbury pris-
Al on IS aroused IN the hearts Of
0t thousands OF men and women
y IL on both sides Of the Atlantic
STR Matthew White Ridley. the
English home secretary. Is reviewing the
case. Or. Clark Huh. Of New York. has
had a consultation with Mrs. Maybrick
and reporter of the Associated Press
has been permitted to interview her.
Should the order for release come, as Is
fully expected now X will mark the
closing chapter Of ono Of the most nota-
bic cases IN criminal history. The case
has loitered In the minds OF the public OF
two countries for full eleven years. IL
has perplexed the law heads Of England
ard America. IL has been the subject OF
serious correspondence between british
home secretaries and American secretar-
fes OF state. 1t has brought into being
a great International association 81 wo
men. II has been discussed IN books and
exploited In brochures. All the time the
impression has remained In the minds Of
hundreds OF both English and Americans
that the conviction and imprisonment OF
the gentle girl from Mobile was the re-
suit Of as cruel a combination Of cir
ctmstances MS ever wove net about an
innocent being.
Tho dismal story began one spring day
eleven years ago, when Mr.. Maybriek rode
away TO the Wirral races near Liverpool.
He did not take his wife. and he wct
against the advice Of his PHYSICIAN. He
went on horseback was caught in heavy
rain. which saturated him to the flesh.
Without change Of clothing he remained
after the races 10 dine with a circle of
men. He was Just recovering from
severe Illness, and the exposure OF the
race day brought on high fever. BY
morning Mrs. .daybrick called his ply
sicians. The medical men diagnosed the
case and reported. according TO the testi-
mony introduced at the trial. that Mr..
Maybrick's Illness was due 10 some
grave indiacretion of diet away from
home" This was the beginning OF "a
strange array OF incidents which had
weight enough with Jurors and judges to
put the wife Of the patient OF eleven years
ago behind the bars of an English penal
prison.
1t happened that during the Illness Mr..
Maybrick askcd for some white powders.
His wife was at his bedside at the time,
the trained nurse having gone to dinner.
Mrs. Maybrick could not turn a deaf ear
TO her husband. who by this time had been
practically given up By the physicians.
She went to Mr.. Maybrick's dressing
room and sot one OF the papers with the
powder I'm. This the husband asked TO be
emptied into bottle Of extract OF beef.
This act Mrs. Maybrick never denied at
the trial. and explained she did not know
the nature of the medicine. She swore
she did not know her husband had the
arsenic haitian afliiction known to all
Mr.. Maybrick's relatives and old-time
friends but carefully concealed from the
young wife,
II appeared In the trial that the bottle
OF beef extract with the arsenic In 1t had
never been tasted Mrs. Maybrick was
some time finding the powder. and before
rhe could return and put II into the beef
extract her husband dropped into a doze.
When he awoke he had forgotten all
about the request he had made. His wife
removed the beef extract to n stand out
Of his sight. She made no effort TO hide
the bottle--took an oath she did not know
the nature OF the powder--and swore that
her husband did not touch II. The police
smiled al the oath, and the prosecution
produced a bottle which Mrs. Maybrick
asserted was not the bottle I'm question
This was but single arsenic incident
The police found the poison everywhere In
the Maybrick house. II was in plain sight
and accessible One large paper was
found ia a hatbox In MIR. Maybrick's
dressing room. one In n trunk. but the
greatest amount was found IN Mr.. May
bricks private apartment The trial dc.
velopea that no arsenic was in evidence