The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1901-02-15
Mrs. Maybrick Again.

Mrs Florence E. Maybrick, the
American womap serving life sem
tence in an English prison on charge
of having poisonek her husband, may
be pardoned now that Edward is king
It is understood that England's new
ruler would like to see her free WON
an. Once more the eyes of the world
are turned upon the ones who haye
the fate of this unfortunate woman in
their hands. Will they, as in the paat.
resist the cry which many believe to
be one of justice and will their hearts
not be touched when they think of the
life of this gentle. that has been
blighted by conviction and imprison-
ment? For oyer 10 years has this once
beautiful and highly cultured Ameri-
can woman suffered a martyrdom snf-
ficient to rouse the sympathy OF the
world.
Florence Maybrick, descendant of
Revolutionary heroes, was born in the
South in 1862. Her early childhood
was spent there, but shortly after the
death of her father, which occurred in
1873, the family went abroad. Here
her mother, Mrs. Chandler. had many
suitors and finally accepted the hand
of the Baron de Roques.
In May, 1880, whsp ls years of age,
Florence made the acquaintance of
James Maybrick, Liverpool cotton
broker, a man double her years. A
year later they were married. Two
children are the result of that ILL
starred union. From all that is known
the first few years of their married life
were happy, save for a certain enmity
shown toward her by Maybrick's two
brothers, who did all in their power to
send this unfortunate woman to the
gallows.
MAVERICK became addicted to drugs
and liquors, and he was continually
dosing himself, finally hitting upon
arsenic as best fitting his cure. He was
abusive to his wife, as all the servants
testified, ys& when the final illness
came she pHrsed him increasingly, and
when he died she fell into a swoon
that lasted 48 hours.
The doctors after careful examina-
tion pronounced the cause of death
gastritis or Inflammation of the stom-
ach, produced by some irritant poison
or by a severe cold. The woman s
enemies proceeded to bring charges.
A bottle of arsenic was found in her
apartments. 1t was known that she
had an ardent admirer. This and that
woven together caused the arrest,
which was made while she was still un-
conscious. Mr.. Maybrick's body was
examined and but one-tenth of grain
was found. In vain she pleaded her
innocence. A legal and expert battle
was fought, lasting six days, Sir Char
les Russell being her defender. There
was complete revulsion of feeling in
Mrs. Maybrick's behalf when the ver-
dict was sprung, more especially as it
was shown that Maybrick had pur-
chased $50 grains of arsenic three
months before his death and was in the
habit of eating it.
This gentle American woman, whom
scarcely a soul alive to-day believes
guilty, was taken to Jail and made to
witness the building of the gallows.
When her conviction became known,
so great was the wave of indignation
that swept over all Europe that the
sentence was committed to imprison-
ment for life.
Since then every means for the se-
curing of ber release has been fruitless.
Petitions yards long containing the
names of presidents Of the United
States, ambassadors, secretaries of
state and other prominent men and
women were sent, but without avail.
There is no court of criminal appeals
in England. Conviction secured, ex-
ecution of sentence depends upon one
mantle Home Secretary, who hither-
to has been deaf to appeals.
That Florence May brick is innocent
of the crime is firmly believed by the
most noted experts and criminal law
yers of both countries, who say that in
America she would have been pro-
nounced not guilty in the face of such
evidence; and the history of the case
shows that Justice Stephen-called
''the infaIlible gen-charged the
jury in such a manner as to cause
verdict of guilty solely from circum-
stantial evidence.-Erchdnge.