The Washington times., 1902-06-22

| She stood the strain for eleven days,
and from sheer exhaustion at that time
fell upon the floor in a swoon, which
lasted for thirty-six hours. While un-
conscious Mr.. Maybricl died. The mo-
ment the end came the brothers, Edwin
and Michael Meybrick. who were the ac-
cusers of Mrs. Maybrick, called the po-
| lice. They swore in court that their
suspicious of something wrong had been
aroused three days before. The moment
they found Mrs. Maybrick in a deadly
swoon and unconscious they at once con-
cluded that nothing less than Il guilty
conscience had caused the collapse. The
police call brought thirteen officers, and
when the unfortunate woman came TO
her senses she saw one bluecoat sitting
beside the bed and another at the door.
There were several other officers of the
law in the hall ard about the house. and
they spared no time in telling Mrs. May
brick that she was under arrest for pois-
oning her husband. She was informed
! that during the hours in which she had
been unconscious her husband had died,
death certificate had been refused, the
coroner had sat upon the case, and Q
verdict had been filed that she was sus-
pected OF responsibility for the death.
Mrs Maybrick was cast into the Wal
ton Jail. There was not a human being
on the outside to watch her cause. The
Maybrick men spent night and day IN
the hunt for circumstaRtial evidence.
and in a very short time the prosecution
was ready for the trial. The defense
called in Sir Charles Russell, and this
eminent counselor went to work on
what evidence he could get to introduce
against the mass of facts gathered to
convict Mrs. Maybrick.
n,,,r,aJo5 WEI, u,.h,,d
1t was unfortunate for Mrs Maybrick
that there was fact in her life which
could be wrongly twisted. She had
quarreled with her husband. She went
to London to consult with a firm Of
solicitors regarding a divorce. She tel
egraphed for a man named Briefly, an
intimate friend of hers and her family.
1t was claimed at this time that she
was in love with Brierly. One witness
said he had seen the two together in
| the dining room of London hotel,
| Alice Yapp, a servant in the household,
| testified that she had opened a letter
| from her mistress addressed to Briefly.
This letter was produced in court, and
il was written in affectiolate terms.
This evidence alone was submitted as
the motive-the proposed application for
divorce and the letter to Brierly and the
acquaintance with him.
The judge at the trial was Sir James
Fitzjames Stephen. He was not long
afterward declared insane, and many be-
lieved him to have been insane when he
delivered the charge to the jury that
convicted Mrs. Maybrck. He talked for
two days in his instructions to the jury.
reviewing the case from beginning 70
end. His charge was most remarkable.
He portrayed Mrs. Maybrick as a mur-
derous woman. who killed her husband
because of her love for Briefly. The
jury retired, and in twenty-five minutes
came in with its verdict. II was that
of unconditional guilt. and Mrs. May
brick was condemned TO death.
All England Amazed.
There was an outburst OF Indignation
which threatened the life of the judge.
and all England was amazed at the con-
viction of Mrs. Maybrick A movement
was started at once to save i:er life,
and in response to the petitions of more
than 100000 people the Queen ordered
stay of execution. The home secre-
tary was also Influenced to review the
case. and upon thorough examination
oommuted the sentence TO penal servi-
tude for life. He said ne was in doubt
that Mr. Maybrick had even died OF
arsenic poison.