The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-29

to taking arsenic. like Mr.. Maybrick. would
not have died from taking a minimum
dose. r.
The trial was held in Liverpool and re-
suited in Mrs 'Maybrick's conviction. Her
apologists explain this by saying that there
was a prejudice against her In Liverpool,
partly arising from her reserve at the pre-
liminary inquiries. and partly from the nu.
merous and sensational reports circulated
about her during the interval between her
arrest and trial. Said one of her defenders:
But the main element In the conviction
was the Judge. He pointed to Mrs. May
bricks relations with Mr.. BrieIley as az,
the conflicting opinions of the doctors with
regard to the cause of death. The medical
he
lions, which. In hfs opinion. turned the de-
INTERNATIONAL CASE.
Mrs Maybrick's case soon became an in
ternational one, and the American Govern
ment was brought into it - 49,
On August q. 1889. James G., Blaine. Sec
coin, American Minister in London. in
structions to intercede with Lord Salisbury
for Mrs. Maybrick's pardon or reprfeve.
American Secretary of State that the Brit
ISL Government announced the communi-
cation of Mrs. Mavericks sentence to inn
prisonment for life. she having originally
been given death sentence.
On August g. 1889. aslarge number of
American women united in petition to
queen tlClOTld l0T Tue Tticdee anu pdTuUu
Of Mrs. Maybrick,, These petitions asserted
that after reading the published evidence
the signers were IF one mind, that she was
wrongfully accused of the crime of murder.
and is now unjustIy confined and sentenced
to lifelong imprisonment for crime that
was never committed either by herself or
any other person."
Mrs. Maybrick was connected by. ties of
blood with many families of the highest
social position in this country. several of
them being distinguished in public life and
of them a former Judge of the Supreme
Court Of the United States. This accounted
for the great interest taken in her case by
the women of America, who made repeated
efforts to obtain clemency for her from the
British Government.
So far did this feeling extend in this
country that in August, 1891. Mrs Harri-
son, the wife of President Harrison; Mrs.
Blaine. the wife of the Secretary of State:
Mrs. Foster. the wife of the Secretary of
the Treasury, and Mrs. Rusk, the wife of
the Secretary Of Agriculture. united In a
letter to Queen Victoria,~ urging upon her
the insufficiency. of evidence by which Mrs.N
Maybrick had been convicted and asking
from the Queen a pardon and release for
her.
THREE PRESIDENTS TRIED.
Correspondence between the British and
American Governments continued through
the Harrison administration and through
the administration OF President Cleveland
MI. oiney, Secretary Of State. continued
the efforts made by Mr.. Blaine, and the
State Department records are full of letters
plies from him bearing upon the case.
Carl Bell, ESQ, of the New York bar in
1899 issued a pamphlet setting forth the eff
forts which had been made by the American
Government to effect the release Of Mrs.
This pamphlet was issued in reply to crit
icism from certain quarters that America
had not been doing all she should do in the
matter. After summarizing the efforts of
the Government and quoting sopiousiy from
the correspondence Of the State Depart
ment IN the subject in concluding, Mr.. Bell
says: x.,
has asked the English Government. through
the American Minister. for the pardon and
release of Mrs. Maybrick without reference
an act of international comfy, and this re-
quest has been made as strong as It Is pos
sible to make 1t, he being impressed WIN
belief in her innocence
QUEEN WAS FOWETd.Ess.
1.-THE position of the English Government
IS that under their laws and u'ages the par
don of Mrs. Maybrick rests alone with the
Home Secretary that mot even the tbs queen Ser
power can only be exercised upon his rec
Concentration; that the appeals by our Pres
of the Presidents and our Ministers cannot
be shown to or considered by the Queen, and
that the well-known fact that members q
the British Government and high public OF
ficiais personally favor her pardon is of no
avail"
S MRS Maybrick. who is the daughter OF
the Raroness, de Rodues, was born in Mobile.
Ala. and married James Maybgick in 1880.
He was then cotton buyer, living in Nor
folk Va. He subsequently returned to Lfv-
emool his native place, and died there in
May. 1889 They had three children.
Her trial on the charge of poisoning her
husband began on July 81. 1889, and eight
DAYS later she was convicted and sentenced
to death. Her conviction aroused great In,
dignation on both sides of the Atlantic. and
a petition bearing 80 900 names was sent to
the Crown. asking her pardon.