Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-24
Release in Accordance with Established
English Practice
SENTENCE COMMITTED FOR GOOD CONDUCT
Life Prisoners Gan Always Escape with Fif-
teen Years.
ANNOUNCES DECISION TO AID LAND FIGHT
Home Secretary Tells Lawyers Push
ing woman's Claims 20 Help
Them Postpone American
Lawsuits.

LONDON, March 23.--Mrs. Florence May
brick, the American woman who was con-
victed at Liverpool in 1889 on the charge
of poisoning her husband, James Maybrick,
by arsenic, and whose sentence OF death
was commuted to penal servitude for life,
will be released in 1904.
The announcement comes from tho home
once, which authorizes her Washington
lawyers to use the fact Of her release next
year as a reason for securing the postpone
ment Of the trial Of the lawsuits bearing on
the prisoners interest in land in Kentucky,
Virginia and West Virginia.
Mrs. Maybrick's pending release is in
no sense a pardon. being strictly in con-
formity with English practice, whereby a
good conduct prisoner is released after
serving a stipulated part Of his sentence.
In the case of life prisoners this period is
placed at fifteen years, snd Mrs. May
brick will next year have been in jail for
that time.
Those who are in a position to know
say that Home Secretary Akers- Douglas
has shown great courtesy in connection
with the suits now pending in America.
Girl Marries Old Husband.
Mrs Maybrick. who was Miss Florence
Elizabeth Chandler, and a member OF well
known end prosperous southern family,
was married July q, 1881, in st. James
church. Picadilly, to James Maybrick OF
Liverpool. She was then IS years old,
vivacious and beautiful, and also favorite.
Her husband was over 40 years old. In
the spring Of 1889 Mr.. Maybrick became
i'll and in a few days he died. His brothers
Investigated his death and charged Mrs.
Maybrick with the murder of her husband.
A long trial followed and a number Of doc
tors swore Mr.. Maybrick died of arsentcal
poisoning.
The defense proved that for twenty years
Mr.. Maybrick had been a confirmed ar
senic eater and that he daily took doses
that would have killed a dozen ordinary
men. Mrs. Maybrick was eventually SEN
fenced to death by the Judge, Sir Fitzjames
Stephens, who spoke for two days in charg-
ing the jury, and who said It was impos-
sibie for them to ind her not guilty in tbs
face OF the medical evidence. Tie died
some time later In madhouse.
From the time OF Mrs Maybrick's con-
vlction, her mother. the Baroness vor
Roques, has been unremitting in her at.
tempts to obtain the prisoners release, IN
which she has been aided by influential
friends on both sides OF the Atlantic. In
1900, after the death Of Lord Russell Of
Killoween, chief justice OF England, a let.
ter written to Mrs. Maybrick in 1895, wa'
discovered. 1t showed that the eminent
lawyer was convinced that she ought never
10 have been convicted, and II has beer
generally understood that all the recent
American ambassadors to the court Of st
James have done everything possible tC
obtain Mrs Maybrick's pardon.
Had she not been able to testify in tn,
suits pending In the United States Mrs
Maybrick and her mother would have los
all title and interest in large tracts o.
land situated in Kentucky. Virginia and
West Virginia.