The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-24
After Years Of Confinement
She viii be Released from
English Prison
WILL Be ABLE To TESTIFY
IN THE BIG LAND SUITS
Her Attorneys In Washington Have Re
celved cableeram From the Amer
lean Embassy In London Con-
flrmlng Report of Pardon.

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 May
brick, by arsenic, and whose sentence Of
death was commuted to penal servitude
for life, will be released in 1904.
The announcement comes from the home
office, which now authorizes her WASH
ington lawyers to use the facts of her
release next year as a reason for secur-
Ing the postponement of the trial of the
law suits bearing on the prisoners in
terest in land in Kentucky. Virginia and
West Virginia until she Is able to per-
sonally testify.
Those who are in a position to know
say that Home Secretary Akers-Doug-
lass has shown great courtesy In con-
nection with the suits now pending in
America, that the decision to release
Mrs. Maybrlck was entirely due to ef-
forts on this side of the Atlantic, and
that Ambassador Herbert has been call
ed upon to act In this matter.
News Confirmed.
washington, March 23.-Mrs. Maybriek's
attorneys in this city received a cable
gram from the American embassy in Lon
don this afternoon confirming the news
Of her forthcoming release, and adding
that she will be liberated in July, 1904
Sketch of Mrs. MaybrIck.
| Mrs Maybrick, who was Miss Florence
| r. Chandler and member of q well
known southern family, living in Mobile.
af mar led
July o. 1881, In st. James church, Plea
dilly to James Maybrick Of Liverpool.
She was then IS years old Her husband
was over 40 years old. In the spring OF
1889 Mr.. Maybrick became i'll and In d
few DAYS he died. His brothers inyest-
gated his death and charged Mrs. May
brick with the murder of her husband. A
long trial followed and a number of doc
tors swore that Mr.. Maybrick died of ar
senical poisoning The defense proved
that for twenty years Mr.. Maybrlck had
been a confirmed arsenic eater and that
he daily took doses that would have
killed a dozen ordinary men. Mrs. May
brick was eventually sentenced to death
by the Judge, Sir Fftzjames Stephen, who
spoke for two days in charging the jury,
and who said It was impossible for them
to find her guilty in the face of the medi
cal evidence. He died some time later in
"a mad house.
Mother Never Gave Up.
From the time of Mrs. Maybricks con-
viction, her mother, the Baroness Won
Roques has been unremitting In her at
tempts to obtain the prisoners release. In
which she has beer aided by influential
friends on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 1900 after the death of Lord Russell
of Killowen chief justice of England.
a letter written to Mrs. Maybrick in
1o.. was discovered. 1t showed that the
eminent lawyer was convinced that she
ought never to have been convicted and
It has been generally understood that all
the recent American ambassadors to the
court of st. james have done everything
possible to obtain Mrs. Maybricks par
don. Had she not been able to testify In
the suits pending In the United States.
Mrs. Maybrick and her mother would
have lost all title and interest In large
tracts of land situated in Kentucky, Viz
gnia and West Virginia.