Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-10-27

| llnudl cry, lHdl Ills Nlle lldu poiSohSN
him. She looked scared and bewilder-
ed. Perhaps, poor soul! she was think
ing more of Donald's return than OF
her husbands danger.
| She was questioned about the beef
tea, and seemed to remember nothing
about it. At last she said the house
keeper had prepared it, and she had
taken it in. The housekeeper, on heI
part, swore she had never touched 1t
but had seen her mistress take 1t from
the kitchen table.
Then the house was searched, and
nothing whatever was found in the
housekeepers's room or her boxes. In
the desk belonging to Mrs. Ross was
found a packet Of arsenic. The house
keeper had no cause Of animosity
against her master, whereas it was
we'll known that the unhappy wife de-
tested him, that he had beaten, ill-used
and ill-treated her.
That was the case of the prosecution
never had stronger. There was the
only link wanting in the chain was that
no one had seen her put the poison In
the beef tea.
1t went still more against her, when
it was known that her former lover had
returned, and the servants told how
violent the quarrel about him had
been.
The trial took place at Glasgow. If
she had not engaged the most able
pleader in Scotland, she must have been
found guilty The witnesses against
her were the druggist, who had sold the
poison to her six months ago; the
housekeeper who swore she had never
touched the beef tea; the servant who
first heard his master accuse her OF
poisoning him, and another who had
seen her meet Donald; the doctors who
proved the cause Of his death.
Those for her were the servant who
swore the arsenic was purchased by
his masters orders; a maid servant,
who declared she had seen the beef tea
in the housekeeper's hand, and others,
who testified to her gentle, loving ma
ture and incapability of crime.
The verdict was Not Proven" She
did not leave the court with a stainless
character, nor was she universally be-
lieved to be guilty.
From the moment she left the dock,
she was never seen again until met
her at Mr. Bellairs'. She never claim
ed one shilling Of the dead mans prop
erty: she never went to say goodbye
to those for whom she had sold her
self.
One year afterwards Donald Mac
donald married her younger sister, All
lie.
So finished my story.
'I must leave all decision with you.
| said to my listeners. my mind is
not clear about the matter yet
Il say she is not guilty" cried Mrs.
Bellairs.
Il say the same" said her husband.
1 hardly like writing the words, but
we sent for her, begging her to come
down that she might receive every as
surance of kindness and sympathy.
She lay dead on her bed. By her side
was this penciled note:
"I did not poison my husband, but
shall poison myself! 1 cannot wait for
your verdict: fate is against me. You
will be sure to say was guilty, and l
have borne so much 1 can bear no
more"
1t was a terrible shock. They buried
her in a pretty part of the cemetery;
and to this day they seldom mention
her name without tears.
l am pleased to add, for her memo
rvs sake, that ten years afterwards,
when Mrs. Mackay, the old housekeep-
er, lay upon her death bed she con-
fessed that she had poisoned her mas
ter, and allowed his wife to be found
guilty, because she was jealous and
disappointed. took care that the con-
fession should be known over all Scot
land. I likewise sent word to America,
and did my best to clear the fame OF
the unhappy lady whose sad story l
have recorded.
THE END.