Norwich bulletin., 1914-07-30
FAMOUS TRIALS
TRIAL OF EUGENE MARIE CHAN
 TRELLE


 One of the most conspicuous trials
 of wife poisoning in the annals Of Scottish criminal jurisprudence was
 that of Eugene Marie Chantrelle. The
 convicted poisoner was a Frenehman
 by birth. who on Aug Il, 1868. married
 Elizabeth Cullen Dyer in Edinburgh. one of his pupils in a fashionable
 boarding school in which he was
 teacher of the languages
 Before going to Scotland Chantrelle
 had spent several years in America,
 although of his movements and occu-
 pations in this country nothipg defi- nite Is known. Almost from the first the marriage was an unhappy one. Again and again the wife was com
 pelled to take. refuge with. her mother.
 Chantrelle had several times threat ened to take has life. Only the wifess
 deep affection for their four children
 kept her from separation.
 To poison his wife had been Chan trelle's favorfte term of threat In October. 1877. he insured the life of his wife for. $5,000 the policy being SO framed as to take effect only in
 the case of her death by accident. Up to New Years day, 1878, Mime. chantrelle had been in good health
 She had allowed her servant a holi-
 day on that day. and with her hus-
 band and children remained at home. On the return of the servant she found her mistress in bed with her
 being i'll and the servant administered
 to her and went to her own room. She left the light burning and heard
 nothing more during the night
 When the servant rose the follow ing morning she heard a moaning sound proceeding from the room of her mistress and went to see the cause and discovered that Mme Chan trelle was unconscious The girl at
 once summoned the husband who was asleep in an adjoining room, or ap- parently SO He came to his wife's bedroom and sent the servant out of
 the room on a pretext. and when she
 returned she found that there was a
 very strong smell of gas which she had not previously noticed
 The husband went for a physician and also directed, that his wife's
 mother should be brought to the house.
 The dying woman was sent to the
 royal Ginf1rmary, where Prof. Maciagen upon examination found that the
 symptoms were not indicative of gas, but of narcotic poisoning. Mime. Chan trelle died that afternoon without re- gaining consciousness.
 On the following day p0stmorten
 examination was held subsequent in vestigations confirmed the general suspicion awakened by the peculiar
 circumstances attending the deceased's s illness and death, and on the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 5. 1878. immediately after his wife.s funeral. ChantreIle was arrested and taken to the Carl ton prison.
 The preparation of the case for trial took several months, and it was not until April 8 that he was indicted. The trial began on Tuesday, May '.
 The judge. who sat at the hearing was Lord Justice Clerk Moncrieff. The prisoner was attired in mourning and to his indictment he answered in a clear and steady voice. Not guilty" For the prosecution there appeared general Watson and Macdonald as well as several advocates depute: and the accused was defended by MT. Traynor, assisted by J. P. B. Robert son and Thomas Shaw. The trial lasted four days of which three were occupied with the evidence and the fourth with the speeches of counsel, the judges charge to the jury. and the verdict and the sentence.
 It was clearly proven that Chan trelle was acquainted with the uses and effects of poisons, that he had opium in his possession; that he had endeavored to create a false impress sion as to his wife's death: that his
 protestations of innocence before he had been accused of any crime were inconsistent with. the demeanor of an innocent man, etc.
 At five minutes past 4, on May 10, the jury retired and was out an hour and ten minutes The prisoner was found guilty. His calmness did not forsake him. The verdict was re- ceived with cheers by the large crowd assembled in Parliament square. The judicial warrant appointing the execution to take place on the morn irer of ENridaX May S1 dQliUarad to the civic authorities on May 13.