Norwich bulletin., 1922-01-24
Famous Trials
CAPT. DoNELLAN

When the trial of Capt Donenan was conducted in England a century and 8 quarter ago, 1t was usually referred to as The Tragedy of Lawford HaA," As to which was c1nsidered the tragedy, the death of Sir Theodosius Boughton, nys- terious lco.sonng, or the execution of a seemingly innocent man for this can new CT be determined but careful study If tn case shows not only that Donellan, ths defendant was a fine character, but that the judge seems to have been strongly prejudiced against him.
 Three points showed strongly in favor of the defendant first, there was not suf- ficient proof tc show that Sir Theodosius die dfrom poison at all; secondly, that if he did die by poison, there was no proof to show that it was laurel water; and third ly, that if he did die by this poisen, there was not sufficient evidence to show that Capt Donelan Donellan administered it, either directly or indirectly.
 Donellan denied his guilt to the end, and it is hardly lilleiy that God-fearng man like he wo[d hale cared to have left | this world for the unknown with a ne on- his 1 lips such as the following confession would 1 have been if Ne had murder on his hands | As he went to execution these wer,, his
 ast words; AS I am now going to ap | rear bef-Te God to whom an deceit is
 known I solemnly declare that I am ibno-
 cent of the crime for which I suffer- I have
 Grawn I'D vindication of myself, which l. i hope the world will believe, for it is of i more consequergce to me to speak the truth | than falsehoods, and I have TO doubt that
 time will reveal the many mysteries that | have arisen at my trial"
 l At the trial Lady Boughton the moth
 CT of the deceased, said that DoneFan was the husband of her daughter So that no 1 iply 1oi (l, was penniless at his marriage) he had signed papers which settled the whole of the estate on his wife and reSg1iiTlg ali his rights to any of the property This at once removed one reaScn, which may have
 been supposed as the motive for the crime Lady Boughton da2oSed that her son, l who was frequently ill was often pre-
 scribed for by Dr. Powell, surgeon of I Rugby. The morning of his death the son
 asked the mother to hand the phial to him
 from the nantlepiece. She com lied with lis request, but perceived that when pour- ing it into the basin there was some sadi-
 nlent at the bottom of the bottle whicl
 gave out a very offensive small. She later l told her son-in-law Donellan, that her sor
 was sick, so he went upstairs to see hin
 While there she tod him of the medicine
 upon hearing which, he asked foc tht
 bottle, and pcured it and the settling O.
 |
 washed all of the bottles out. After thi!
 she and he prisoner left the room for
 time. but returning found the deceaset : with his eyes fixed, his teen set and trot, running cut of his mouth.
 It seems queer that if Lady Bougdltol ,, was suspicious Of the death, she di1, no . . have the body examined, but instead, sh allowed her son-in-laW to go on with tn ] i funeral so that when later rurnors of tn poisoning reached outside the medical me | who were called to inspect the body de clined to do so on account of decenposi ! i tion.
 Dr. Powell the apothecary who sup piled the draft, said that it was only pursative and in court he read out tn . ingredients of which it was cCnposd Dr. Winner, a surgeon, in turn testihe that it was impossible to tell what ; casioned the deceased's death." Thre : other doctors who were called were of th ol9fnfon that the medicine caused tq1 : death. Lady Boughton testified that st thought, upon seeing her sonin la-
 spilliTlg out tbe bottles That some unfa n dealing had been carried on respecting he n son, and that he died by the medicine, sf l. had given him.
 n A celebrated surgeon stated for tf If defense that the symptoms detscr be