Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-02-24
FAMOUS TRIALS
MADELINE SMITH.


In July, 1857, Great Britain was pass
ing through its darkest crisis in the
history of British India Cawnpore had
fallen and every new bit of news that
came from the seat of mutiny in the
far-off possession sent thrill of horror
from one end to the other of the Brit
ish Isles. Yet during the period of
suspense and anguish the thoughts OF
the public were even more closely ec-
cupied by q scene In the High Judiciary
Court Of Edinburgh, where for seven leng
days the life of a girl of ri was hang
ing in the balance on a charge Of cold
blooded murder
Madeline Hamilton Smith was the
daughter of a Glasgow architect The
family were in comfortable circun-
stances, living at Rowaieyn in the
summer and In Glasgow in the winter.
Madeline was the oldest child and was
said to be extremely beautiful.
Among the clerks in the warehouses
Of the firm of Higgins & Co, there was
serving at the time a little Frenchma n
named Pierre Emile LAngelier. Nothing
s shown of his parentage, but he was
about 30 years of age. Among his
friends was young man named Robert
Baird whose family was acquainted with
the Smiths, and through him L'Angelier
some time In 1855, succeeded In obtaining
ar Introduction to Madeline The ac-
| quaintanee speedily ripened, but from the
first it was c!andestine. The Frenehma n
naver made the acquaintance OF the par
ents of the girl.
When Madeline left GlasEe in the
| summer for her country home they cor
| responded When she returned in the
! fall stolen interviews were arranged. In
he Of
| ed the attachment and tried IN every way
| to break 1t, but the girl had fallen a
VIKING victim to her seducer and then
contemplated clipping in March, 1857,
Among the intimate acuuaintances Of
the Smith family was a Mr.. Minnech
a Glasgow merchant Of good position
and prospects All through the winter
he had been paving marked attention
to Madeline. Early In January he
presented her with a handsome neck
laet and they became engaged. But
the Frenchnnan was not the man Il
keep to himself the fact Of havine
achieved such conquest. He threat
| ened to show her letters to her father
and in otherwise expose her. sh'
wrote him many imploring letters no
to carry out his threat. In one o
these appeals she ended: 81 coult
|
| disple asure. If he is to get our letter
poor mother I will never kiss her"
The terms in which these letters ha,
been couched, the frequent illusions t.
criminal intimacy they conta ined render
ed inexpresstbly terrible the Thought
that they would be sent by a third per
son. Exposure and disgrace lay befor
her. She sought an interview wit
L'Angelier and effected reconciliation
This took place on Feb. IA and within
few days L'Angeher was seized with vi
olent illness.
Madeleine was able to keep her secre
and as Mr.. Minnich was persistent i
wa nting to marry her, the parents ar
ranged June Is as the day for the wed
! ding On the 22d L'Angeier was agai
attacked with violent internal pains an
died before any medical help could b
obtained.
Too many friends Of the dead ma
knew Of the lsais between himsek an
Madeleine. Her father having heard {
the letters tried to secure them SO the
: should not become public but he ooul
not The doctors who were called In
pass upon the death of the Frenchma
: found he had been poisoned, Madeleir
+, was arrested and was compelled to NAL
stat emerh. in which she said that 81
/ weeks that while she had bought ARISEN
to use as a cosmetic. she never admit
istered to her lover arsenic or anythir
r Injurious.
s Madeleine was removed TO the Giasgo
prison. The trial commenced on Il
9th Of June before the high court of ]
= dietary. The charges made against h
II were three in nu-Soer: Adminieterir
arsenic February 10 and again on Fe
> ruary %, and numbering by arsenic
March %.
During the trial no direct proof "
TO forthcoming that Madeleine and LA
10 gelier had men either on February
te or on the fatal Sunday night in Mar
and this practically freed the girl. r
dean Of faculty, Mr.. Tnglis, who q
l. Tended the prisoner suggested the h
h pothesis Of suicide In sonming up t
= lord Justice clerk directed an acquittal
the first charge Of administration Of
re senic. owing to the absence of any pro
and with regard to the second charge
was caused ov arsenic He gave no
IL couragement to the theory on suicit
1e The jury. after an absence Of half
in hour, acquitted the prisoner. The W
=. dict was receiver with wild appiau
The prisoners courage and dennear
had won the favor OF the crowd and t
large sum expended on her defense h
We been raised twice over by subscrtptl
to among the Glasgow merchants.