Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1907-03-23 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

MARCH 23, 1907.  as he was going to Edinburgh to bury his mother. in-law. Dr. Paterson did so, and from his observation of Mrs Pritchard on that occasion his previous opinion that she was suffering under the influence of antimony was confirmed. He refused to give a certificate as to the cause of Mrs Taylor's death, which he characterised as "sudden, unex. pected, and to him mysterious." Pritchard called on Paterson on the 6th, and said that Mrs Prit, chard was greatly benefited by the trmtrtient had ordered.  Nevertheless, Mrs Pritchard's "illness" continued its mysterious course. Strange, she said, poor soul! that she was always well in Edinburgh and always ill at home. On March 13th Pritchard bought his last dose of aconite. That evening he sent up a piece of cheese by Mary McLeod for Mrs Pritchard's supper. Mrs Pritchard asked the girl to taste it., which the girl did, to experience an immediate burning in the throat and great thirst. The cook, who had also eaten some of the cheese, experienced the same sensations. One night socn after this Pritchard was seen giving his wife something to drink out of a porter glass. Mrs Pritchard immediately had a severe attack of cramp and became light headed. Dr. Paterson was again called in; he dictated a prescription and left. At one in the morning the girl McLeod was sent to call him once more, and when the two returned Mrs 'Pritchard was dead. Pritchard insisted that she was only in a faint, and wished hot water brought to restore animation, whereupon Paterson remarked that hot water was no use for a dead body. He then said, "Is she dead, Paterson?" and, addressing the corpse, cried out: "Come back, come back, my dear Mary Jane, don't leave your dear Edward." He also exclaimed: "What a brute! What a heathen!" Pritchard certified the cause of his wife's death as gastric fever. He went with the body to Enburgh for interment, and when the coffin was opened at Mr Taylor's house the scoundrel feigned "a great deal of feeling," and kissed his victim's lips. He went to Glasgow, intending to return to Edinburgh for the funeral, but was arrested at Queen-street Station on suspicion of having caused the death of his wife. An anonymous letter had given a hint to the police. A poet-mortem examination of Mrs Pritchard's body showed no natural cause of death. On the other hand, a chemical analysis disclosed traces of antimony. The trial of Pritchard followed as a matter of course. No direct act of administering poison was proved against him, but it was clearly demonstrated that he alone had the means, opportunity, and skill requisite for the double crime; and his gratuitous falsehoods regarding the illIrESS and deaths of his victims, both to the rcgistrar and others at the time, and afterwards in his declarations, disposed of the question ot his guilt. The only doubt was about the motive for the murders. There was to be considered a life-rent interest, to the extent of two-thirds, in a st-m of £2,500. But was that enough? The girl McLeod, too, seduced long ago by the criminal-was she Enough? Mrs Taylor, it may be assumed, was got rid of simply because her presence inter fcred with Pritchard's plans for the destruction of his wife. Perhaps she gave him a hint of her suspicions, in which case her doom would certainly be sealed. But why the brute should murder his wife unless he wanted to marry tll4l, girl McLeod it is impossible to suggest.  The case was tried in Edinburgh. The evidence for the prosecution occupied three days, the defence and speeches by counsel the fourth day; and on the fifth the Judge summed up. The jury, after an absence of an hour, returned a verdict of guilty of both charges. ,wntence of death. was pa.ssed, and carried out in Glasgow in with about 100,000 spectators. While lying in gaol the fiend made three confessions. In the first he said he had murdered his wife, but that the girl McLeod was present and was aware of the fae. In the second he eleazed the gm of blame, and in the third he admitted both crimes. Pritchard may have been "groaaly ignorant" ifk! his profession, but he obviously studied -poist ing as a tine art.