The Sun. — 1865-07-04 (London, England)

TRIAL OF DR. PRITCHARD.  EDINBURGH, July 3.  This morning Dr. Edward William Pritchard, of Sauchiehall-street, Glasgow, was placed at the bar of the High Court of Justiciary charged with the murder by poison of his wife and his mother-inlaw.  The Lord Justice Clerk, with Lord Ardmillan and Lord Jerviswoode, occupied the bench. The counsel for the Crown were the SolicitorGeneral of Scotland, Mr. Gifford, and Mr. Crichton ; and for the defence were Mr. Clark, Mr. Watson, and Mr. Brand. The prisoner entered the court at 10 o'clock. He is a person of middle age, stately and well-built, a little bald, of fair complexion, and with a light sandy beard. He appeared quite calm, and closely watched the proceedings. His brother, Charles Augustus Pritchard, secretary to the Naval Commander at Plymouth, took his seat in the dock with him. It was moved for the prisoner that he should not, in consideration of the prejudice his cause might thereby sustain, be put on trial on both charges at once.  The Solicitor-General opposed, and the court refused the motion.  There was no objection to the relevancy of the indictment, and the prisoner, on being called to plead, said audibly, 46 Not guilty." A jury was then balloted and sworn.  After some formal evidence, Catherine Latimer, lately cook in Dr. Pritchard's service, dcponed to the circumstances and events of the household up to her leaving it on Saturday last. Mrs. Pritchard's illness began in October with frequent sickness. She went to Edinburgh to visit her mother in November, returning at Christmas. Her mother and Miss Pritchard, who lived with her grandmamrna in Edinburgh, came with her. Mrs. Pritchard then appeared to be in very good health. She continued so for about a week, but after that became ill again. Witness was to have left the service on the 2d, but owing to her mistress's illness she remained till the 16th February. One night Mrs. Pritchard exclaimed, " Oh, Catherine, I have lost my senses. I never was so bad as this before." She was seized with cramp about the 14th February. She was very ill, and called Mary Macleod to fetch Dr. Gairdner. Dr. Pritchard was in the room when another doctor was sentfor ; he was crying, and witness heard deceased say " Don't cry, you hypocrite," or " Don't cry, for if you do you are an hypocrite," and she added that the doc tors were all hypocrites together. She told Dr. Gairdner she had chloroform, but she had never said so to witness. Witness continued in the service till Mrs. Taylor was brought back again from Edinburgh. Mrs. Taylor said to witness, " I don't understandher illness. She is one day better and another worse:, Mary M'Leod, a girl of 17, housemaid at Dr. Pritchard's, was between four and five hours under examination, and gave her evidence with evident reluctance. She generally took up Mrs. Pritchard's dinner and tea, which she sometimes got from Dr. Pritchard as he sat with his family in the diningroom. Mrs. Pritchard often said, " I wonder when  this sickness is to stop." When witness was sent for Dr. Gairdner she heard Mrs. Pritchard say, " Don't cry ; if you cry you're a hypocrite ; it was you that did it." On one occasion Dr. Pritchard. sent her up with a bit of cheese, which Mrs. Pritchard tasted, and asked witness to taste it ; felt hot, and made witness thirsty. Witness deposed to the sudden illness of Mrs. Taylor ; she said she surely had her daughter's complaint. She died about midnight of the day she was taken ill ; she was writing letters in the consulting room at 9 o'clock, and was helped upstairs, where she became speedily ill, and died. The prisoner had used improper familiarities with witness, and Mrs. Pritchard had seen him kissing her. Witness became with child to him. He said he would put it all right. She had a miscarriage.—(lnterrogated. Did he do anything to you to procure miscarriage ? But the question was objected to, as forming a separate crime not libelled against the prisoner, and disallowed by the Court.)—The connexion was continued, up to the time Mrs. Pritchard visited Edinburgh, but not for some time before his wife turned ill. He spoke of marriage to witness. He said he would. marry her if his wife died before him. He gave witness a ring the year before last ; also a brooch the same month his wife died. He gave his photograph in the locket, but witness had since tornit out. Cross-examined. Believed prisoner to be in joke when he spoke of marriage. The Court adjourned till next day at 10.