The Sun. — 1838-08-28 (London, England)

COLERIDGE. ) THE CASE OF ➢ITERS AND POW. Mrs. Pow surrendered to take her trial at ten o'clock today; Myers was called, but did not surrender. Angelina Pow was then placed at the bar, and charged with the wilful murder of her husband, to which she pleaded Not Guilty, in a firm voice. Mr. PRENDERGAST stated that Myers, having given notice of his intention to surrender, he thought justice could not be done till Myers had surrendered. Mr. Justice BOSANQUET said that the Court could not compel the parties to be tried together. Mr. Prendergast appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Phillips, Mr. Clarkson, Mr. Bodkin, and Mr. Thomas for the prisoner. Mr. PRENDERGAST stated the case for the prosecution to the Jury. The case he was about to lay before the Jury was one of great importance, and one which, if the prisoner was convicted, would be attended with fatal consequences to her. The charge against the prisoner was the wilful murder of her husband, John Davidson Pow. The prisoner and her husband had led a dissolute life for married people; they had been residing at a house of ill-fame, where Mr. Pow was much addicted to drinking, and in which he was encouraged by the prisoner and Myers. His excessive drinking brought on delirium tremens, of which ultimately he died. The treatment he had received during his illness would be the subject of consideration to-day. The prisoner at the bar, instead of attending to the deceased as a married woman generally did, left him in the care of other persons, and suffered him to take large quantities of gin. By the direction of the prisoner medicines were administered to the deceased, but whether they were of a noxious kind they were left in doubt, as the bottles had been destroyed. The question for the Jury was, whether the administration of ardent spirits by the prisoner had caused the death of the deceased, or whether it took place from natural causes ? He would show to the Jury that the prisoner had expressed a hope that the life of her husband would soon terminate ; there was very little doubt that at the time of the death of her husband she was keeping up an improper intimacy with Myers, and had repeatedly been seen to enter a house of ill-fame in Black Horse-court, Fleetstreet, with him. The Learned Counsel then adverted to some of the other minor facts of the case, and was about to call witnesses, when he was interrupted by Mr. Justice BOSANQUET, who said, as he understood it, the prosecution did not profess to have ascertained the cause of death. He wished to know to what the evidence on the part of the prosecution went. Mr. PRENDERGAST said he had shortly stated the case to the Jury, and the evidence he had to bring forward would not go further than that statement. Mr. Justice BOSANQUET said that he had read all the depositions most carefully, and he could not gather from them any proof of the cause of death. Under these circumstances he thought it would be uselessly occupying the time of the Court and Jury with proceeding further with the case. The Jury then, under the direction of the Learned Judge, Acquitted the prisoner. The prisoner was again indicted on the Coroner's warrant, but, no evidence being adduced, she was again Acquitted.