The Telegram. — 1896-10-27 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTING TO POISON A MISTRESS. A SENSATIONAL CONFESSION.  At the Bur.iwater County Police-court, on Tuesday, Florence Kidby, aged 16, of West Thurrock, Essex, employed as s don:mato: servant by Kivii Frances Jane I.abel Cond, school mistress at the village of Meophain, alai charged with having administered precipitate powder to her mistress with intent to do her grievidri bodily harm. The prosecutrix, who was too ill to attend the preliminary hearing owing to the effects of the poison she had taken in her food, was now pre,eut, and asked to he allowed to withdraw frotn the prosecution. _  The magistrates replied that they could not think of allowing such a course to be adopted. lii the interests of the public, sad in the interests of persons against whom the %noosed had made charges' the affair must be thoroughly investicatei. Miss Conde been proceeded with her evideucc. Her household consisted only of prisoner and hsr. self. She was attacked us school with a painful constricted feeling across the chest, had a great difficulty in breathing, and wilt incapable of moving for home time. She recovered, but suffered from eiinilar attacks from time to time, and could not understand the cause of it. Eveutually she had reason to complain of prisoner's work, aud also of stateineuts she had made concerning here self. She told prisoner she would have to leave. She begged her not to discharge her, and then went on to say that the etiarwoinan who cleaned the school had, during witness's absence from the village, conic to the house and asked her for diff rent things, and had put snuff into the ale. Prisoner begged so hard to be allowed to remain that witness said the would forgive her if she wrote • letter to her mother telling her of her con' duct, and if her mother also forgave her. Witness had no suspicion that the prisoner had put powder into her stout, and had made no charge against her up to that time. Oue reason that induced her to consent to allow the girl to remain was that she had threatened to drown herself if she were discharged. Prisoner handed to witness a statement slie rat put into writing. At the request of the court the confession war, handed in as evidence. It was as follows : Miss Goode went to Gravesend, awl Mrs. Burgess (the school charwoman) told me to take things up to her ; awl she told her son to come and see ill should come out. And she put snuff in Miss Uonile's ale, and gave me a powder to put into the chicken broth. I met him in the school yard, and he came down on Monday morning, and went into my bedroom, and did me sonic harm, lie said on Saturday night : I will come down, me and Jun ;and Tom told nie to get the carving knife ready, so that he could murder Miss Conde, and so he could get all the money lie could, and take me to Margate on Saturday night. ii,od has saved me from doing such a thing in my life. I am a very tat girl and I have a good neither. Miss honk is been good to me. She knows my mother and father. Mrsißurgisst give me whisky, and I don't know what she put into it. My mistress said she did not care about herself, but she wants to save me. God told her to save me. I put poison into the chicken broth and the ale, and God did not let her die. And I took tire stout out by the straw, and it gave her such a lead pain in her heart, and for three nights they were trying to get into the house to murder my mistress. She toll we to take the candles, bread, cheese, butter and ale ; and Mrs. Lrnhlvlml s servant gave me a very good advice, if she Intl not my mistress would have been killed that night. My kind mother sent ode a brooch for a birthday present and my mistress gave me • dress, and I ant sorry. I mean to write this down, and I mean to be a very good ~ • . _ . .  "-Continuing her evidence, Miss Conde said the constable subsequently apprehended prisoner. Witness did not give her into emit idy, and protested against it. (Senvation.) She had known the girl's purenta in Essex. The inagistrAtes remauded prisoner, and PoliceSuperintendent Lacy 'aid he would report the cur to the Public Prosecutor. Further inquiries into the case would be instituted.  At the 111.4 oourt lire. Burgett denied the .atepruner had then made.