The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1889-08-17 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE VERSUS  MURDER.  TO THE EDITOR OF THI BIRKENHEAD NEWS. Bui,—Millions of Britain's and Ireland's poi:Rile, &lOU from Her Majesty downwards have read the evidence lately given at the trial of • fallen sister in the flesh, Mrs. Maybrick, on • charge of poisoning her husband, Mr. James Maybrick, a user of poison. How can any of the said millions accord with a clear sonscience with such evidence? Dare they presume to take an oath on God's Word that Mrs. May brick is not guilty of poisoning her husband? If so, how could others, on the same evidence, take an oath that Mrs. Maybrick is guilty of murdering her husband by poison? If thd evidenoe of poisoning was as clear as the evidence of adultery, then Mrs. Maybrick could have been conscientiously found guilty of the crime charged against her. But 1111 no such evidence has been given, the twelve jurymen, who are the real judges of the ease, cannot and will not be looked upon as giving • just verdict of guilty. The evidence gives not the slightest proof whatever that Mrs. Maybrick has poisoned her husband, and from day to day since the closing of the trial statements and disclosures more fully prove to the truly conscientioue millions of the people that the charge of murder is contrary to the unproven evidence given during the trial. A Court of Appeal to go to in a case of life or death in order to save the lie of our guiltless fellow creatures is • just necessity, for, from decisions come to through what is termed circumstantial evidence, numerous persons have been condemned to death who afterwards were found to be innocent of the crime charged against them. If it is essentially necessary in the cause of justice and equity for; Courts of Appeal in relation to property, money, and other minor questions, it is far more essential and necessary that there should be instituted at an early date • Court of Criminal Appeal on cases of life and death, as there should be in the present instance for the whole people, in order to save the valuable lives ot our innocent fellow creatures from an unjust and ignominious death by what is termed legal enactment. Let me say also, on behalf of the nation's useful toiling wealth.producers, that it very ill becomes the proprietors and editors of various newspapers in London and the provinces— who consider themselves palladiums of wisdom and cther virtues on judges' and juries' immaculate decisions in criminal trials— to treat with scorn and contempt, and villify as ignorant, passionate, tyrannical, and clamorous mobs, our industrious messes and cleans, whose daily pence keep and support in sumptuous affluence such maligning and ungrateful newspaper proprietors and scribes, who mistakenly consider themselves far above the purohasers of their oracles of daily intelligence. Fifty years ago such creatures, along with others of the professional classes, did their hest to keep what they now term the clamorous mob from carrying out principles and practices that would do the greatest good to all and, injury to none. Such is God's law, Who alone should be the Judge of those not proven guilty by the evidence given, as in the present charge of life and death. As our musses now have the power in their own hands to make and unmake governments, local and imperial, they will, if things are not materially altered for bringing about the true happiness of the nation, be under the necessity of using their mighty constitutional power and indoenee. By such means they can, by a pro. ponderating majority, return efficient representatives to Parliament, men who will help to rightly legislate for all.—Yours, &c, R. W. Birkenhead, Aug. 14, 1889.