The Express. — 1864-11-02 (London, England)

THE SWISS POISONING CASS.  The Court of Assizes of Berne was occupied during the remainder of the sitting of the 25th with the continuation of the interrogatory of the prisoner Demme. relative to the events preceding 'frumpy 's death.  At the commencement of the sitting of the 27th the teru•le prisoner Trump, mu introduced, and in reply to the President's questions made • statement of which the followiog is the substance :—She was aware of the crime laid to her charge, and was confident that her innocence would be established. Her marriage with H. Trumpy, who was two years her senior, took place in 1646. They bad one child, Flora Trumpy. The first years of their wedded life were tolerably happy, and she assisted bar husband in his business for acme time, but subsequently ceased to do so, owing to his having become ill-tempered and violent wider the vexation caused by unaucceesful speculations. At one time her husband was extremely jealous, and treated her in the most brutal mealier, but for some years preceding 1862 they bad lived on better terms. She first new Dr. Demme in 1861, when he attended ber during an illness ; but their intimate acquaintance did not commence tall 1862, after her hasten& to consequence of a quarrel about • servant, bad thrown a decanter (not • lamp, as stated in the indictment) at her head while at table, and knocked out ono of her eyes. In the beginning of the present year her husband was suffering from a painful disease, the entire of which she did not know, and was attended by a person connected with • military hospital. She advised him to consult a duly qualified physician, and he, of hi. own accord, called in Dr. Demme. This was about • fortnight before. her husband's death. He took to his bed on Saturday, Feb. 13. Dr. Demme never told her what was her husband's disease. On the night before his death she saw the doctor give her husband some medicine in • ease, and beard him say, "Take this. it will do you good." At the moment her husband expired she was reclining on • sofa in his bedroom. She confessed that her intimate relations with Dr. Demme were continued after her husband's decease. The prisoner was sent interrogated as to what occurred during their journey in the Levant, and related a scene which took place at Corfu when she refused to drink a glans of some mixture offered to her by her hue band. In reply to the president's question relative to this scene at Corfu, the prisoner stated that she could not affirm her husband wished to poison her, but that she refused to drink the mixture he offered because she thought it looked suspicious. She was not aware that her husband had bought poison at Constantinople, but such • thing was possible, as he often went out accompanied only by a dragoman. The president then proceeded again to interrogate the prisoner at great length relative to the events which immediately preceded and followed her husband's death, especially with regard to • letter written by her, in which she said—" I am • wicked woman, as edultrese, and the assassin of my husband!" She replied that the above words were written in • moment of despair ; they did not mean that she was her husband's actual murderer, but that the pie( and trouble her conduct had caused him contributed to shorten his life. The reading of the letter containing the above phrase produced a painful impression in court, and seemed to overwhelm the male prisoner with astonishment The court then adjourned. At the opening of the sitting next morning (214th) several witnesses gave evidence as to the mental state of the female prisoner, from which it appeared that she was very excitable sod subject to hallucinations, and that she often fancied voices from unseen persons were addressing her. A report from IS. Scheirer, physician of the Items Lunatic Asylum, was reed, in which be expressed an opinion that she ought to be carefull► watched, as she might attempt suicide. At this stage of the proceedings Madame Trumpy looked wildly upwards and exclaimed, "I still hear voices telling tie to commit suicide; they say that they will only be silent wbea I sh►ll have returned to my room to kill myself." Dr. Schaeder, another physician of the Berne Lunatic Asylum, gave evidence to the same effect as Dr. Sotiserees, and added that when he conversed with the prisoner she had often stopped short to reply to these imaginary voices. Other testimony having been given, the case was again adjourned.  New Acr ON