PETITIONS TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 193, 15 August 1889, Page 5

PETITIONS TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

JUDGE PROTECTED BY THE

POLICE.

London, August 9. Fuller reports of the summing up of Sir James Stephen in the Maybrick poisoning case, at the Liverpool Assizes, show that although the first part of the speech was favourable to Mrs Maybrick, the concluding portion was decidedly adverse. This accounted for the Judge being mobbed and hooted by the assembled crowd when he left the Court.

The feeling in Liverpool is so strongly in favour of Mrs Maybrick that it has been deemed advisable to afford Sir James Stephen police protection. He will be guarded during the remainder of his stay in Liverpool by a force of 150 policemen.

Mrs Maybrick attributes the verdict of guilty returned by the jury to Sir James Stephen's severe strictures on her infidelity. She, however, expresses confidence that she will be reprieved. Petitions in favour of a reprieve have been extensively signed in Liverpool, among the signatures being those of leading merchants and barristers. Tnese petitions have been forwarded to the House of Commons, the petitioners making a strong point of the fact that the medical evidence at the trial was very divergent and conflicting. When the petitions were presented in the House of Commons last night Mr Henry Matthews, Q.C, the Home Secretary, said that they would receive full consideration. He remarked upon the outrage to Sir James Stephen, and said that it was un-English to mob a judge for doing his duty. This remark was loudly cheered by hon. members.

In this sensational poisoning case the deceased, James Maybrick, was aged 50, and was a cotton merchant at Liverpool. Mrs Maybrick, who has been sentenced to death, is 26 years of age, the daughter of Baroness Koque and the 3tepdaugh£er of Baron Rogue. Mrs Maybrick's name before marriage was Florence Elizabeth Chandler, and she was daughter of a banker in Mobile. Deceased met her while returning from America, and married her, it is reported, after a fortnight's acquaintance. Mrs Maybrick is said to have a" fortune of her own. A quarrel took place between the couple over the relations of Mra Maybrick with a Mr A. Brierloy, of Liverpool, and the deceased shortly afterwards became ill. His brother, who visited the houseyhad his suspicions aroused, and cailed in two doctors and another nurse. In the course of his evidence the brother said that in consequence of a communication from the nurse he removed a bottle of brandy which was among the medicines in the bedroom. He also took possession of a bottle of meat extract in the room and gave them to the doctor. Hβ then took a walk in the garden. On returninc to the bedroom he found Mrs Maybrick changing some whisky from one bottle to and changing the labels. He remonstrated with nor and asked her how she dare do it, and she replied Tb was because of the sediment in the bottle. The nurses were again changed; but his brother sank rapidly and died on May 11, having been very delirious. The day hia brother died the children's nurse gave him a parcel and a box. The parcel was in brown paper and v/as labolled, in writing, •* Arsenic poison for cats." In the parcel were also four small bottles containing white fluid, the labels being scratched oIF. The parcel was afterwards given to the police. A resent cable stated that fresh evidence in favour of the accused was given. Thia evidence was foreshadowed by a London paper.-which had the following :— When Mrs Maybrick is put on her trial before a jury an important witneas will be forthcoming whose name has not yet been mentioned. He is a gentleman named Bateson, who is connected with a large London cotton firm, but is at present resident at Memphis, Tennessee. Three years ago Mr Maybrick, accompanied by his wile, visited the United States and spent some time in Norfolk, Virginia. Mr Bateson was on intimate terms with Mr Maybrick, and, indeed, lived in the same house with him for some time. He was cognisant of a habit formed by Mr Maybrick of habitually taking arsenic, and more than onco during his sojourn in Norfolk he warned him against the probable consequences. The peculiarity was also known to a Dr. Ward, who lived in Norfolk, and Mr Bateson will swear to a conversation in which he heard Dr. Ward, who ia now dead, warn Mr Maybrick that if he continued the practice he would certainly kill himself. E>en more striking than this sworn testimony will be a number of sworn copies of prescriptions which Mr Maybrick had made up at a druggist's shop in Norfolk during his residence.