The Maybrick Murder Trial.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5574, 20 September 1889, Page 3

The May brick Murder Trial.

Ix this case the witnesses examined for the defence were Professor Tidy, who thought the symptoms did not denote ar scnical poisoning ; and Bateson, who had lived with Maybrick in America; Mariner Thompson, and a negro servant named Stanton. They testilied that Maybrick habitually used arsenic. On August sth Professors Macnamara and Paul testified that Maybrick died from gastro enteritis. Paul i.s toxicological examiner in the \* ictoria University, Liverpool, and declared it would take months to eliminate arsenic from the system if it were taken over twice. A chemist testilied that ladies often purchased fly-papers for use a.s cosmetics. A ban dresser said arsenic was frequently used by ladies to improve their complexions. Mr Poole, ex-May or of Liverpool, testified that in March last Mr Maybrick had told him that he took poisonous medicines habitually. At the request of Sir Charles Russell, counsel for the prisoner, the Judge allowed her the unusual privilege of making a statement, which, with many emotional interruptions on her part, she proceeded to do in the following terms : — "I bought flypaper for use as cosmetics for many years, and used cosmetics containing arsenic, which Dr Griggs, of Brooklyn, New York prescribed. I lost the presc iption, and wishing to make a substitute for the formula, soaked flypaper and elderllowers in lavender water, an,d covered it with a plate and towel to exclude the air. Ou the night of May sth, after the nurse had given deceased meat juice, I sat by the bed. Mr Maybrick complained of being very sick and much depressed, and implored me to give him a powder, wliich I earlier in the day had declined to administer. I was overwrought, terribly anxious, and very unhappy. His distress unnerved me, and as he said the powder was harmless, and that I could put it in his food, I consented and mixed it in the meat juice. Sir Maybrick then fell asleep, and appeared better when he awoke. I was not anxious to administer any more, and placed the meat juice on the washstand, where it remained till Michael Maybrick took possession the day before my husband's death. I fully confeseed and received his forgiveness for the fearful wrong I had done him. The concluding part of Mrs Mayb rick's statement caused a profound sensation. Her statement ended the evidence for the defence. The Judge in his charge said there was strong and distressful evidence to show that the j prisoner had a motive for ridding herself j of her husband. This could be found in her infidelity, wliich had rendered it necessary for her to enter into inextricable mazes of lying. Her so-called particular attention to a phrase "Pie is sick unto death," in her letter to Briefly, in viow of the fact that on the day the letter was written the doctors fully expected Maybrick to recover, gave a reason for believing the prisoner was desirous of being rid of her husband so that she might live with her paramour. The Judge also put a question to the jury whether ifc was reasonable to believe that a loving wife would yield to her husband's suggestion and put an unknown powder in his food. A verdict of guilty was returned and the sentence of death pronounced. After tho Judge had delivered sentence, the prisoner arose and said that evidence had been withheld which would have caused a different verdict. She declared herself not guilty. After the verdict was announced thousands of people assembled at the entrence of the Court, and when Judge Stephens came out he was greeted with howls and incessant cries of 'Shame.' The interference of the police only prevented an attack on the Judge's carriage. The witnesses in the case were also mobbed, and had to fight their way to the cabs. The sentence was afterwards commuted to penal servitude for life. This action is the result of a conference at the Home Secretary's oflice, at whicli Justice Stephen, Lord Salisbury, and several eminent physicians were present. The facts concerning the correspondence sent to Home Secretary Matthews in the Maybrick case are coming out. There are many curious missives. Some of the writers declared they had pledged themselves nofc to allow Matthews to live a single day .after Mrs Maybrick was hanged if he should permit the Judge's sentence to be carried out. Women in apparently respectable pos'tions volunteered to be hanged instead of Mrs Maybrick, if that would satisfy the Home Secretary. A great number of letters were addressed direct to the t^ueen, appealing t<> her to interfere,