A complete report of the trial of Dr. E. W. Pritchard, for the alleged poisoning of his wife and mother-in-law. Reprinted, by special permission, from the 'Scotsman' / Carefully revised by an eminent lawyer.

  • Eminent lawyer.
Date:
1865
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A complete report of the trial of Dr. E. W. Pritchard, for the alleged poisoning of his wife and mother-in-law. Reprinted, by special permission, from the 'Scotsman' / Carefully revised by an eminent lawyer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    after I returned. Not before you went away ? Not that I recollect. Before you went away for the doctor, what did she say about a doctor? ViTienever I went into the room, she said, “ Go away for another doctor directly, Mary.” Did she say anything else ? She said, “Be sure to go; I want another doctor.” Was Dr Pritchard crying at this time ? It was after I returned that he was crying. Are you sure he was not crying before you went away ? I am not sure. The Lord Justice-Clerk—You are not sure that it was before or after? I am not sure. I saw him crying after I returned; but I am not sure if he did so before. The Solicitor-General—Are you really not sure that he was not crying before you went away for the doctor? I am not sure whether he was crying before or not; but I am certain that he was crying after I returned. Now, what was it she said to him after you returned; you told us that she said something, what was it ? She asked him not to cry. Did she say why ? She said, “ Don’t cry, you hypocrite; if you cry, it was you that did it.” As far as I can remember, these were the words. Was Dr Gairdiier present when she said this, or was it before he came ? I think he was in the room, but I don’t remember very well. Now, I do not want to press you about anything, but I wish you to remember as exactly as you can. Was what you have told us now not said before you went for the doctor, when Mi-s Pritchard was crying out that she wanted another doctor, and tilling you to go ? I think it was after. Did she only say that once ? I do not think I heard her more than once. Now, after this did Mrs Pritchard become very imwell till her mother came ? Her mother came in a day or two afterwards. Did her sickness continue till that time ? Yes. And anything else excepting sickness—cramp ? I do not think she was attacked with cramp between that night and the time that Mrs Taylor came. After Mrs Taylor came, how was Mrs Pritchard—was she confined to bed chiefly? Yes. And were you frequently with her when Mrs Taylor was there? Mrs Taylor slept with her and attended upon her. But did not you continue as housemaid to wait upon the room, and you saw Mrs Pritchard I suppose every day ? Yes, several times. Did you speak to her about the way in which she was every day ? I always asked her if she was better. How did she say she was ? Sometimes she said she was much the same, sometimes that she was a little better, and at other times she was worse. Was she sick every day during the time her mother was with her? She was not sick every day that Mrs Taylor was with her. Was she sick most days ? (After some hesita- tion. ) She was sick almost every day. But these days when she was sick, was she sick only once a-day, or generally more than once ? I cannot tell. Did she complain of thirst ? Yes. Great thirst? Yes. Anything else ? Of great heat in her head. Any- thing else—pain in her stomach ? Yes. Was Dr Pritchard in the house all the w'hile that Mrs Taylor was there ? He was not in the house aU day. Not all day; but was he living at home ? Yes. And took his meals at home ? Yes. When had he dinner generally at that time? At half-past three. When had Mrs Pritchard her dinner usually when her mother was with her ? Between one and two generally. Was Dr Pritchard sometimes with her when she took her dinner ? He was sometimes in the room with her when she dined. Often ? He would not be every day. He would not be there every day—that is not an answer to the question. Was ho commonly there when she had her dinner ? Not so often as not. Who made her tea ? Sometimes I did, and sometimes the cook. Who poured it out for her ? It was poured out for her in the ^ning-room. By whom ? By the doctor, or by whoever was at the table. Did you see it done ? Yes. Who else was at the table except the doctor ? Her mother. It was sometimes poured out by the doctor, and sometimes by Mrs Taylor? Yes. Who pre- pared her bread and put the butter upon it ? Mrs Taylor, when she was there. And who else when she was not there ? It was done by herself. What I mean is, did Dr Pritchard ever put the butter upon her bread ? Yes. By Mr Clark—Have you seen this ? Yes. By the Solicitor-General—After Mrs Taylor’s death—on the morning of the 25th Febru- ary—who was in the habit of taking Mrs Pritchard’s meals to her ? Her tea was generally taken up to her by the doctor or one of the children. That is, he either took it up him- self from the dining-room, or sent one of the children with it? Yes, or me. Her break- fast and her tea were sent up from the dining-room ? By whom was her dinner taken up after Mrs Taylor’s death ? Generally by me. By the Lord Justice-Clerk-With regard to the dinner, did you take it straight from the kitchen? Yes. y o 1 Solicitor-General—What did her dinner consist of ? Chicken or fish. Anything else ? That was what she generally liked. Before Mrs Taylor’s death, did she send you to a druggist s to buy a bottle of Batley’s Solution ? Mrs Taylor sent me. How long be- tore Imr death? The Monday before. Where did you buy it? At Murdoch Brothers. ^ bottle to get filled, or did you buy it there? She gave me a bottle to get hUed. Is that the sort of bottle [bottle No. 86 produced] ? Yes. Is that the same