Report of the trial of Madeleine Smith : before the High Court of Justiciary at Edinburgh, June 30th to July 9th, 1857, for the alleged poisoning of Pierre Émile l'Angelier / by Alexander Forbes Irvine, advocate.

  • Madeleine Smith
Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the trial of Madeleine Smith : before the High Court of Justiciary at Edinburgh, June 30th to July 9th, 1857, for the alleged poisoning of Pierre Émile l'Angelier / by Alexander Forbes Irvine, advocate. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    ried. He did not say that he arranged with any particular person to marry them, nor did he mention what chapel. Re-examined ly the Solicitor-General.—He had a very great horror of taking medicine. 33. Thomas Fleming Kennedy (59), examined hy the Lord Advocate.— I am cashier to Huggins and Co., Glasgow. I knew L'Angelier for about four years and a half, during which he was in Huggins and Co.'s employment. I was intimately acquainted with him. He was in the habit of coming frequently to my house ; he was a well-behaved, well-prin- cipled, religious young man. I had a great regard for him. I had ample means of judging of his character and conduct- He enjoyed general good health while in our warehouse. I never thought him very strong. He was not much off duty from bad health till latterly. I think his health first became affected in February. I am not sure if he was ill in January ; but in Februai'y he was laid up for a week. He got better, and came back again to the warehouse; then he got worse, and on the 9th March, he got leave of absence. I think it was on the morning of the 23d February that he got ill—he came into my room and said, I am ill, very ill, and have been ill the night before. I asked what was the matter with him ; and I advised him to go home. He said he had fallen down on his bed-room floor at night before going to bed, and felt so ill that he could not call for assistance. He did not say what he had been doing, nor where he had been the day before. I must have seen him on the 21st (Saturday), as he was at business that day. He was confined to the house from the 23d February to Sunday, 1st March. I saw him on the 1st March. I think that was the first day he was out. He spoke before his death of an attachment to Miss Smith, Blythswood Square. He said very little; and I knew nothing further than that there was an intimacy till shortly before his death. He came to me one morning in February and said, with tears in his eyes, that he had received a letter, demanding back all the correspondence. I advised him strongly to give back the letters, but he said he would not. That would be about a fort- night before the 23d of February. He said that she wrote that a cool- ness had arisen, and asking back her letters ; I understood she had written that there was a coolness on the part of both. He said he would never allow her to marry another man as long as he lived. I said it was very foolish; he said he knew it was, that it was infatuation. He said, Tom, she will be the death of me. That was about the last conver- sation I had with him. The last time I saw him was on the 9th March, when he left to go to Edinburgh. I knew his handwriting well. [Shown 145 of Inventory.] That is a letter in the deceased's handwriting ad- dressed to me. Bridge of Allan, Friday 20th March. Dear Tom—I was soiTy to hear from Thuau that you were laid up. I hope by this time you are better. Are you well enough to come here to-morrow, there is a Train at 12.30, 4.15 and 6.15. I think it would do you good. Plenty of Lodgings to be had here. If you come it is of no use writing as the latest post arriving is 10 a.m. but as the walk to the train is short I shall be on the look out. I am two doors from the in Union Street. I am getting short of tin, bring with you please two or three pounds ov if not send them. I was in Stirling today but it was very cold so I
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