Glasgow poisoning case : unabridged report of the evidence in this extraordinary trial.

Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Glasgow poisoning case : unabridged report of the evidence in this extraordinary trial. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    to gain an entrance into the Court, and the police had the greatest difficulty^ in keeping a spacebar lor those who were personally engaged in the triahir The appearance of the prisoner w as much the same as it was at thed commencement of the trial. There was, however, a slight shade of sad-te ness in her expression, but no trace of that anxiety and desp mentalh suffering to be expected in a woman charged with such a dreadful crime: and with her life in such imminent danger. During the continuance of the summing up to-day, notwithstanding the strong remarks of the Lord jC Justice Clerk with reference to' the damaging points in the evidence]: against the urisoner, she presented that coolness and indifference whichii she has all along exhibited in a most remarkable and extraordinary!! manner. On one occasion, where his Lordship in reading his notes showed f that he had mistaken the expression of one of the witnesses as to L’Angelier 1 having said, when in Dundee, that he sometimes heard sounds in his ears:: “ like the tramping of rats,” for the expression “the sound of rat-traps,” the! prisoner laughed with great apparent Heartiness. Alter the Lord-Justice-Clerk had concluded his summing up, the jury i retired to their room. THE VERDICT. The appearance of the court at this particular moment it is im- | possible to describe, man}’- of the spectators being moved to tears i by the impressive and earnest address of the learned judge. In Scotland when a jury have agreed upon their verdict a small !i;< bell is rung; upon this signal being given the most breathless 3 silence prevailed, and in a short time afterwards the jury re-appeared ju in court, when The Lord-J ustice-Clerk, addressing the audience, said—It must be under-1 stood that L.cre must be no exhibition of feeling of aoy sort when the 1 verdict is returned. The Clerk thm called Over the names of the jury, and requested their Is Chancellor to give in their verdict. Mr. Moffat (Edinburgh High School) then announced their verdict a j. follows:—In respect of the first couat in the indictment, the jury, by a ( majority, find the pannel Not Guilty; in respect to the second count, the 1 jury find, by a mu jo ity, the charge against the prisoner Not Proven ; and 1 in respect to the third count, the jury find, by a majority, the charge Not 1 Proven. Notwithstanding the admonition the audience had received, the conclud- t ing portion of the jury’s verdict, acquitting the prisoner of the capital ? charge, was received with a loud burst of applause from all sides, cheering : and clapping of hands, and the officers of the court vainly attempted to repress the unwonted exhibition. The Lord-Just.ice-Clerk directed one * young man in the gallery, who had prominently displayed his enthusiasm, i to be taken into custody. With regard to the prisoner, she had awaited the issue with great calm- 1 ness and composure, although there were occasional evidences in her veiled > countenance how great her effort was so to sustain herself When the verdict was concluded she seemed more moved than she had been through¬ out the tri 1. Her head slightly fell, and her face broke into a bright but somewhat agitated smile. Her hands were on the instant warmly grasped