pen,pencil and poison-第5章

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have　been　for　a　caprice；　or　to　quicken　some　hideous　sense　of　power

that　was　in　him；　or　because　she　suspected　something；　or　for　no

reason。　　But　the　murder　of　Helen　Abercrombie　was　carried　out　by

himself　and　his　wife　for　the　sake　of　a　sum　of　about　18；000　pounds；

for　which　they　had　insured　her　life　in　various　offices。　　The

circumstances　were　as　follows。　　On　the　12th　of　December；　he　and　his

wife　and　child　came　up　to　London　from　Linden　House；　and　took

lodgings　at　No。　12　Conduit　Street；　Regent　Street。　　With　them　were

the　two　sisters；　Helen　and　Madeleine　Abercrombie。　　On　the　evening

of　the　14th　they　all　went　to　the　play；　and　at　supper　that　night

Helen　sickened。　　The　next　day　she　was　extremely　ill；　and　Dr。

Locock；　of　Hanover　Square；　was　called　in　to　attend　her。　　She　lived

till　Monday；　the　20th；　when；　after　the　doctor's　morning　visit；　Mr。

and　Mrs。　Wainewright　brought　her　some　poisoned　jelly；　and　then　went

out　for　a　walk。　　When　they　returned　Helen　Abercrombie　was　dead。

She　was　about　twenty　years　of　age；　a　tall　graceful　girl　with　fair

hair。　　A　very　charming　red…chalk　drawing　of　her　by　her　brother…in…

law　is　still　in　existence；　and　shows　how　much　his　style　as　an

artist　was　influenced　by　Sir　Thomas　Lawrence；　a　painter　for　whose

work　he　had　always　entertained　a　great　admiration。　　De　Quincey　says

that　Mrs。　Wainewright　was　not　really　privy　to　the　murder。　　Let　us

hope　that　she　was　not。　　Sin　should　be　solitary；　and　have　no

accomplices。



The　insurance　companies；　suspecting　the　real　facts　of　the　case；

declined　to　pay　the　policy　on　the　technical　ground　of

misrepresentation　and　want　of　interest；　and；　with　curious　courage；

the　poisoner　entered　an　action　in　the　Court　of　Chancery　against　the

Imperial；　it　being　agreed　that　one　decision　should　govern　all　the

cases。　　The　trial；　however；　did　not　come　on　for　five　years；　when；

after　one　disagreement；　a　verdict　was　ultimately　given　in　the

companies'　favour。　　The　judge　on　the　occasion　was　Lord　Abinger。

EGOMET　BONMOT　was　represented　by　Mr。　Erle　and　Sir　William　Follet；

and　the　Attorney…General　and　Sir　Frederick　Pollock　appeared　for　the

other　side。　　The　plaintiff；　unfortunately；　was　unable　to　be　present

at　either　of　the　trials。　　The　refusal　of　the　companies　to　give　him

the　18；000　pounds　had　placed　him　in　a　position　of　most　painful

pecuniary　embarrassment。　　Indeed；　a　few　months　after　the　murder　of

Helen　Abercrombie；　he　had　been　actually　arrested　for　debt　in　the

streets　of　London　while　he　was　serenading　the　pretty　daughter　of

one　of　his　friends。　　This　difficulty　was　got　over　at　the　time；　but

shortly　afterwards　he　thought　it　better　to　go　abroad　till　he　could

come　to　some　practical　arrangement　with　his　creditors。　　He

accordingly　went　to　Boulogne　on　a　visit　to　the　father　of　the　young

lady　in　question；　and　while　he　was　there　induced　him　to　insure　his

life　with　the　Pelican　Company　for　3000　pounds。　　As　soon　as　the

necessary　formalities　had　been　gone　through　and　the　policy

executed；　he　dropped　some　crystals　of　strychnine　into　his　coffee　as

they　sat　together　one　evening　after　dinner。　　He　himself　did　not

gain　any　monetary　advantage　by　doing　this。　　His　aim　was　simply　to

revenge　himself　on　the　first　office　that　had　refused　to　pay　him　the

price　of　his　sin。　　His　friend　died　the　next　day　in　his　presence；

and　he　left　Boulogne　at　once　for　a　sketching　tour　through　the　most

picturesque　parts　of　Brittany；　and　was　for　some　time　the　guest　of

an　old　French　gentleman；　who　had　a　beautiful　country　house　at　St。

Omer。　　From　this　he　moved　to　Paris；　where　he　remained　for　several

years；　living　in　luxury；　some　say；　while　others　talk　of　his

'skulking　with　poison　in　his　pocket；　and　being　dreaded　by　all　who

knew　him。'　　In　1837　he　returned　to　England　privately。　　Some　strange

mad　fascination　brought　him　back。　　He　followed　a　woman　whom　he

loved。



It　was　the　month　of　June；　and　he　was　staying　at　one　of　the　hotels

in　Covent　Garden。　　His　sitting…room　was　on　the　ground　floor；　and　he

prudently　kept　the　blinds　down　for　fear　of　being　seen。　　Thirteen

years　before；　when　he　was　making　his　fine　collection　of　majolica

and　Marc　Antonios；　he　had　forged　the　names　of　his　trustees　to　a

power　of　attorney；　which　enabled　him　to　get　possession　of　some　of

the　money　which　he　had　inherited　from　his　mother；　and　had　brought

into　marriage　settlement。　　He　knew　that　this　forgery　had　been

discovered；　and　that　by　returning　to　England　he　was　imperilling　his

life。　　Yet　he　returned。　　Should　one　wonder？　　It　was　said　that　the

woman　was　very　beautiful。　　Besides；　she　did　not　love　him。



It　was　by　a　mere　accident　that　he　was　discovered。　　A　noise　in　the

street　attracted　his　attention；　and；　in　his　artistic　interest　in

modern　life；　he　pushed　aside　the　blind　for　a　moment。　　Some　one

outside　called　out；　'That's　Wainewright；　the　Bank…forger。'　　It　was

Forrester；　the　Bow　Street　runner。



On　the　5th　of　July　he　was　brought　up　at　the　Old　Bailey。　　The

following　report　of　the　proceedings　appeared　in　the　TIMES：…





Before　Mr。　Justice　Vaughan　and　Mr。　Baron　Alderson；　Thomas　Griffiths

Wainewright；　aged　forty…two；　a　man　of　gentlemanly　appearance；

wearing　mustachios；　was　indicted　for　forging　and　uttering　a　certain

power　of　attorney　for　2259　pounds；　with　intent　to　defraud　the

Governor　and　Company　of　the　Bank　of　England。



There　were　five　indictments　against　the　prisoner；　to　all　of　which

he　pleaded　not　guilty；　when　he　was　arraigned　before　Mr。　Serjeant

Arabin　in　the　course　of　the　morning。　　On　being　brought　before　the

judges；　however；　he　begged　to　be　allowed　to　withdraw　the　former

plea；　and　then　pleaded　guilty　to　two　of　the　indictments　which　were

not　of　a　capital　nature。



The　counsel　for　the　Bank　having　explained　that　there　were　three

other　indictments；　but　that　the　Bank　did　not　desire　to　shed　blood；

the　plea　of　guilty　on　the　two　minor　charges　was　recorded；　and　the

prisoner　at　the　close　of　the　session　sentenced　by　the　Recorder　to

transportation　for　life。





He　was　taken　back　to　Newgate；　preparatory　to　his　removal　to　the

colonies。　　In　a　fanciful　passage　in　one　of　his　early　essays　he　had

fancied　himself　'lying　in　Horsemonger　Gaol　under　sentence　of　death'

for　having　been　unable　to　resist　the　temptation　of　stealing　some

Marc　Antonios　from　the　British　Museum　in　order　to　complete　his

collection。　　The　sentence　now　passed　on　him　was　to　a　man　of　his

culture　a　form　of　death。　　He　complained　bitterly　of　it　to　his

friends；　and　pointed　out；　with　a　good　deal　of　reason；　some　people

may　fancy；　that　the　money　was　practically　his　own；　having　come　to

him　from　his　mother；　and　that　the　forgery；　such　as　it　was；　had　been

committed　thirteen　years　before；　which；　to　use　his　own　phrase；　was

at　least　a　CIRCONSTANCE　ATTENUANTE。　　The　permanence　of　personality

is　a　very　subtle　metaphysical　problem；　and　certainly　the　English

law　solves　the　question　in　an　extremely　rough…and…ready　manner。

There　is；　however；　something　dramatic　in　the　fact　that　this　heavy

punishment　was　inflicted　on　him　for　what；　if　we　remember　his　fatal

influence　on　the　prose　of　modern　journalism；　was　certainly　not　the

worst　of　all　his　sins。



While　he　was　in　gaol；　Dickens；　Macready；　and　Hablot　Browne　came

across　him　by　chance。　　They　had　been　going　over　the　prisons　of

London；　searching　for　artistic　effects；　and　in　Newgate　they

suddenly　caught　sight　of　Wainewright。　　He　met　them　with　a　defiant

stare；　Forster　tells　us；　but　Macready　was　'horrified　to　recognise　a

man　familiarly　known　to　him　in　former　years；　and　at　whose　table　he

had　dined。'



Others　had　more　curiosity；　and　his　cell　was　for　some　time　a　kind　of

fashionable　lounge。　　Many　men　of　letters　went　down　to　visit　their

old　literary　comrade。　　But　he　was　no　longer　the　kind　light…hearted

Janus　whom　Charles　Lamb　admired。　　He　seems　to　have　grown　quite

cynical。



To　the　agent　of　an　insurance　company　who　was　visiting　him　one

afternoon；　and　thought　he　would　improve　the　occasion　by　pointing

out　that；　after　all；　crime　was　a　bad　speculation；　he　r