the law and the lady-第32章

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exasperated　her　husband　beyond　endurance。　In　that　case；　where　（so
far）　was　the　husband's　motive　for　poisoning　her？　and　where　was
the　presumption　of　the　prisoner's　guilt？

Pressed　by　this　skillful　lawyer；　the　nurse　was　obliged　to　exhibit
my　husband's　first　wife　under　an　entirely　new　aspect。　Here　is　the
substance　of　what　the　Dean　of　Faculty　extracted　from　Christina
Ormsay：

〃I　persist　in　declaring　that　Mrs。　Macallan　had　a　most　violent
temper。　But　she　was　certainly　in　the　habit　of　making　amends　for
the　offense　that　she　gave　by　her　violence。　When　she　was　quiet
again　she　always　made　her　excuses　to　me；　and　she　made　them　with　a
good　grace。　Her　manners　were　engaging　at　such　times　as　these。　She
spoke　and　acted　like　a　well…bred　lady。　Then；　again；　as　to　her
personal　appearance。　Plain　as　she　was　in　face；　she　had　a　good
figure；　her　hands　and　feet；　I　was　told；　had　been　modeled　by　a
sculptor。　She　had　a　very　pleasant　voice；　and　she　was　reported
when　in　health　to　sing　beautifully。　She　was　also　（if　her　maid's
account　was　to　be　trusted）　a　pattern　in　the　matter　of　dressing
for　the　other　ladies　in　the　neighborhood。　Then；　as　to　Mrs。
Beauly；　though　she　was　certainly　jealous　of　the　beautiful　young
widow；　she　had　shown　at　the　same　time　that　she　was　capable　of
controlling　that　feeling。　It　was　through　Mrs。　Macallan　that　Mrs。
Beauly　was　in　the　house。　Mrs。　Beauly　had　wished　to　postpone　her
visit　on　account　of　the　state　of　Mrs。　Macallan's　health。　It　was
Mrs。　Macallan　herselfnot　her　husbandwho　decided　that　Mrs。
Beauly　should　not　be　disappointed；　and　should　pay　her　visit　to
Gleninch　then　and　there。　Further；　Mrs。　Macallan　（in　spite　of　her
temper）　was　popular　with　her　friends　and　popular　with　her
servants。　There　was　hardly　a　dry　eye　in　the　house　when　it　was
known　she　was　dying。　And；　further　still；　in　those　little　domestic
disagreements　at　which　the　nurse　had　been　present；　Mr。　Macallan
had　never　lost　his　temper；　and　had　never　used　harsh　language：　he
seemed　to　be　more　sorry　than　angry　when　the　quarrels　took
place。〃Moral　for　the　jury：　Was　this　the　sort　of　woman　who　would
exasperate　a　man　into　poisoning　her？　And　was　this　the　sort　of　man
who　would　be　capable　of　poisoning　his　wife？

Having　produced　this　salutary　counter…impression；　the　Dean　of
Faculty　sat　down；　and　the　medical　witnesses　were　called　next。

Here　the　evidence　was　simply　irresistible。

Dr。　Jerome　and　Mr。　Gale　positively　swore　that　the　symptoms　of　the
illness　were　the　symptoms　of　poisoning　by　arsenic。　The　surgeon
who　had　performed　the　post…mortem　examination　followed。　He
positively　swore　that　the　appearance　of　the　internal　organs
proved　Doctor　Jerome　and　Mr。　Gale　to　be　right　in　declaring　that
their　patient　had　died　poisoned。　Lastly；　to　complete　this
overwhelming　testimony；　two　analytical　chemists　actually　produced
in　Court　the　arsenic　which　they　had　found　in　the　body；　in　a
quantity　admittedly　sufficient　to　have　killed　two　persons　instead
of　one。　In　the　face　of　such　evidence　as　this；　cross…examination
was　a　mere　form。　The　first　Question　raised　by　the　TrialDid　the
Woman　Die　Poisoned？was　answered　in　the　affirmative；　and
answered　beyond　the　possibility　of　doubt。

The　next　witnesses　called　were　witnesses　concerned　with　the
question　that　now　followedthe　obscure　and　terrible　question；
Who　Poisoned　Her？


CHAPTER　XVII。

SECOND　QUESTIONWHO　POISONED　HER？。

　THE　evidence　of　the　doctors　and　the　chemists　closed　the
proceedings　on　the　first　day　of　the　Trial。

On　the　second　day　the　evidence　to　be　produced　by　the　prosecution
was　anticipated　with　a　general　feeling　of　curiosity　and　interest。
The　Court　was　now　to　hear　what　had　been　seen　and　done　by　the
persons　officially　appointed　to　verify　such　cases　of　suspected
crime　as　the　case　which　had　occurred　at　Gleninch。　The
Procurator…Fiscalbeing　the　person　officially　appointed　to
direct　the　preliminary　investigations　of　the　lawwas　the　first
witness　called　on　the　second　day　of　the　Trial。

Examined　by　the　Lord　Advocate；　the　Fiscal　gave　his　evidence；　as
follows：

〃On　the　twenty…sixth　of　October　I　received　a　communication　from
Doctor　Jerome；　of　Edinburgh；　and　from　Mr。　Alexander　Gale；　medical
practitioner；　residing　in　the　village　or　hamlet　of　Dingdovie；
near　Edinburgh。　The　communication　related　to　the　death；　under
circumstances　of　suspicion；　of　Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan；　at　her
husband's　house；　hard　by　Dingdovie；　called　Gleninch。　There　were
also　forwarded　to　me；　inclosed　in　the　document　just　mentioned；
two　reports。　One　described　the　results　of　a　postmortem
examination　of　the　deceased　lady；　and　the　other　stated　the
discoveries　made　after　a　chemical　analysis　of　certain　of　the
interior　organs　of　her　body。　The　result　in　both　instances　proved
to　demonstration　that　Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan　had　died　of　poisoning
by　arsenic。

〃Under　these　circumstances；　I　set　in　motion　a　search　and　inquiry
in　the　house　at　Gleninch　and　elsewhere；　simply　for　the　purpose　of
throwing　light　on　the　circumstances　which　had　attended　the　lady's
death。

〃No　criminal　charge　in　connection　with　the　death　was　made　at　my
office　against　any　person；　either　in　the　communication　which　I
received　from　the　medical　men　or　in　any　other　form。　The
investigations　at　Gleninch　and　elsewhere；　beginning　on　the
twenty…sixth　of　October；　were　not　completed　until　the
twenty…eighth。　Upon　this　latter　dateacting　on　certain
discoveries　which　were　reported　to　me；　and　on　my　own　examination
of　letters　and　other　documents　brought　to　my　officeI　made　a
criminal　charge　against　the　prisoner；　and　obtained　a　warrant　for
his　apprehension。　He　was　examined　before　the　Sheriff　on　the
twenty…ninth　of　October；　and　was　committed　for　trial　before　this
Court。〃

The　Fiscal　having　made　his　statement；　and　having　been
cross…examined　（on　technical　matters　only）；　the　persons　employed
in　his　office　were　called　next。　These　men　had　a　story　of
startling　interest　to　tell。　Theirs　were　the　fatal　discoveries
which　had　justified　the　Fiscal　in　charging　my　husband　with　the
murder　of　his　wife。　The　first　of　the　witnesses　was　a　sheriff's
officer。　He　gave　his　name　as　Isaiah　Schoolcraft。

Examined　by　Mr。　DrewAdvocate…Depute；　and　counsel　for　the　Crown；
with　the　Lord　AdvocateIsaiah　Schoolcraft　said：

〃I　got　a　warrant　on　the　twenty…sixth　of　October　to　go　to　the
country…house　near　Edinburgh　called　Gleninch。　I　took　with　me
Robert　Lorrie；　assistant　to　the　Fiscal。　We　first　examined　the
room　in　which　Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan　had　died。　On　the　bed；　and　on
a　movable　table　which　was　attached　to　it；　we　found　books　and
writing　materials；　and　a　paper　containing　some　unfinished　verses
in　manuscript；　afterward　identified　as　being　in　the　handwriting
of　the　deceased。　We　inclosed　these　articles　in　paper；　and　sealed
them　up。

〃We　next　opened　an　Indian　cabinet　in　the　bedroom。　Here　we　found
many　more　verses　on　many　more　sheets　of　paper　in　the　same
hand…writing。　We　also　discovered；　first　some　letters；　and　next　a
crumpled　piece　of　paper　thrown　aside　in　a　corner　of　one　of　the
shelves。　On　closer　examination；　a　chemist's　printed　label　was
discovered　on　this　morsel　of　paper。　We　also　found　in　the　folds　of
it　a　few　scattered　grains　of　some　white　powder。　The　paper　and　the
letters　were　carefully　inclosed；　and　sealed　up　as　before。

〃Further　investigation　of　the　room　revealed　nothing　which　could
throw　any　light　on　the　purpose　of　our　inquiry。　We　examined　the
clothes；　jewelry；　and　books　of　the　deceased。　These　we　left　under
lock　and　key。　We　also　found　her　dressing…case；　which　we　protected
by　seals；　and　took　away　with　us　to　the　Fiscal's　office；　along
with　all　the　other　articles　that　we　had　discovered　in　the　room。

〃The　next　day　we　continued　our　examination　in　the　house；　having
received　in　the　interval　fresh　instructions　from　the　Fiscal。　We
began　our　work　in　the　bedroom　communicating　with　the　room　in
which　Mrs。　Macallan　had　died。　It　had　been　kept　locked　since　the
death。　Finding　nothing　of　any　importance　here；　we　went　next　to
another　room　on　the　same　floor；　in　which　we　were　informed　the
prisoner　was　then　lying　ill　in　bed。

〃His　illness　was　described　to　us　as　a　nervous　complaint；　caused
by　the　death　of　his　wife；　and　by　the　proceedings　which　had
followed　it。　He　was　reported　to　be　quite　in