London has been interested this week in the trial of
a Glouces- tershire solicitor named Edmunds for killing his wife by a blow with a brush five years ago. Ann Brad.!, a servant-girl, swore that she heard a quarrel between Mr. Edmunds and his wife, and something heavy thrown at her, immediately after which Mrs. Edmunds rushed upstairs, exclaimed she was dying, and died. -Jeannette Edmunds, niece of the accused, deposed to hearing her aunt scream, but added that after she reached her room and said she was dying, Mr. Edmunds struck her again with his clenched fist; and Dr. Bass Smith, a surgeon, also deposed that Mr. Edmunds had told him that he had killed his wife by his unkindness. All the witnesses for the prosecution were, however, discredited in one way or another ; Dr. Bass Smith having seduced Jeannette Edmunds while a mere school-girl, and quarrelled with Mr. Edmunds about money ; Jeannette Edmunds having a revengeful feeling against her uncle for turning her out of the house ; and Ann Bradd having bluntly asserted that she heard the death-rattle in her mistress's throat two storeys off. All, moreover, had kept silence for five years. On the other hand, Miss Matthews, sister of the deceased, and his son Oscar, both of whom were in the room, positively denied the blow, and a number of respectable witnesses proved that the story about the screams and so on was untrue. The -Judge, Baron Bramwell, summed up strongly for the accused as probably the victim of a conspiracy, and the jury after a few minutes' consideration acquitted him, with the full approval of all who have read the evidence. The case ought never to have passed the Grand Jury.
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