SENTENCE OF !DEATH ON SUSPICION !
Alma MEas.rrr is under sentence of death because appearances are: against her. That is literally the case : in the mania_ for relying. on circumstantial evidence, a jury have gone• to the extreme of condemning a woman on suspicions appearances ; a judge has sen- tenced • her to death ; and 710 effi6a1 sign has yet. been: given that the sentence will be commuted.
Two essential links in the chain of' evidence arewanting. It is proved • that on the 19th 'of January • Anne Merritt bought some plisom--arsenie : worn-out, she says, by her husband's debauchery, she resolved destroy- herself ; but for 'once he returned home sober, her regard revivedi and she threw the poison carelessly-into a cupboard. Her husband was in the habit of taking soda-draughts; not effervescing, under medical advice ; and he kept the soda.- in: that cupboard. On the 24th, he was seized with' sickness: he. asked . his wife.ta make. him some gruel ; which she did, in the presence of her husband and u friend Merritt grew worse ; Anne sought medical aid, from three medieal men, who could not attend, but one sent .some pills ; at last one,• again summoned by a message from Mtn Merritt, came ; •but the. man died soon afterwards. He was' member of a burial-club, from which Mrs. Merritt received_ 7L 10s. On the• other hand, had he Hired t 11 the 2c1: of February, ahe would have been. entitled to 10/. ; and the want of • his- salary • of '1/. 10s. a week has forced • her to' send her children to the workhouse. Arsenic was.fmnicl in-Merritt% stomach,-8t greins by whom-administered—taken • by-himself in mistake, or given by his wife ? Dr. Letheby deposed...that it' could only have brim in his' stomach four hours, .and he had been' in bed from five given to 'in, about eight. o'clock..El'thaBizuatt-F.Dca;elingittli,mewbeuistis have been, only matter Or opinion, much • canvassed; and' directly counter to the opinions of Orfila and -Christison.! This.outline of the case we abridge from the very clear analysis of the Daily News. The two- 3- links wanting in the evidence are—the motive,. and 'the proof, even circumstantial, that Anne'S hand gave the poison. tthe memorable cathsaetoinf
differ- ence, that Anne Merritt confessedly bought the poison. But the ! danmatory pointsgainst her is the profligacy of the husband : the jury seem to have thought that it served him right, and that there- ' foie •his wife would not resist the temptation. But there really is nothing in the shape of proof. Of course SirGeorge Grey will not suffer this judicial blunder to pass unredressed—though, hi the mean time,. it is announced-that-Anne Merritt is to be hnnged-on Easter Monday !
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