the law and the lady-第30节

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husband　more　critical　than　ever。

Andrew　Kinlay；　druggist；　of　Edinburgh；　deposed　as　follows：

〃I　keep　a　special　registry　book　of　the　poisons　sold　by　me。　I
produce　the　book。　On　the　date　therein　mentioned　the　prisoner　at
the　bar；　Mr。　Eustace　Macallan；　came　into　my　shop；　and　said　that
he　wished　to　purchase　some　arsenic。　I　asked　him　what　it　was
wanted　for。　He　told　me　it　was　wanted　by　his　gardener；　to　be　used；
in　solution；　for　the　killing　of　insects　in　the　greenhouse。　At　the
same　time　he　mentioned　his　nameMr。　Macallan；　of　Gleninch。　I　at
once　directed　my　assistant　to　put　up　the　arsenic　（two　ounces　of
it）；　and　I　made　the　necessary　entry　in　my　book。　Mr。　Macallan
signed　the　entry；　and　I　signed　it　afterward　as　witness。　He　paid
for　the　arsenic；　and　took　it　away　with　him　wrapped　up　in　two
papers；　the　outer　wrapper　being　labeled　with　my　name　and　address；
and　with　the　word　'Poison'　in　large　lettersexactly　like　the
label　now　produced　on　the　piece　of　paper　found　at　Gleninch。〃

The　next　witness；　Peter　Stockdale　（also　a　druggist　of　Edinburgh）；
followed；　and　said：

〃The　prisoner　at　the　bar　called　at　my　shop　on　the　date　indicated
on　my　register；　some　days　later　than　the　date　indicated　in　the
register　of　Mr。　Kinlay。　He　wished　to　purchase　sixpenny…worth　of
arsenic。　My　assistant；　to　whom　he　had　addressed　himself；　called
me。　It　is　a　rule　in　my　shop　that　no　one　sells　poisons　but　myself。
I　asked　the　prisoner　what　he　wanted　the　arsenic　for。　He　answered
that　he　wanted　it　for　killing　rats　at　his　house；　called　Gleninch。
I　said；　'Have　I　the　honor　of　speaking　to　Mr。　Macallan；　of
Gleninch？'　He　said　that　was　his　name。　I　sold　him　the
arsenicabout　an　ounce　and　a　halfand　labeled　the　bottle　in
which　I　put　it　with　the　word　'Poison'　in　my　own　handwriting。　He
signed　the　register；　and　took　the　arsenic　away　with　him；　after
paying　for　it。〃

The　cross…examination　of　the　two　men　succeeded　in　asserting
certain　technical　objections　to　their　evidence。　But　the　terrible
fact　that　my　husband　himself　had　actually　purchased　the　arsenic
in　both　cases　remained　unshaken。

The　next　witnessesthe　gardener　and　the　cook　at　Gleninchwound
the　chain　of　hostile　evidence　around　the　prisoner　more
mercilessly　still。

On　examination　the　gardener　said；　on　his　oath：

〃I　never　received　any　arsenic　from　the　prisoner；　or　from　any　one
else；　at　the　date　to　which　you　refer；　of　at　any　other　date。　I
never　used　any　such　thing　as　a　solution　of　arsenic；　or　ever
allowed　the　men　working　under　me　to　use　it；　in　the　conservatories
or　in　the　garden　at　Gleninch。　I　disapprove　of　arsenic　as　a　means
of　destroying　noxious　insects　infesting　flowers　and　plants。〃

The　cook；　being　called　next；　spoke　as　positively　as　the　gardener：

〃Neither　my　master　nor　any　other　person　gave　me　any　arsenic　to
destroy　rats　at　any　time。　No　such　thing　was　wanted。　I　declare；　on
my　oath；　that　I　never　saw　any　rats　in　or　about　the　house；　or　ever
heard　of　any　rats　infesting　it。〃

Other　household　servants　at　Gleninch　gave　similar　evidence。
Nothing　could　be　extracted　from　them　on　cross…examination　except
that　there　might　have　been　rats　in　the　house；　though　they　were
not　aware　of　it。　The　possession　of　the　poison　was　traced　directly
to　my　husband；　and　to　no　one　else。　That　he　had　bought　it　was
actually　proved；　and　that　he　had　kept　it　was　the　one　conclusion
that　the　evidence　justified。

The　witnesses　who　came　next　did　their　best　to　press　the　charge
against　the　prisoner　home　to　him。　Having　the　arsenic　in　his
possession；　what　had　he　done　with　it？　The　evidence　led　the　jury
to　infer　what　he　had　done　with　it。

The　prisoner's　valet　deposed　that　his　master　had　rung　for　him　at
twenty　minutes　to　ten　on　the　morning　of　the　day　on　which　his
mistress　died；　and　had　ordered　a　cup　of　tea　for　her。　The　man　had
received　the　order　at　the　open　door　of　Mrs。　Macallan's　room；　and
could　positively　swear　that　no　other　person　but　his　master　was
there　at　the　time。

The　under…housemaid；　appearing　next；　said　that　she　had　made　the
tea；　and　had　herself　taken　it　upstairs　before　ten　o'clock　to　Mrs。
Macallan's　room。　Her　master　had　received　it　from　her　at　the　open
door。　She　could　look　in；　and　could　see　that　he　was　alone　in　her
mistress's　room。

The　nurse；　Christina　Ormsay；　being　recalled；　repeated　what　Mrs。
Macallan　had　said　to　her　on　the　day　when　that　lady　was　first
taken　ill。　She　had　said　（speaking　to　the　nurse　at　six　o'clock　in
the　morning）；　〃Mr。　Macallan　came　in　about　an　hour　since；　he　found
me　still　sleepless；　and　gave　me　my　composing　draught。〃　This　was
at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning；　while　Christina　Ormsay　was　asleep
on　the　sofa。　The　nurse　further　swore　that　she　had　looked　at　the
bottle　containing　the　composing　mixture；　and　had　seen　by　the
measuring　marks　on　the　bottle　that　a　dose　had　been　poured　out
since　the　dose　previously　given；　administered　by　herself。

On　this　occasion　special　interest　was　excited　by　the
cross…examination。　The　closing　questions　put　to　the
under…housemaid　and　the　nurse　revealed　for　the　first　time　what
the　nature　of　the　defense　was　to　be。

Cross…examining　the　under…housemaid；　the　Dean　of　Faculty　said：

〃Did　you　ever　notice　when　you　were　setting　Mrs。　Eustace
Macallan's　room　to　rights　whether　the　water　left　in　the　basin　was
of　a　blackish　or　bluish　color？〃　The　witness　answered；　〃I　never
noticed　anything　of　the　sort。〃

The　Dean　of　Faculty　went　on：

〃Did　you　ever　find　under　the　pillow　of　the　bed；　or　in　any　other
hiding　place　in　Mrs。　Macallan's　room；　any　books　or　pamphlets
telling　of　remedies　used　for　improving　a　bad　complexion？〃　The
witness　answered；　〃No。〃

The　Dean　of　Faculty　persisted：

〃Did　you　ever　hear　Mrs。　Macallan　speak　of　arsenic；　taken　as　a
wash　or　taken　as　a　medicine；　as　a　good　thing　to　improve　the
complexion？〃　The　witness　answered；　〃Never。〃

Similar　questions　were　next　put　to　the　nurse；　and　were　all
answered　by　this　witness　also　in　the　negative。

Here；　then；　in　spite　of　the　negative　answers；　was　the　plan　of　the
defense　made　dimly　visible　for　the　first　time　to　the　jury　and　to
the　audience。　By　way　of　preventing　the　possibility　of　a　mistake
in　so　serious　a　matter；　the　Chief　Judge　（the　Lord　Justice　Clerk）
put　this　plain　question；　when　the　witnesses　had　retired；　to　the
Counsel　for　the　defense：

〃The　Court　and　the　jury；〃　said　his　lordship；　〃wish　distinctly　to
understand　the　object　of　your　cross…examination　of　the　housemaid
and　the　nurse。　Is　it　the　theory　of　the　defense　that　Mrs。　Eustace
Macallan　used　the　arsenic　whichher　husband　purchased　for　the
purpose　of　improving　the　defects　of　her　complexion？〃

The　Dean　of　Faculty　answered：

〃That　is　what　we　say；　my　lord；　and　what　we　propose　to　prove　as
the　foundation　of　the　defense。　We　cannot　dispute　the　medical
evidence　which　declares　that　Mrs。　Macallan　died　poisoned。　But　we
assert　that　she　died　of　an　overdose　of　arsenic；　ignorantly　taken；
in　the　privacy　of　her　own　room；　as　a　remedy　for　the　defectsthe
proved　and　admitted　defectsof　her　complexion。　The　prisoner's
Declaration　before　the　Sheriff　expressly　sets　forth　that　he
purchased　the　arsenic　at　the　request　of　his　wife。〃

The　Lord　Justice　Clerk　inquired　upon　this　if　there　were　any
objection　on　the　part　of　either　of　the　learned　counsel　to　have
the　Declaration　read　in　Court　before　the　Trial　proceeded　further。

To　this　the　Dean　of　Faculty　replied　that　he　would　be　glad　to　have
the　Declaration　read。　If　he　might　use　the　expression；　it　would
usefully　pave　the　way　in　the　minds　of　the　jury　for　the　defense
which　he　had　to　submit　to　them。

The　Lord　Advocate　（speaking　on　the　other　side）　was　happy　to　be
able　to　accommodate　his　learned　brother　in　this　matter。　So　long
as　the　mere　assertions　which　the　Declaration　contained　were　not
supported　by　proof；　he　looked　upon　that　document　as　evidence　for
the　prosecution；　and　he　too　was　quite　willing　to　have　it　read。

Thereupon　the　prisoner's　Declaration　of　his　innocenceon　being
char　ged　before　the　Sheriff　with　the　murder　of　his　wifewas
read；　in　the　following　terms：

〃I　bought　the　two　packets　of　arsenic；　on　each　occasion　at　my
wife's　own　request。　On　the　first　occasion　she　told　me　the　poison
was　wanted　by　the　gardener　for　use　in　the　conservatories。　On　the
second　occasion　she　said　it　was　required　by　the　cook　for　ridding
the　lower　part　of　the　house　of　rats。

〃I　handed　both　packets　of　arsenic　to　my　wife　immediately　on　my
return　home。　I　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　poison　after　buying　it。
My　wife　was　the　person　who　gave　orders　to　the　gardener　and
cooknot　I。　I　never　held　any　communication　with　either　of　them。

〃I　asked　my　wife　no　questions　about　the　use　of　the　arsenic；
feeling　no　interest　in　the　subject。　I　never　entered　the
conservatories　for　months　together；　I　care　little　about　flowers。
As　for　the　rats；　I　left　the　killing　of　them　to　the　cook　and　the
other　servants；　just　as　I　should　have　left　any　other　part　of　the
domestic　business　to　the　cook　and　the　other　servants。

〃My　wife　never　told　me　she　wanted　the　arsenic　to　improve　her
complexion。　Surely　I　should　be　the　last　person　admitted　to　the
knowledge　of　such　a　secret　of　her　toilet　as　that？　I　implicitly
believed　what　she　told　me；　viz。；　that　the　poison　was　wanted　for
the　purposes　specified　by　the　gardener　and　the　cook。

〃I　assert　p