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February 11, 1897 1
solutely no reason why she should be surprised. gentlemen whom he would call would also tell them that if a man had at one time accustomed himself to the use of excessive doses of arsenic and after an interval should again begin where he left off this might be exceedingly dangerous. Indeed, he might kill himself; and this was what possibly happened in the case of the deceased; but his Lord- ship would tell them that it was no part of the duty of the counsel for the defence to account for the death of the deceased; his only duty is to defend his client against the charge brought against her.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT:
easily procurable More than that, Exhibit X | was so faintly written (whether it is in her handwriting or not) that she actually copied it out in her own handwriting, and gave it to Mary Jacob to take to Maruya's shop, We have thus an absence of concealment in the purchase of the arsenic by the prisoner, so marked that it actually amounts to mak- ing of evidence for preservation against herself; and on the other hand an intense anxiety at all times for the presence of Dr. Wheeler; a fear lest he did not pay sufficient attention to his case; a ready assent to the suggestion that Dr. Todd should be called in The learned counsel continued-Evidence, as on the Monday; a still readier assent to Mr. I said just now, will be offered to show that the Parson's suggestion that Dr. Baelz should be deceased had from time to time taken arsenic in telegraphed for on the Wednesday when she large doses. He was taking it as far back as wrote to Dr. Wheeler to that effect. And here the year 1880, when on a voyage from Sydney I may call your attention to the fact that Mary to Plymouth; and as recently as the 8th of Jacob returned from Maruya's with the bottles October last at his own table he told a lady of arsenic and sugar of lead at just about the who was sitting next to him of his addiction to time when the prisoner was writing to Dr. the drug. Mrs. Carew had herself administered Wheeler to beg him to call in Dr. Baelz. Is it it to him when in the Straits; and she had been credible, is it conceivable, that a woman, a wife, accustomed to see him take it not continuously, who had just purchased two bottles of poison but periodically, all their married life. The pro-with the intention of administering them to her secution invite you to disbelieve Mrs. Carew's husband, so as to kill him, should deliberately statement that a bottle was always on the sit down and write to her medical man sideboard; but I shall call a witness, not a mem- beseeching him to call in a stranger, ber of the household, who will corroborate her a doctor of great eminence, whose practised on that point. Indeed it was such a common intelligence might easily, for all she knew thing for the deceased to be taking arsenic that to the contrary, at once detect from the there is absolutely no reason why Mrs. Carew look and symptoms of the patient that he should have been in the least surprised when ap- was being poisoned by arsenic? To my plied to by her husband to procure it for him ou
mind I confess that it is neither credible Tuesday, the 20th, and he repeated his wish on nor conceivable. As a rule to guide yon in Wednesday morning, Mr. Carew's recollec- considering probabilities, gentlemen. I would tion was that she had refused to humour him remind you, in a formal way, that evidence on the Tuesday; but being confronted with an which is consistent with two views is not con- order, the whole of which is apparently in her clusive of either; and that though, for the defence, handwriting-though not necessarily so, for when evidence is inconclusive, probability be even Mr. Masoù has his doubts as to part of it, comes argument, that proposition does not hold and if he is liable to error as to one part why good for the prosecution in a criminal case. Our not as to the other?-addressed to Maruya for law does not admit of any person being convicted a bed pan and a bottle of arsenic, she was con- of a crime ou suspicion or possibility, or even strained to admit that she must have sent for on probability. Gentlemen, we have before it even though she had no recollection of, hav- as an outline of the married life of Mr. and ing done so. But if it is true that a consumer Mrs. Carew from their wedding day until of arsenic must not only continue his indul they left England for Singapore, and from gence, but must also increase his quantity of the time that they arrived there and thence the drug, it need occasion no surprise that on till they came to Japan-as put in by Mrs. Carew may have sent for a bottle on the the counsel for the prosecution. Further 20th, and thought so little of it as to have for- retails, to fill in that outline-since their gotten all about it. She was accustomed to arrival in Japan-will be furnished by wit- see her husband take the solution, and in nesses whom I shall call. But I feel that I large quantities, not eren measuring it by ought to hasten to aa answer of the question :- drops. It is not therefore even probable that Why did she not tell Dr. Wheeler that her in sending for the arsenic she had any intention husband was taking arsenic? The explanation of using it to destroy her husband's life. She that I have to make is this:-Because she would sent for it to please or humour him. But, it have had to tell him that he had consulted Drs. may be said, she concealed from Dr. Wheeler Baelz and Munro upon certain matters he did the fact that her husband was taking arsenic. not want D. Wheeler to know of. Suppose That is true; and easily accounted for. He Mr. Carew to be_still alive: would not the had consulted Drs. Baelz and Munro. But if concealment from Dr. Wheeler of a fact that she had procured this arsenic to poison her her husband did not want him to know be con- husband with it, I put it to yon, gentlemen, as sidered a wifely and dutiful act? And is it reasonable men, would she not have taken rendered any less wifely and dutiful, any more pains to procure it surreptitiously? How suspicious, because he is dead? Surely not. might she have done that; do you ask? Well, Moreover, there was absolutely nothing in she might have gone to Bratts' and asked for her mind to connect the symptoms with a repetition of Dr. Wheeler's prescription of arsenical poisoning; even the doctor never a previous year. But, better still, if, as is suspected it; and if he didn't why should alleged by the prosecution, she is the writer of she? Of course I am arguing always on the the A.L. letters, she could easily have written assumption of her innocence. But her whole ten orders for it in a feigned hand, in the very conduct shows that she never did suspect. I same handwriting indeed as in the A. L. letters, will take you briefly through those days. On have gone down to Bentendori, sent the first the Sunday, the 11th October, she wrote for urchin she met in the streets into Maraya's Dr. Wheeler, who came at 6 p.m. and prescribed for the arsenic with money to pay for it, have for him. On Thursday, 15th, she wrote to Dr. disappeared herself and left what? An order Wheeler, asking him to see her husland at the in Maruya's hands, signed A. L or written in Club. On Saturday, the 17th October, she the same hand, thus showing that she herself wrote early to Dr. Wheeler regarding Mr. had nothing to do with the purchase of Carew's desire to go to Kamakura. He arsenic. But instead of that what do we find ? came about 10a.m., and after seeing his We find this woman, who according to the patient said that he was not to go down theory of the prosecution, had conceived the to Kamakura. We found from Dr. Whee- ntent to murder her husband as far back ler's evidence that there was по talk as October 10th, going up to Dr. Wheeler in of Mrs. Carew accompanying her husband Boathouse (where indeed she could to Kamakura on that occasion, and that she have had no idea she would meet him) and never proposed to accompany him. If she had ing him to prescribe arsenic for her. So intended to poison her husband why should comes to this, that prisoner was such a she have let him leave her sight even for a
hat there is not one single one of all moment; she would have invented some reason
bottles that she procured for herself, able excuse for keeping always by him ; but no mental in procuring for lier hus- suggestion of the kind can reasonably arise. which there was not in existence an On Sunday, October 18th, she went down to own handwriting, easily discoverable, church, and after the afternoon service went in
order inh
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search of Dr. Wheeler, and not findi left a message for him On sent him a note and, he came dinner about 9 p.m. On Monday 19th, Dr. Wheeler came twice. On Tues- day, the 20th, Dr Wheeler came in morning, and proposed to call Dr. Tod Carew at once readily agreed Dr. Wheeler came again at 6.30 and patient a hypodermic injection. what followed. Mr. Carew became very less and Mrs. Carew, not liking her husband's symptoms, went in search of Dr. Wheeler Inte at night; she finds him and he comes again at 11.15 p.m. That same day, Tuesday the 20th, she spoke to more than one personal friend who called about her wish to call in Dr. Baelz this was before the suggestion was made to her by Mr. Parsons. Next morning, 21st, Mr. Par sons calls and suggests the advisability of calling in Dr. Baelz. She at once sits down and writes to Dr. Wheeler, begging him to get Baelz down to see her husband. That same day, Wednesday, 21st, she speaks to Dr. Hatton, a personal friend of the family- and whom I shall call about her anxiety regarding her husband, and she asked him to give her some friendly, advice in the matter. Early on Thursday morning, the 22nd, she writes for Dr. Wheeler, who comes at 7.a.m. Not satisfied with Dr. Wheeler, at this visit writes to Mr. Parsons, begging him to come round. He does so and she entreats him to. 800 Dr. Wheeler and insists upon his get- ting hold of Dr. Baelz. On the Thursday even- ing she writes to Dr. Wheeler to ask him to come round; and which he comes, she tells him of her husband's taking arsenic. She produced all the bottles at the Coroner's in- quest, calls attention to her suspicion that arsenic is mixed with Dr. Baelz's prescription, and she calls attention to the stain on the fender. Gentleman, are these the actions of a woman who knows that the husband is dying of poison administered by herself?. Would not her gnilty knowledge have led her to conceal his sufferings rather than call in skilled physicians who might at any moment connect the symptoms with the real cause. Then Dr. Wheeler testified that at the last moment, or very shortly before he left the house, she said she had administered an emotic to the deceased. Mr. Porch will tell you he saw her administer the emetic. Is it likely that the wife who had poisoned her husband would offer him an emetic in the presence of the doctor, or knowing that the doctor was coming, and who might possibly inspect the vomit and ascertain that there was: arsenic in it? Dr. Wheeler has already testified to her having spoken of her desire to procure the assistance of a nurse, and others will give similar evidence. I would also like to remind you of what Dr: Wheeler said with reference to her treatment of her husband during his sick- ness. There was produced on the part of the prosecution a letter addressed by the accused to Sir Ernest Satow, the British Minister. At the time that that letter was produced I was not instructed with regard to it, I had no knowledge of its existence; therefore, it was my duty to resist its being put in the evidence before and I did so. I wish that I had known of its existence, because my effort to prevent its being put in evidence may have led you to suppose that I attached more importance to it than I do. Certainly had I known as much then as I know now I should have what I afterwards did and then have ao ledged that it was in the handwriting, of the accused. You must bear in mind, gentlemen, the circumstances under which that letter written.
The opinion therein attributed A. L. Price was shared by nearly everyone who read the summing up of the Coroner read it to you in order that you may form opinion for yourselves. Gentlemen well for the prisoner that the Coro the power to pronounce sentence about the only thing he left address to the jury. He has during the course of the proceedi have had an opportunity of partiality. When asked wh of the 22nd October, against Mrs. Carew
of something he had noti
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