Madeleine Page #6

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Having carefully considered the results of

your examination, what was your conclusion?

I am clearly of the opinion that the matters

analysed by me contained a quantity of arsenic.

And now, Dr. Penny, can you tell me if arsenic

could be administered by means of... cocoa?

Aye, it could.

PROSECUTION:

Thank you. Your witness.

Dr. Penny, one other question.

Can you tell me whether,

in cases of your experience,

where a very large quantity of arsenic

has been found in the body...

can you tell me whether they have turned out

to be cases of murder?

Such cases as I have knowledge of,

where such large quantities were found,

were, in fact, suicides.

Then it would be a very difficult thing,

Dr. Penny,

for one person to administer such

a very large dose of arsenic to another,

without that other person's knowledge.

Difficult, yes. I would not say impossible.

But in all your wide experience,

you have never heard of it?

No.

Thank you.

- Thank you. The next witness on the Crown list,

m'lud, is No. 2. - Christina Haggart.

Take your glove off.

No. 2, m'lud - Christina Haggart.

Raise your right hand.

Repeat after me.

I swear by almighty God...

I swear by almighty God...

CLERK:
... as I shall answer to God

at the Day of Judgment...

CHRISTINA:
... as I shall answer to God

at the Day of Judgment...

CLERK:
... that I will tell the truth,

the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

CHRISTINA:
... that I will tell the truth,

the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

PROSECUTION:

You are Christina Haggart.

Yes.

You were a servant in the family

of Mr. Smith of Glasgow.

- Y es.

- Will you please look at label 170?

And do you recognise this likeness?

It's a likeness of the French gentleman

known to Miss Smith.

Did you ever see him come to the house

in Blythswood Square?

CHRISTINA:
Yes.

Did he come into the house?

He did.

More than once?

Yes.

At what hour did he come?

At night.

PROSECUTION:

And where were you?

CHRISTINA:
In the kitchen.

And while you stayed in the kitchen,

did you know where Miss Smith was?

No.

Did you not know

that she was in your bedroom?

I did not know it.

I must remind you, Christina Haggart,

you are under oath.

Did you or did you not know

that she was in your bedroom?

Well, I thought she was there,

but I didn't know it of my own knowledge.

Take this down to the office right away.

You're too late for the last edition.

They'll bring out another one

and be glad to, unless I'm much mistaken.

(Knock on door)

Come in.

- What is it, Jean?

- The paper, ma'am. It has just arrived.

Burn it!

- Sir?

- I said burn it!

Thank you, Jean.

William Minnoch.

CLERK:
No. 27, My Lord, William Minnoch.

Repeat after me.

I swear by almighty God as I shall answer

to God at the great Day of Judgment...

I swear by almighty God, as I shall answer

to God at the great Day of Judgment...

...that I will tell the truth,

the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

...that I will tell the truth,

the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Your name is William Minnoch.

Yes.

You were acquainted with the Smith family,

were you not?

Yes.

Mr. Minnoch, did you go

to Glasgow railway station

on the day that the prisoner was arrested?

Yes.

With what purpose?

I wanted to persuade Miss Smith

to return to her home.

DEFENCE:

Were you successful in your attempt?

Yes.

Am I right in saying that she

returned quite freely and willingly?

Yes.

DEFENCE:
Thank you. Your witness.

PROSECUTION:
Mr. Minnoch...

How far did your acquaintance

with the prisoner reach?

I proposed marriage to her.

PROSECUTION:
Did she accept you?

MINNOCH:
Yes.

Was it a formal betrothal?

MINNOCH:
I gave her a ring.

Where you aware that at that time

she was already engaged to someone else?

- No.

- You were not?

I was aware of no attachment

between her and another man.

Thank you.

DEFENCE:
M'lud, that concludes

the case for the defence.

JUDGE:
Lord Advocate,

are you now ready to address the jury?

PROSECUTION:

Yes. May it please your Lordship?

Gentlemen of the jury,

after an investigation,

which for its length and for its exposure

of sin, and disgrace and degradation

has proved unparalleled

in the criminal annals of this country,

I have now to discharge perhaps the

most painful duty that ever fell to my lot.

The inquiry starts

with this ascertained and certain fact:

that Emile L'Angelier died in consequence

of the administration of arsenic.

The question therefore which first arises

is, by whom was the poison administered?

And here I must enquire into the evidence,

which connects the prisoner at the bar

with the death of L'Angelier.

An attachment was formed between her

and the deceased,

in which she committed herself so completely

that she belonged to him and could,

with honour, belong to no-one else.

But another suitor appeared

and her affection began to cool.

She endeavoured to break her connection

with L'Angelier

and asked him to return her letters.

He refused and threatened to put them

into the hands of her father.

It was then that she saw

the situation she was in.

Some extrication or other was inevitable.

And with a strength of will

which I think you will have seen

she has exhibited more

than once in this case,

she resolved to escape from the labyrinth

of difficulties in which she found herself.

Now, gentlemen, how did she set about it?

You will remember the evidence William

Murray, boot boy in the Smith household,

gave here four days ago.

I was to get the prussic acid

at the druggist's.

PROSECUTION:
Did you know

what the prussic acid was needed for?

- Miss Smith said it was for her hands.

PROSECUTION:
Did you get it?

No, sir, the druggist wouldn't

give it to me.

Whether you believe the story that she

wanted it for her hands is for you to decide.

But you must admit, gentlemen,

that an attempt was made to purchase poison.

Poison was in her mind.

And what happened next?

L'Angelier was entertained in the

drawing room at Blythswood Square.

He was served with cocoa.

And the next morning he was found to be ill.

Now, recollect, please, the answers which Mr.

Thuau gave to my questions to him on this point.

I cannot remember his exact words.

Something like:

"I cannot think why I was so unwell

after getting that cocoa from her. "

PROSECUTION:

Had he spoken in that vein before?

- Well...

- I must remind you that you are under oath.

He did at one time say to me, "It is a perfect

fascination, my attachment for that girl."

"If she were to poison me," he said,

"I would forgive her. "

L'Angelier recovered from this illness.

And then she bought arsenic.

Arsenic, gentlemen.

Again the defence will try to persuade you

that she bought it for cosmetic purposes.

But what was the evidence of

an expert on this?

I should say arsenic, as a cosmetic,

would be very dangerous.

It would produce no effect whatsoever

on the skin itself

and might well penetrate the bloodstream.

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