Madeleine Page #8

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that she procured poison in some unknown,

underhanded way,

and that L'Angelier's first illness was the result of

his visit to Blythswood Square the night before,

recollect the evidence of Christina Haggart.

Now, you prepared the cocoa and took it up.

- I did.

- It was usual for them to have cocoa?

Yes.

Were you there when it was poured out?

- Yes.

- Did Miss Smith drink her cocoa?

Yes. There was none left

when I took the tray down later.

So much, gentlemen, for the first charge.

Now, we all know that on the occasion

of the second illness,

the prisoner did possess arsenic.

But one person may be in possession of poison

and another may die of the effects of poison.

And yet that proves nothing.

You must have motive,

and I shall come to motive by and by.

And you must also have another element:

opportunity.

The opportunity of the parties

coming into personal contact

so that poison can be administered.

Now, there is a letter,

an all important letter.

"Why, my beloved, did you not come to me?

I waited and waited for you, but you came not."

When was it that she waited and waited?

It was upon the Thursday evening,

that was the twist.

But L'Angelier never kept that appointment.

"I shall wait again tomorrow,

same hour and arrangements. "

That was on the Friday evening.

And believing he was still in Glasgow,

she no doubt waited for him again.

Waited as she had on the previous evening.

But he came not.

In fact, L'Angelier did not keep his appointment

on either the Thursday or the Friday evening,

neither did he appear on the Saturday.

Why then should she expect

that he would come on the Sunday?

Let us see what happened in the Smith

household on this all important Sunday.

Madeleine and I were in bed

the same time that night.

Are you sure, Janet?

I want you to answer very carefully.

Do not be frightened. Just tell the truth.

I am sure. There was a storm. Madeleine was

in bed with me before I was asleep.

Did that always happen?

No, sometimes she gets undressed

but sits in a chair with a book.

But this night she went to bed?

Yes, I have told you.

Gentlemen, neither within the house,

nor without the house,

is the slightest ground for suspicion that the

appointment made in that letter was ever kept.

(Gallery murmurs)

I do not attempt to disprove the medical

evidence that L'Angelier died by arsenic.

On the other hand, I intend to prove,

and I think conclusively,

that the arsenic from which he died was not

the arsenic purchased by the prisoner -

indeed, could not have been.

Dr. Penny, in your examination of the body,

did you find any colouring matter?

Colouring matter?

I did not particularly attend to that.

- Why not?

- I was not asked to.

But surely your attention was directed

to the whole matter for analysis.

Aye... it was.

And in point of fact,

you did not find any colouring matter.

- I did not search for it.

- You did not find it.

No.

Now, the druggist who sold the arsenic

to the prisoner made a statement about it.

All the arsenic I sell is coloured

with soot.

Ordinary coal soot, Mr. Murdoch?

Aye. It is a safeguard against careless use.

It may be very well for Dr. Penny to say now

that his attention was not directed

to colouring matter.

But fortunately an experiment was made.

I gave a dog arsenic

which I bought in Murdoch's the druggists.

Did it contain colouring matter?

It contained a small proportion of soot.

Did you have any difficulty in detecting

the soot in the dog after death?

No, I did not.

Gentlemen, probably no man can ever tell

how L'Angelier met his death,

and His Lordship will tell you that, in the

prisoner's defence, I am not obliged to try.

But aspects of his character

have emerged during this enquiry,

which certainly suggest an answer.

He was at times subject to very low spirits.

Did he actually at one time tell you

of his intention to commit suicide?

Yes. He went to the Dean Bridge

to throw himself over.

Why did he do that?

I believe because a lady jilted him.

But whether he met his death

by accident or by suicide,

the question for you is: is this

murder proved?

Was the poison administered

by the hands of the prisoner?

What motive had she to commit this murder?

It may be that it would have been an advantage

to her that this man should cease to live.

But what possible advantage could she expect

so long as her letters remained?

Her object, her greatest desire was

to avoid the exposure of her shame.

L'Angelier's death only defeated

that object.

He died with the letters still in

his possession.

"Why, then," ask the prosecution,

"did she buy arsenic? "

The prisoner says she used it as a cosmetic.

This might be startling at first sight

to many of us here.

And we have had the medical gentlemen

shaking their heads and looking wise,

and saying that such a use of arsenic would

be a dangerous practice, but, gentlemen...

It is a practice of which

I am certainly aware.

- From your personal experience?

- Aye.

It is not rare for ladies to come

into my shop

and ask me to sell them arsenic

as a toilet preparation.

They've read it somewhere

or a friend has told them.

Gentlemen, I have laid before you,

as clearly as I could,

what I conceive to be

all the important facts of this enquiry.

And I now ask you to bring your judgment

to the performance of your most solemn duty.

The time may come, it certainly will come -

perhaps not before the great day on which

the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed,

and yet it may be in this world -

when the secret of this extraordinary story

of Madeleine Smith may be brought to light.

Dare any one of you here,

dare any man here or elsewhere

say that he has formed a clear opinion

against the prisoner?

For if on anything short of clear opinion

you convict the prisoner,

reflect, I beseech you,

reflect what the consequences may be.

May the spirit of all truth guide you

to an honest, a just and a true verdict.

But no verdict will be either honest

or just or true,

unless it leaves undisturbed and unvexed

the tenderest conscience among you.

(Applause)

CLERK:
Clear the court!

(Footsteps pace the corridor)

There. Now you can see for yourself

how becoming it is.

Madame Borani certainly took

a great deal of trouble with it.

I'm almost sorry the court has been cleared.

It would have been a good advertisement

for her.

The judge was very wise.

I never saw such unruliness.

You are very kind, Miss Aiken.

I think you purposely suggested that

I change my dress to keep me occupied.

Nothing of the kind.

Miss Aiken, will the jury be much longer?

Try not to think about it. Now, hurry

and finish as I must take that back.

It's against regulations.

I'll be back presently.

(Hubbub)

(Bell rings)

(Door opens)

CLERK:
James Christie,

James Pearson, James Walker,

Charles Thompson-Coombe,

William Sharpe, Archibald Weir,

Alexander Morrison, Andrew Hugh Wilson,

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