Public opinion is also a good thing to have on your side if you are being tried for murder. Often it can swing the scales of justice enough to make the courts take a good look at the punishment handed out.
The Case Of The Stickily Suspicious Flypaper
Florence Maybrick was an American Southern belle who’d married an Englishman named James Maybrick more than twice her age. A hypochondriac, James made a habit of imbibing small amounts of poison as tonics.
When he died in Liverpool in spring 1889, no one could tell for sure whether the arsenic found in his system had been administered by him or by someone else. After all, doctors were also in the habit of prescribing poisons to their patients.
Florence had been seen soaking arsenical flypapers in water and was having an affair, so she came under suspicion. She had a good excuse, though, claiming to be making a cosmetic wash for her face. Although she was sentenced to hang, the public’s objection to the unfairness of that verdict caused her to be consigned to prison for 15 years instead. Whether she really was guilty is anybody’s guess, though there seems to have been lots of room for reasonable doubt.
I took this murder story from the site Listverse. They have several more mystery stories , if you like that sort of thing.
Coffee out on the patio this morning. Care for some watermelon?
7 comments:
There is certainly room for reasonable doubt in this case as he had been taking poison for years. Good story for this Monday morning. Would love to have some watermelon with you on the patio. Beautiful morning here also.
Had a relative that was a hypochondriac - she lived to be 95! Would love some watermelon!
Reminds me of our infamous serial killer that we had here in Idaho "Lady Bluebeard" or Lyda Southard. A very interesting story if you ever want to check it out. Watermelon sounds good. I just picked my last one and largest of the season. It came in at 39 pounds!
I don't thing she did it he poisoned himself or maybe the Dr. did it, this is a who done it one.
Patio it is pouring rain here.
Hey Linda...
Seems to me that the victim was more likely to have killed himself due to his self medication.
Thanks for stopping by today!
Hey Phyllis...
Those that imagine they are sick are most often pretty healthy. Funny how that works.
Thanks for coming over today!
Hey Jim...
I'll have to look her up. I like a good mystery story! Sounds like your watermelon did pretty good!
Thanks for the visit today!
Hey Jo...
Even being sentenced to 15 years is better than being hung, I reckon. Too bad there was never any firm proof she did it.
Thanks for dropping by today!
You covered a very sticky subject there Mr. Jim. (grin)
Since he was giving himself doses of it and maybe the doctor too it seems like it would be pretty hard to say she did it.
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