Trial Of Mary Blandy Part 9

Who was it poured out for?--I believe it was poured out for my master.

Why do you believe that?--Because he used to drink in a different dish from the rest of the family, and it was out of his dish.

When was this?--This was about six weeks and three days before his death.

How did you find yourself after drinking it?--I found no ill-effects till after dinner; I then had a hardness in my stomach, and apprehended it was from eating plentifully of beans for dinner.

What symptoms had you afterwards?--My stomach seemed to have something in it that could not digest, and I had remarkable trembling for three days, and after that for three mornings was seized with a reaching.

Have you since that time been ill from what you ate or drank?--I tasted the water gruel twice--once on the Tuesday evening when I was mixing it for my master, and on Wednesday, when I was going to pour it away, I put the pan to my mouth and drank a little of it.

How did you find yourself after that?--I did not find any remarkable disorder till the Wednesday morning about two o'clock, before my master's death; then I was seemingly seized with convulsions. My throat was very troublesome for five or six weeks after, and seemed a little soreish and a little swelled. I continued very ill for three weeks and upwards after my master's death, which was on the Wednesday.

I went to bed sick at two that morning, and applied to Dr. Addington.

Do you remember anything besides letters coming from Mr. Cranstoun?--I remember she had once a large box of table linen and some Scotch pebbles in it; she said they came from him.

What time was this?--This was early in the spring, before my master's death.

Had she more than one box sent to her?--She had a small box sent afterwards of Scotch pebbles; that might be about three months before his death, or less, I cannot say.

Did she use to show the pebbles to anybody?--She used to show them to any person of her acquaintance; but I never heard of any powder to clean them.

Cross-examined--For a year before the 5th of August last had anything ailed your master so as to call in the apothecary?--About a year before he had had a violent cold.

Was he, or was he not, in good health for a year before?--He was frequently complaining of the gravel and heartburn, which he was subject to for years.

Did he make any other complaints?--He used to have little fits of the gout.

Was there any other complaint for seven, eight, nine, or ten years?--Nothing particular, but that of the heartburn, which I cannot tell whether I ever heard him complain of before or not.

Can you take upon you to say that he made any particular complaint of the heartburn more than he had done at any other time?--I cannot say positively, because I have not continued these things in my memory. He ordered me to give him some dry oatmeal and water for the heartburn.

Is that good for the heartburn?--I have been told it is very good for it.

How was her behaviour to her father?--Her general behaviour was dutiful, except upon any pa.s.sion or a hasty word from her father.

When did she call her father "old villain"?--She would use expressions of that kind when she was in a pa.s.sion.

Upon what account?--For using her ill.

KING'S COUNSEL--Were these expressions made use of before his face or behind his back?--I have heard her before his face and behind his back.

PRISONER'S COUNSEL--When have you heard it?--I believe in the last twelve months, but cannot be sure.

KING'S COUNSEL--Recollect on what occasion?--It has been, I believe, on little pa.s.sions on both sides, and that generally from trifles.

PRISONER'S COUNSEL--When did you first communicate your suspicion to Mr. Blandy about his being poisoned?--On the Sat.u.r.day morning before his death, from what I saw on the Wednesday before.

Why did you keep this suspicion of yours from Wednesday to Sat.u.r.day?--The reason I did not tell my suspicions to Mr. Blandy sooner than Sat.u.r.day was because I stayed for Mr. Stevens, the prisoner's uncle, who did not come till Friday night; I told him then, and he desired me to tell Mr. Blandy of it.

Did you ever say anything of it to Miss Blandy?--No, I did not.

Pray, what conversation pa.s.sed between her father and her down upon her knees, &c.?--She said, "Sir, how do you do?" He said, "I am very ill."

Was anything said about Mr. Cranstoun's addresses to her?--Yes, there was. That conversation was occasioned by a message that Mr. Blandy had sent to his daughter by me on Monday morning.

What was that message?--That he was ready to forgive her if she would but endeavour to bring that villain to justice.

Did she say with what intent the powder was given to her?--She said it was given her with another intent.

Did she say upon what intent?--She did not say that. He did not ask that.

Was not that explained?--It was no ways explained.

Did he treat her as if she herself was innocent?--He did, sir.

Then all he said afterwards was as thinking his daughter very innocent?--It was, sir.

As to the ruin of his daughter, did he think it was entirely owing to Cranstoun?--Mr. Blandy said he believed his daughter entirely innocent of what had happened.

By what he said to you, do you think that the father thought his daughter was imposed upon by Cranstoun when he used that expression, "She must hate the man," &c.?--I do think so; he said, "Where is Polly?" I answered, "In her room." He said, "Poor, unfortunate girl!

That ever she should be imposed upon and led away by such a villain to do such a thing!"

Do you imagine, from the whole conversation that pa.s.sed between her father and her, that she was entirely innocent of the fact of the powder being given?--I do not think so; she said she was innocent.

What was your opinion? Did the father think her wholly unacquainted with the effect of the powder?--I believe he thought so; that is as much as I can say.

When you told Miss Blandy that the washerwoman was extremely ill, having ate some water gruel, was anything more said with relation to the father's having ate some of the same water gruel before?--I don't remember there was a word said about the father's having ate any of it.

During the time of his illness was not Miss Blandy's behaviour to her father with as much care and tenderness as any daughter could show?--She seemed to direct everything as she could have done for herself, or any other person that was sick.

Do you know that she was guilty of any neglect in this respect?--No, I do not, sir.

KING'S COUNSEL--What did he mean when he said, "Poor, unfortunate girl! That ever she should be imposed upon and led away by such a villain to do such a thing!" What do you imagine he meant by such a thing?--By giving him that which she did not know what it was.

COURT--When she told you that water gruel would serve for her father on the Wednesday did she know that her father had been ill by taking water gruel on the Monday and Tuesday nights?--She knew he was ill, but I cannot tell whether she knew the cause of it; and knew that the charwoman was ill before she proposed my giving him the same gruel, but did not oppose my making fresh for any other reason than that it would hinder my ironing.

[Sidenote: E. Binfield]

ELIZABETH BINFIELD, examined--I was a servant to Mr. Francis Blandy at Henley, and had been almost three years.

When did you first discover his illness and hear him complain of unusual p.r.i.c.kings in has stomach?--About a fortnight before he died.

Did you ever hear Miss Blandy talk of something in the house which she said presaged his death, or something like it?--I have often heard her talk of walkings and music in the house that she had heard. She said she thought it to be her mother, saying the music foretold her father's death.

Whom has she said so to?--She has told me so.