Blandy, Mary, 1720-1752 -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Trials (Murder) -- Great Britain; Trials (Poisoning) -- Great Britain
He says that the prisoner always told him she thought it an innocent
powder, but said it was impossible to express her horror that she was
the cause of her father's death, though she protested that she thought
it innocent when she gave it, for Mr. Cranstoun had assured her that
he used to take it himself, and called it a love-powder; that she had
a letter from him directing her to give it in gruel, as she had
informed him it did not mix in tea; that "for her own part she desired
life for no other purpose than only to go through a severe penance for
her sins"; that, on her being pressed by him to discover all she knew
relating to Cranstoun, her answer was that "she was fully conscious of
her own guilt, and would not add guilt to guilt, for she looked on
Cranstoun as her husband, though the ceremony had not passed between
them." He tells you further that he does not remember that she gave
him any satisfactory answer to any of the questions which he put to
her, which he has repeated to you, and which are very material ones,
but always persisted that she was entirely ignorant of the effects of
the powder till she saw them on her father; and often said, "Pray God
send it may not kill him," after he had told her, and her father too,
the danger of her father, and that he apprehended her to be undone. He
then tells you he attended Susan Gunnell, who had the same symptoms
with the deceased, but in a less degree. He also attended Ann Emmet,
who had the same symptoms, and told her that she was poisoned.
Alice Emmet is then called, who is daughter to Ann Emmet, the old
charwoman, who gives you an account that her mother was charwoman at
Mr. Blandy's in June last, in the time of hay harvest; that she was
then taken sick, was seized in the night-time with a vomiting and
purging, and this witness went in the morning to the prisoner, by her
mother's desire, and acquainted her with the condition she was in;
that the prisoner said she was sorry, and would send her something to
drink, which she did in about an hour or two afterwards.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account