of this determination, the prisoners would all in the eye of the law be guilty of the crime of wilful murder.

Mrs. Harriet Butterfield was then called and examined by the SolicitorGeneral. She said: I am the wife of the Rev. Mr. Butterfield, of Great Bursted, Essex. I was previously married to Mr. Richardson, and the deceased was my daughter by that marriage. Her name before her marriage was Harriet Richardson. If she were now alive she would be 36 years of age. In April 1875 my daughter was staying with a Mr. and Mrs. Hincksman, in the Walworth Road. Mrs. Hincksman had been married before to a Mr. Rhodes, and she was the mother of the two female prisoners. The two male prisoners are brothers, and some time in the year 1875 I heard that Lewis was paying his addresses to my daughter Harriet. She was entitled to a fortune of between 3,000l. and 4,000l. altogether, but at the time of her marriage she was only entitled to about 1,600l. I was always under the impression that my daughter was unfit to be married, and I took some proceedings in Chancery to prevent the marriage from taking place. Those proceedings were unsuccessful, and my daughter was married to the prisoner Lewis on June 16, 1875. The witness then gave evidence as to a call she had made upon her daughter, about three weeks after her marriage, since when she had never, she said, seen her alive again. Soon after she received a letter from her daughter, enclosed with one from Lewis Staunton, saying that it would be best for her not to call again. The witness then proceeded to relate her hearing of Alice Rhodes, and that she met her and asked where her daughter was, but could get no satisfactory reply. Witness related her meeting with Patrick Staunton, and his threats to her when she announced her intention of going to Cudham to see her daughter, her subsequent visit to Little Grey's Farm, and the behaviour of Lewis Staunton and Mrs. Patrick Staunton on that occasion when she tried to see her daughter. Finally, in giving evidence as to her daughter's death, witness said: I received a letter from a Mrs. Orridge, in consequence of which I went to 34 Forbes Road, Penge, and there I saw my daughter lying dead. When I last saw her she was in very good health. She had previously during her life had very good general health. She was always well dressed; very fond of dress, and knew how to dress. She was a particularly clean girl in her person; she was very temperate, and was never given to take drink in excess. The photograph produced in court correctly represented her. When I saw her on the Sunday she was in her coffin, and I observed a great change in her appearance. She was then very dirty, and was so changed that I scarcely knew her. The letter produced was in my daughter's handwriting. She had had opportunities of being educated, but was not able to avail herself of them.

On cross-examination by Mr. Montagu Williams, witness said she had been always averse to her daughter's marrying, believing her to be of unsound mind, and incapable of taking care of herself.

George Cakehead and Henry Watson, porters at the Bromley Railway Station, gave evidence as to deceased being put into the train there by the prisoners on April 12, and as to her apparently feeble and helpless

state.

Some railway officials at the Penge Station also gave evidence as to the deceased's arrival there in an exhausted condition.

Emma Chalklin gave evidence as to letting apartments to prisoners, and

as to arrival of deceased there, and her condition. She also gave evidence as to food being supplied to the deceased, a doctor being summoned, and as to her death in her house.

Ellen Goodinge, who was engaged as nurse to deceased, gave evidence as to her death, and the filthy condition of her body.

Mr. Dean Longrigg, examined, said he was called in to attend deceased on April 3. He then came to the conclusion that she was suffering from apoplexy, and died from it. He also gave evidence as to the neglected state of her person. Subsequently, in consequence of what witness had heard, he communicated with the police, and afterwards with the Coroner. Witness was suspicious of poison at one time, but that did not lead him to a conclusion. Some of the symptoms suggested poison. It was not suggested to him. They, the medical men, came to the opinion that there had been poison, and they made up their minds to send the intestines up for analysis. Starvation was mentioned in the course of the post-mortem examination, the body being in such an emaciated condition. He dared say they all mentioned that impression. He had seen several cases of death from starvation, from want of food, exposure to the cold, and the want of proper nourishment. He found in this case no reason to suppose that the patient had refused to take food. The blood-vessels of the brain were distended.

Witness, in cross-examination, stated that the symptoms might be attributed to starvation, but adhered in the main to his original opinion.

Dr. Bright, examined, said he was present at the post-mortem examination of the deceased. Death might have resulted from starvation.

Dr. Wilson positively affirmed that starvation was the cause of death. Dr. Rogers and Mr. Bond, medical men, gave evidence to much the same effect as last witness.

Clara Brown said she was 16 years old in the May preceding. She was related to Mrs. Patrick Staunton and Alice Rhodes-first cousin to both. She went into the service of Mrs. Patrick Staunton in September 1873 at Loughborough Park, nearly opposite the house afterwards occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Staunton. She remembered Mr. Lewis Staunton being married, and coming to live with his wife opposite Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Staunton. In March 1876 the deceased was delivered of a child in the Loughborough Road, and witness went from Cudham, to which place Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Staunton had removed, to attend her, and remained for about a month. Mr. Lewis Staunton, Mrs. Patrick Staunton, and Alice Rhodes were in the house at the time of the confinement.

The Solicitor-General: Did you notice anything particular in the conduct of Lewis Staunton towards Alice Rhodes at this time?-I thought they seemed to be too affectionate towards each other. From what I saw I do not believe that they always occupied separate beds, and on one occasion I found Alice Rhodes's night-dress in the chest of drawers in Mr. Lewis's bedroom. Mrs. Staunton complained of the intimacy between her husband and Alice Rhodes. After the month was over I returned to Cudham. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Staunton came there about a fortnight after I arrived at Cudham. Alice Rhodes afterwards came down, and the baby. The baby was fed from a bottle. They only stayed from the Saturday till the Monday, and then all four returned to Loughborough Road. The deceased subsequently came down to Cudham with her husband, and I heard him say something to Mrs. Patrick Staunton about his wife's hat and jacket.

What did he say ?-He told Mrs. Patrick she had better put Harriet's hat and jacket away, or else she might come after them; and I saw her put the hat and jacket in a box and lock them up. After this I heard Mrs. Harriet make some inquiries about the hat and jacket, and she was told that they were put away. It was Mrs. Patrick who said this. The deceased never left the Woodlands till she went to Penge after this, except on two occasions, when she went to Mr. Keene's offices, and she returned the same night. The deceased herself told me that she was going to the solicitor's office.

The witness could not remember the time when this occurred, but it was fixed by Mr. Keene, in his evidence relating to the disposal of the last portion of the deceased's property, to be October 24, 1876.

Examination continued: About Christmas 1876 I remember Mrs. Patrick complaining to the deceased about going out of the house, and asking her where she had been. I have also heard the prisoner Patrick complain of the same thing. She had heard Patrick say to the deceased, "You must not go out of the house, or let anyone see you."

Has he ever said the same thing to you ?—Yes; he has told me more than once not to let Mrs. Staunton go out of the house or let anyone see her.

Examination continued: After she first came she used to take her meals with the rest of the family in the best parlour, but a little before Christmas 1876 she used to have her meals upstairs. She was sent upstairs and kept there, and her food was sent up to her to prevent her coming down. On some occasions pudding only would be sent up to her, while all the rest of the family had meat. Sometimes the deceased complained that she did not have sufficient food to eat, and on one occasion when she did so, the prisoner Patrick struck her, and the blow left a bruise on her arm. Once I saw her with a black eye from a blow given by the prisoner Patrick. water-jug or basin in her bedroom.

There was no

Where did the child sleep?-Witness: By the side of its mother.
What covering had it ?-Only a shawl.

The witness went on to speak of further acts of ill-usage on the part of Patrick Staunton, and said she had heard him threaten the deceased more than once that if she came down stairs he would break her back, at the same time using bad language, which after some hesitation the witness repeated. She proceeded: I remember the child being taken to the hospital. At this time the deceased was very weak. I did not hear her asked whether the child was gone. She was very ill and weak on the Sunday before she was taken away, and on the Monday a fowl was boiled for her. I remember the news being brought that the child was dead, but the deceased did not appear to take any notice of it, and did not seem to understand anything that was said to her, and on the Monday she was not able to help herself at all. The prisoner Patrick got some steak for her and cut it up very small, but she was unable to eat any of it. I think this was on the Tuesday before her death, and the night she went away they tried to feed her with some bread-andbutter and milk, but she was unable to eat it. She was put in the trap to be driven away to Penge about six o'clock in the evening, and I had previously heard Lewis and Patrick say that it would be better to keep her later, for fear the people at the houses opposite should see her, and Mrs. Patrick said, "You had better take her at once, or else she won't last the journey." While this conversation was going on the deceased was sitting in a chair in the kitchen, and she had been carried downstairs by Mrs. Patrick Staunton,

She appeared to be drowsy. I noticed that Patrick Staunton endeavoured to rouse her, and Mrs. Patrick Staunton suggested that it would be better to let her go to sleep; but Patrick replied that if she went to sleep he did not think she would ever wake up again. During the latter part of 1876 Lewis Staunton had been living at Little Grey's Farm, which was about twenty minutes' walk off, but he used to come occasionally to the Woodlands, and sometimes he saw the deceased, but not always. I have never heard him say that he wished to see her. Alice Rhodes was living with Lewis Staunton at Little Grey's Farm, but his wife did not know where he was living at this time, or that Alice Rhodes was living with him. I remember once picking up a letter and reading it, and then burning it. It was written by the prisoner Lewis, and addressed to Miss Rhodes. She had been staying in the house about that time, but had left. The letter began: "My own darling," and went on to say, "I was very sorry to see you cry so when I left you. I am sorry to see you so unhappy, but a time will come, when Harriet is out of the way, that we shall be happy together." (The reading of this letter caused great sensation in court.)

The Solicitor-General: Was there anything more in the letter ?—Yes; the letter said: You must know how dearly I love you by this time, after two years and a half."

This witness was examined at great length, and her evidence was in the main as to the relations of the prisoners towards each other, and their treatment of the deceased.

Other witnesses, living near Little Grey's Farm, deposed to hearing cries from the house.

Evidence was next given as to the admission of a child, deceased's son, into Guy's Hospital in a very emaciated state, and its death there. An undertaker deposed to getting the child buried.

Sergeant Bateman gave evidence as to going to Little Grey's Farm, and making inquiries and search there.

After the examination of one or two other witnesses the case for the prosecution closed.

Mr. Straight then made an application on behalf of Mrs. Patrick Staunton to the effect that, being a married woman, she was under her husband's control, and consequently could not be held liable. This point was, however, finally overruled.

Mr. Montagu Williams addressed the jury on behalf of Lewis Staunton, throwing doubts on the evidence of Clara Brown, and generally contending that there was no evidence for conviction.

Mr. Straight then addressed the jury for Mrs. Patrick.

Mr. Clarke, before beginning his address on behalf of the prisoner Patrick, called two medical gentlemen, who expressed their opinion that death resulted from tubercular meningitis in an acute form.

Other witnesses were also called, and then Mr. Clarke addressed the jury on behalf of Patrick Staunton.

Mr. Gye followed on behalf of Alice Rhodes, and the Attorney-General replied on the whole case.

On September 26 Mr. Justice Hawkins began his summing up. His lordship said that they had at last arrived at the final stage of this painful inquiry, and ere the day closed the jury would be called upon to give their verdict and pronounce their opinion on the guilt or the innocence of the

persons who stood charged before them, and he was sure that from what he had observed, and anxiously observed, during the inquiry of their conduct. and demeanour in the box, they would give their verdict and pass their opinion upon this most momentous issue without any feeling of sympathy or prejudice, and without regard to the consequences which might attach to their verdict. He was sure that they would decide this momentous issue according to the honest conviction they might have upon it, and according to the best of their honest belief. Momentous, indeed, the issue was, not only for the prisoners at the bar, who, if they were innocent of the crime, deserved the deepest sympathy, for the accusation that had been made against them was, indeed, a terrible one, but momentous also to society at large; for society demanded that if the crime with which the prisoners were charged was made out to their satisfaction the prisoners should receive that punishment which they deserved. It was a great comfort to him to find that each of the prisoners had been most ably defended, and their counsel had done but common justice to the Attorney-General when they acknowledged the fair and humane way in which he had discharged his stern, imperative, and painful duty. As to the facts upon which the jury were to determine the issue it might be well that he should first of all state to them the general propositions of law which he should lay down to guide their verdict. Now the law was this, that every person who was under a legal duty, whether such duty were imposed by law or by contract, of taking charge of another person, must provide that person with the necessaries of life. Every person who had that legal duty imposed upon him was criminally responsible if he culpably neglected that duty, and the death of the person for whom he ought to provide ensued. If death was the result of mere carelessness and without criminal intent the offence would be manslaughter, provided the jury came to the conclusion that there had been culpable neglect of the duty cast upon the individual who had undertaken to perform it. His lordship then proceeded to state the facts of the case to the jury, and commented upon the salient points as he proceeded. He drew their attention particularly to the fact that in the autumn of last year the deceased lady was in a healthy condition, and he handed to the jury for their inspection the photograph of the deceased as shown to Dr. Russell prior to her death. As bearing upon the question when the intimacy between Lewis Staunton and Alice Rhodes began, the judge directed attention to the evidence of Clara Brown as to the finding of some of Alice Rhodes' clothes in a chest of drawers in Lewis's room during the confinement of the wife, leaving the jury to draw their own inference as to whether that would be an ordinary and regular place to keep them. The deceased at all times before her concealment appeared to be a person cleanly and temperate in her habits, and particularly clean in her dress. In August the whole of the remainder of her fortune was obtained by Lewis, and it might be taken that from the early part of the month she never left the house at Cudham, except on one occasion, until her death. The letter which passed between Lewis and Alice Rhodes, his lordship said, were all-important; for if they believed the evidence of Clara Brown they must consider whether during the whole of the last summer there was not an illicit intercourse between the husband and the prisoner Alice. It had been urged that the girl Clara Brown was an accomplice, and it might be that she was. It was not necessary, however, that an accomplice should be corroborated, as a jury might in law, if they thought fit, act upon the unsupported