Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 13.pdf/370

 The Psychology of Poisoning.

335

done, and suspicion was soon aroused; and and had made other somewhat compromis the statements of the accused himself turned ing statements; and at once upon Boughsuspicion into certainty. In short, though in ton's death he rinsed the phial which had atrocity Holmes's crimes resemble those of contained the medicine. On the other hand, Mrs. Robinson and Palmer, in method, in he was shown always to have been kind to care, in the disarming of suspicion at the first Boughton; and though his wife would bene attempts, his crimes are as different from fit by the young man's death, he would not theirs as his character was apparently coarser, gain personally. On this case, with no direct cooler and more calculating. At the trial all evidence of poisoning except the odor, and of them bore themselves with composure. with no evidence to connect Donellan with An account of trials for poisoning where the death except possible access, he was the alleged motive was gain would not be tried, and after a hanging charge by Buller complete without a reference to the Donellan was convicted. The judge directed the jury, case. This was a trial before Mr. Justice among other things, that though the indict Buller, at Warwick, in 1781. Mr. Donellan, ment alleged poisoning by arsenic, the de a gentleman of Warwickshire, was accused fendant might be convicted if any kind of of poisoning his brother-in-law, Sir Theo- poison was used. Donellan was executed. dosius Boughton, by the use of arsenic. It It was stated, I know not on how good was proved that young Boughton had an ap authority, that before execution he confessed parently slight illness, that his mother gave himself guilty. This case abundantly reinforces what has him medicine from a phial, whereupon Boughton was suddenly attacked by con been said, that a jury is prone to convict on vulsions and soon died; that an odor like that a charge of poisoning. Probably -no one of bitter almonds was noticed; and that upon skilfully defended was ever convicted of mur a post-mortem examination the same odor der by other means than poison upon such was discovered. Mr. Donellan possessed slender evidence. Judge Buller suffered great chemical skill, and had been at work at his unpopularity by reason of the part he took still just before this; he had also expressed in the case; but he was apparently fully con the belief that Boughton would not live long, vinced of Donellan's guilt.