POISONING BY ARSENIC AND STRYCHNIA. 
531 
contained. These globules were exactly the same size as some globules from dried 
human blood which I purposely procured, and tested with the same apparatus in the 
same way. Finding this evidence of blood to be small, I obtained more numerous sec¬ 
tions of the coloured surface of the handle of the hatchet, immersed them in distilled 
water, and obtained thereby a slightly coloured solution, which after filtering was ready 
for chemical tests, and for optical examination by the micro-spectroscope. I subjected 
this fluid to the action of light, and it had undoubtedly the properties peculiar to a solu¬ 
tion of blood. When a solution of blood was examined in this instrument (instrument 
here produced) the fluid absorbed some of the rays of light, and thus altered the spectrum 
or rainbow. Within the green, and on the border of the yellow rays two dark absorp¬ 
tion bands were produced by the blood fluid. Only one other substance would produce 
two dark bands—that is cochineal dissolved in ammonia, but the position of the two 
bands was different. The spectroscope alone would not enable me to readily distinguish 
between the two, but combined with chemical examination it would satisfactorily do so. 
From this optical test I was satisfied that the sections of the hatchet had been stained 
with blood, and by chemical analysis I also demonstrated it was blood. The combina¬ 
tion of the three tests showed that the substance on the hachet must have been blood.” 
Cross-examined: I should not like to say that the stains were those of human blood,, 
but my opinion is that they were. 
POISONING BY ARSENIC AND STRYCHNIA. 
At the Exeter Assizes, March loth, before Mr. Justice Bvles, Mary Ann Ashford was 
indicted for the wilful murder of William Ashford at Honiton Clist, on the 4th of No¬ 
vember. . n 
Mr. Kingdon and Mr. Slade were counsel for the prosecution; Mr. Coleridge, O.O., 
and Mr. Cox defended the prisoner. 
It appeared that the deceased, who was the husband of the prisoner, was a shoemaker, 
carrying on a good business at Honiton Clist, a village about four miles from Exeter. 
He was a very industrious, thriving man, and bad saved about £250. The husband and 
wife were about the same age,—between forty and fifty,—and had been married about 
twenty years, and had lived a happy married life until the last two years. The first 
part of the case was that on Sunday, the 29th of October, the prisoner complained to a 
neighbour that her husband was ill—that he was suffering from diarrhoea and sickness. 
On Monday nothing particular occurred, but on Tuesday, the 31st of October, the 
prisoner went to Exeter and saw a medical man, Dr. Roberts, to whom she described her 
husband’s state. On Wednesday morning, the 1st of November, Dr. Robeits recei\ed a 
message from the prisoner, requesting him to come and see her husband. Dr. Roberts 
accordingly went to the house and saw deceased. He found him much prostrated, and 
very weak and ill—constantly sick and complaining of great pain and thirst. He 
changed the medicine he had before sent him. Dr. Roberts called again the next day, 
the 2nd of November, and found the symptoms still continuing. He again changed the 
medicine. On Friday he saw him again, and he then requested Dr. Miles to come and 
see the deceased man. On Friday night the deceased was attacked with fits and suffered 
great pain, the back being bent back, and the limbs drawn up. On Saturday morning 
the poor man died. . , ,,, 
The next question was the cause of the death. An application was made to the 
coroner, and there was a post-mortem examination. Two medical men who examined 
the body could not discover any natural causes to account for the death. Grave sus¬ 
picions were entertained, and the stomach, liver, and various parts of the vomit were 
placed in jars, sealed up, and taken to Mr. Herapath, at Bristol, who discovered arsenic 
and strychnine in them. The symptoms were consistent with death occasioned by these 
poisons. §tion ^ en ariges _ b v w hom were these poisons administered ? The prisoner 
had been the only person in attendance on the deceased. On Wednesday, the 25th of 
October the prisoner had sent a little girl to a chemist for some jalap. On Sunday, the 
29th of’ October, she complained of her husband’s illness. No one then saw deceased 
