“That Miss Eudora Leaton was the niece of Lord Leaton, and after Miss Agatha, the next heiress to the estate. Miss Eudora had nursed Lord Leaton through his fatal illness, preparing all his delicate food and drink with her own hands. She prepared the sleeping-draught of which he drank ten minutes before his sudden death. Miss Eudora also nursed Miss Agatha through her last illness, which corresponded in all its symptoms to that of the late Lord Leaton. Miss Eudora watched beside Miss Agatha on the last night of her life, and prepared the tamarind-water of which she drank just before her death. Lady Leaton drank of the same beverage just before her sudden demise.”
Squire Upton inquired:
“Was the jug containing this beverage left out of the prisoner’s keeping from the time of her preparing it to the time of Miss Agatha Leaton’s death?”
“I think not. Miss Eudora prepared the drink in the housekeeper’s room, and took it up to Miss Agatha’s chamber, where she (Miss Eudora) watched through the night,” replied Mrs. Vose.
Several others among the domestic servants were examined, and each one, in a greater or less degree, corroborated the testimony of the housekeeper.
The next witness examined was the family physician, Dr. Watkins, who testified that the symptoms of the sudden accessions of illness, which successively terminated in the death of Lord Leaton, Lady Leaton, and Miss Leaton, were those produced by the poison of St. Ignatius’ Bean;—that traces of this poison were discovered in the autopsy of the dead bodies and in the analysis of the beverage prepared by Miss Eudora Leaton, and of which they drank just previous to their deaths;—and that a quantity of the same fatal drug was found in Miss Eudora Leaton’s box.
The testimony of the doctor was corroborated by two physicians who had assisted in the autopsy of the bodies and the analysis of the beverage, and by the policeman who had executed the warrant and discovered the poison in Eudora’s possession.
The last witness examined was the Princess Pezzilini, who, with the exception of the scientific evidence offered by the physicians, corroborated the whole of the foregoing testimony.
The evidence being all collected, the prisoner was asked if she had any explanation to give before the magistrates should decide upon her case.
Slowly rising, and in a very faint voice, she answered: