The Poisoning Trial Of Christiana Edmunds Essay

A maverick pathologist, Frank Hancock, presents this theory to everyone. He came up with evidence supporting that ratsbane, arsenic trioxide, was what the Spanish government used to poison the colonists. Women carried it around to make them look sick and pale, but there were no women at Jamestown. So, Hancock found out that arsenic was used at rat poisoning. There were no black rats n the new world, they brought them on their ships with their wheat supply. Hancock read George Percy’s journal.

In the years leading up to the world fair, Holmes had been perfecting his “castle” that was built upon his pharmacy. His house, nicknamed the “Murder Castle”, was filled with mazes, trap doors, and multiple torture chambers, including an incinerator to burn the remains of his victims. With the promise of a warm, clean bed, he lured fair-goers and young women who moved to the big city alone to further their careers were attracted to the young doctor. Holmes had relations with some of his guests, at one point getting Julia Conner pregnant in 1891, but he used his new found “hobby” to dispose of the problem (Larson 146). Holmes was eventually charged with insurance fraud and stood trial for the murder of Mr. Benjamin Pitezel, he was estimated to have killed between 20 and 200 people (“H.H” 2). Even though he was only charged on one count of murder, once in prison he admitted to killing 27 people in his time in Chicago. Holmes was hung on on May 7th, 1896, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the homicide of Mr. Pitezel (“H.H.” 1-2). The disturbing legacy of Herman Webster Mudgett lived on in the form of H. H. Holmes as America’s first serial killer.

In chapter 1 titled “Chloroform (CHCI3 )” of The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum, the most interesting story developed within the chapter was the unsolved mystery of eight deaths in a refuge called Odd Fellows Home. Frederic Mors, who claimed to be responsible for all these eight murders, confessed his own guilt in front of the district attorneys. As it was said, “To prove that these elderly residents had been poisoned, they needed solid evidence. [Rumors, suspicions, and anecdotes, a confession by a suspect who might just be crazy, weren’t enough to charge a man with murder.]” (Blum 13).

The Victorian times has been known to be a dangerous time; however there is now one man which surpasses the rest, One man ultimately famous for his methods. One man which is known for his murders- his name as we all know is Jay Paine.

“But indeed, at that time, putting to death was a recipe much in vogue with all trades and professions, and not least of all with Tellson’s. Death is Nature’s remedy for all things, and why not the Legislation’s? Accordingly, the forger was put to Death; the utterer of a bad note was put to Death; the unlawful opener of a letter was put to Death; the purloiner of forty shillings and sixpence was put to Death; the holder of a horse at Tellson’s door, who made off with it, was put to Death; the coiner of a bad shilling was put to Death; the sounders of three-forths of the notes in the whole gamut of Crime, were put to Death” (39).

March thirteenth, nineteen eighty five, Stephen Morin was to be sentenced to death by lethal injection (Radelet). Morin’s extreme drug abuse made it difficult to find his

Vanessa Vermont, a gorgeous woman found dead in her own kitchen, laying on the floor with a fatal head wound on the back of her head. Just recently she bought a new broiler and need and outlet over her kitchen counter, something her husband could do. And it is right where she was murdered. There is also a woman’s briefcase on the floor near the kitchen. Which means Mrs. Vermont was leaving, which in turn could’ve enraged the husband.

On June 20, 2001 a woman by the name of Andrea Yates, stunned the whole country with one of the most bizarre acts of violence that a parents could ever do to their own children. She called her husband at work and told him “I did it” confused by what was going on, he rush home only to find his house filled with officers of the law. The husband asked, “What is going on?”, and only to found out that his wife had drowned all five of their children.

During the Victorian Era, even children were partaking of narcotic drugs almost on the daily (Aikens). These unusual regularities pertaining to drugs were very prevalent during this time, and they had many different effects. Drug usage was viewed as inconsequential during the Victorian Era, and the negative effects were ignored completely. This resulted in many dangerous occurrences like opium addiction and infant death.

Disorders in the family include bipolar, personality disorder, and suicidal. Grandmother shot herself in the face when biological mother Georgina Mitchell was in the 2nd grade, aunts have killed themselves from suicide or has tried, Cyntoia’s great - grandfather shot himself, and mother of Cyntoia has tried suicide also.

Industrial wood alcohols, which never intended for human consumption, began finding its way into the American palate. Necessary for products such as shaving cream, anti-freeze, and mouthwash toxic wood alcohol was poisons. Leaving many of those who consumed the resulting product would find themselves in hospitals with alcohol poisoning, many near death. Officials would declare, “Drinking these produces are paramount to self suicide.” Doing nothing claiming that no one should have drunken these products in the first place.

The Maybrick case is another occurrence of a spouse being harmed. Mrs. Maybrick was convicted for killing her husband with arsenic by the jury in light of circumstantial evidence. It appears like Mrs. Maybrick ought to have been absolved. The evidence against the spouse was that she had purchased arsenical flypaper and soon a while later Mr. Maybrick turned out to be sick with horrifying stomach and intestinal aggravation. Arsenic was found in his food The jury neglected to perceive that Mr. Maybrick was an incessant arsenic eater, which would clarify the arsenic around the house. She was blamed for poisoning the food with the lethal toxin. Mr. Maybrick however, had not eaten the food made by his wife the day that he turned out to be sick.

The Posioner’s Handbook written by Deborah Blum is about the untold story of how poison rocked Jazz Age New York City. A few forensic scientists began their chemical detective work, trying to end an era when untraceable poisons offered an easy path to the perfect crime. Charles Norris, chief medical examiner, and toxicologist Alexander Gettler investigate a family mysteriously stricken bald, workers with crumbling bones, a diner serving piles of poison, and many others. Each new case presents a new deadly puzzle and Norris and Gettler create revolutionary experiments to cut out the compounds from human tissue. From their laboratory it becomes clear that murderers aren’t the only toxic threat, modern life has created a kind of poison playground,

This paper will present a compare and contrast of the short story, "Witness for the Prosecution" to the screenplay of the same name written by Agatha Christie. The focus of the similarities and differences will be, a review of the characters and the story.

In the autumn of 1888, the murders took place in the “East End” of inner London, mostly in ‘White Chapel’. Living conditions of the people were very poor. The place was busy, crowded and full of crime. People were homeless and unemployed. People were struggling to survive