Lamentation of Elizabeth Banks, presently lying under sentence of death in the Calton-Hill Jail ... for the ... murder of Peter Banks, her husband, at Pathhead, by giving him a quantity of arsenic, etc. [In verse.]

Lamentation OF Elizabeth Banks Presently lying under Sentence of Death in the Calton-Hill Jail, and who is to be Executed at Edinburgh on Monday the 3d day of August next, for the Horrid and Barbarous Murder of PETER BANKS, her husband, at Pathtead, by giving him a quantity of Arsenic in a doze of Epsom Salts on the 28th of April past, of which he died the same day in great agony. ELIZABETH M'NIEL or NIEL or BANKS or BAULKS was arraigned at the bar of the High Court of Justiciary, on Monday the 18th day of July 1835, on a charge of wilfully, wickedly, and feloniously mizing a quantity of arsenic in a doze of Epsom salts, which she administered to Peter Banks or Baulks, her husband, on the 28th of April last, in Consequence of whith he was immediately taken violently ill, and died on or about the same day. The purchasing of poison by the prisoner, under the pretence of killing rats, was proved by Mr Otto surgeon, Pathhead, by Mrs Otto, and their daughter Sarah; and the mixing of a whitish powder along with the salte was deponed to by a son of the deceased by a former wife, and his severepoin and vomiting, and consequent death.-- Ann M'Gregor. the house-keeper at Chesterhall, gave the prisoner a shilling as charity, and the Ottos deposod to the prisoner tendering a shilling in payment of the arsenic, she recivtenpence in change.—Jean Scougalll, a very old woman and next door neighbour , deponed to the state in which she saw the deceased, whose illness the 'prisoner said was cholera, but that he would not hear of doctor.-—The prisoner had a discoloured eye at the time, for which she accounted in various ways : but she had been heard to say that her husband had struck her, and that he would repent it.—Mr Alexander Watson, surgeon, opened the body of the deceased, in presence of Mr J. P. Rae, upon which there was no external marks of injury, but in the stomach there was a considerable quantity of arsenic—much more than sufficient to cause death.—Mr Rae and Professor Traill had no doubt that the deceased had died from arsenic. The panne! was then sentenced to be executed on Monday the 3d day of August next, at the usual place of execution in the Lawn-Market, or at such other place as may be fixed upon by the Magistrates of the City. The unfortunate culprit, who is of a meagre like appearance, and of about fifty years of age, heard her awful doom pronounced with little visible discomposure ,—Since her condemnation she has attempted to starve herself; she resolutely refused all food until the Friday, when she at length yielded to the cravings of hunger,—and recommenced the course on Saturday, but has since again given in. Dear friend, hear my sad moaning, In prison I lie groaning, By death to make atoning For murder of my spouse. Take pity, now, I pray, friends. For short, short is my stay, friends ; I'll soon be in the clay, friends, Beneath this prison house. O when I married first, friends, I thought that I Was blest, friends, But here I lie half curst, friends, In chains, alas! I'mbound. Sore, sore, I now repent, friends, For foer to h—l I'm sent, friends; My heart is like to rent, friends, I dream of devils sound. O, Wives, take an example. Of bad wives I'm a sample; When hang'd they'll on the trample. In prison under ground. " The hour it fast approaches," I dread the sound of coaches— O pity such poor wretches, Like me few can be found. My Peter he had no fault— ' That day I drank too much malt. Which made me mix the death salt. For which I'll soon be hang'd. O pray, friends, for a mortal, To you it can't be hurtful; My crime it was most dreadful- Pray that I'll not be d--d. Sanderson, Printer, High Street, Edinburgh.