28 year old wife and mother Elizabeth Pearson on the 15th March 1875 was
charged with the wilful murder of James Watson. Elizabeth had offered to
keep house for her uncle James Watson at Gainford, Durham, after the death
of his wife but it seems that keeping the household contents were her main
concern. James being an old man was on regular medicine and to this
Elizabeth decided to add two packets of Beatties, a powder for killing
vermin. His stomach pains were immediate and as James started to complain
he doubled up in trembling agony, as he clenched his fists and threw back
his head he then fell to the floor and died. James son Robert was
immediately suspicious when within days, Elizabeth began to empty the
house of its contents, and a post mortem was ordered. His stomach contents
revealed large quantities of strychnine and prussian blue a mixture of
iron and cyanide.
In court Elizabeth's lawyer said she had no motive for killing her uncle
and the powder must have been given to James by Mr Smith a lodger who had
since left. The jury however took only 60 minutes to find Elizabeth guilty
with no recommendation for mercy, Elizabeth was sentenced to death by
hanging. In a last attempt to save her own life she said she was pregnant
but the prison surgeon found no evidence. When her husband and son were
told Elizabeth was still sentenced to die they left the prison crying,
knowing they would never see the woman they both love again. On 2nd August
1875 at Durham Gaol Elizabeth died by the rope at 8.03am and was buried
next to another murderess Mary Ann Cotton.
