Hello! This is fantastic!!!! May I ask the source please?!! Thanks very much for sending this to the list!! Cheers, Joanne Joanne Mays Becker Sleepy Hollow, New York In a message dated 1/14/2008 6:05:25 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, jane@claras.eclipse.co.uk writes: I thought maybe everyone responding to this thread might be interested in a second hand account written at the time of the trial and execution: ³There was a horrible case of murder Š in Chiddingly Parish. A middle-aged woman set her affections on a young carter who lodged with them, a mere lad, and poisoned her husband by putting arsenic in his Sunday pie. Within a month the carter requested his banns of marriage with the widow to be published. Mr. Vidal refused to do it. Suspicion being aroused; the body was taken up and examined, when enough arsenic was found to kill half-a-dozen men. The woman and young man were both committed to Lewes Gaol and tried for wilful murder. It was soon evident that the carter ­ a heavy, loutish young fellow ­ knew nothing of the matter, and, in fact had not been specially anxious to marry the woman at all. He was acquitted and the woman sentenced to death. Mr. Vidal attended her to the last; she confessed her guilt, but seemed otherwise a hopeless case. She was publicly hanged at Lewes, under very revolting circumstances. Her weight being too little to dislocate her neck when the drop fell, the hangman had to grasp her by the waist and swing his own weight with hers until she ceased to struggle. Poor Mr. Vidal was quite ill after this, and never could read the Commandments again without emotion. There was always a deep hush in the church while his low, trembling voice repeated ³Thou - shalt ­ do ­ no- mur-der,.² **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489