The second of the six listed episodes of this long forgotten British criminal history series. Again, I've never seen it (and it probably has long disappeared) so I can't judge it, but I can tell you the story in the background.
In 1871 Dr. Arthur Beard was a practicing physician with a growing reputation in the seaside town of Brighton, England. He and his wife were settled there, when he discovered he had one rather frequent patient - a neighbor named Chritiana Edmunds. She was about fifteen years older than the Beards, and she did have the habit of dressing up rather youthfully (which was out of place in Victorian England) and using too much make-up to look younger. Dr. Beard willingly treated Mrs. Edmunds symptoms but most of the time found them "questionable" or imaginary. Still, as he was trying to set up his new practice he felt it required tact to handle this particular patient.
One day Mrs. Edmunds came to the Beards while the Doctor was out, and brought a box of chocolates as a gift. She was very insistent at Mrs. Beard trying them, but when that lady tasted one something did not seem right and she spit it out. Mrs. Beard was certain something was in the chocolates, although Mrs. Edmunds denied they had anything but chocolate inside them.
The Doctor examined them, and found traces of poison. He confronted Mrs. Edmunds and insisted she never bother him or his wife again. Mrs. Edmunds acted shocked and angry, and insisted she had not been to blame, but it was the confectioners.
Shortly afterward the candy store that sold the tainted stock had a curious business. Young children would come in to buy chocolates or whatever candy they wanted, but most returned the candy within a day or so. Soon the candy was sold to other customers, but several took ill. One, a young boy whose uncle had bought him candy, died after eating some.
The police received letters suggesting the candy store was tampering with the product it sold, and that it was the owner who did the tampering. The owner was under suspicion for awhile, and he was frantic about the loss of business and possible criminal charges being directed to him. Dr. Beard was also made aware of the incident, Mrs Edmunds telling him that this proved her innocence.
Somehow the police began to consider an alternative to the proprietor of the candy store as the poisoner. Whether or not Dr. Beard suggested it is not known, but someone noticed that the writing on the anonymous notes about the poisons in the candy with Mrs. Edmunds. They matched. Soon they learned a story from some local children. A middle aged woman had been giving them some money to buy candy from the store, and then told them to return the candy after she held on to it for a few days. Christiana was arrested for the murder of the little boy who died.
There was to be a defense that came out in the trial. Her mother who was living with her explained that Christiana came from a family with mental illness on both sides. She was convicted of the crime of murder, but sentenced to a prison for the mentally ill.
Christiana Edmunds never was released from the asylum. Instead she died in the early 20th Century, decades after the case that made her national figure. Her insanity may have been worsened, for Dr. Beard died in the early 1890s, and someone made sure Mrs. Edmunds learned the news.
In 1871 Dr. Arthur Beard was a practicing physician with a growing reputation in the seaside town of Brighton, England. He and his wife were settled there, when he discovered he had one rather frequent patient - a neighbor named Chritiana Edmunds. She was about fifteen years older than the Beards, and she did have the habit of dressing up rather youthfully (which was out of place in Victorian England) and using too much make-up to look younger. Dr. Beard willingly treated Mrs. Edmunds symptoms but most of the time found them "questionable" or imaginary. Still, as he was trying to set up his new practice he felt it required tact to handle this particular patient.
One day Mrs. Edmunds came to the Beards while the Doctor was out, and brought a box of chocolates as a gift. She was very insistent at Mrs. Beard trying them, but when that lady tasted one something did not seem right and she spit it out. Mrs. Beard was certain something was in the chocolates, although Mrs. Edmunds denied they had anything but chocolate inside them.
The Doctor examined them, and found traces of poison. He confronted Mrs. Edmunds and insisted she never bother him or his wife again. Mrs. Edmunds acted shocked and angry, and insisted she had not been to blame, but it was the confectioners.
Shortly afterward the candy store that sold the tainted stock had a curious business. Young children would come in to buy chocolates or whatever candy they wanted, but most returned the candy within a day or so. Soon the candy was sold to other customers, but several took ill. One, a young boy whose uncle had bought him candy, died after eating some.
The police received letters suggesting the candy store was tampering with the product it sold, and that it was the owner who did the tampering. The owner was under suspicion for awhile, and he was frantic about the loss of business and possible criminal charges being directed to him. Dr. Beard was also made aware of the incident, Mrs Edmunds telling him that this proved her innocence.
Somehow the police began to consider an alternative to the proprietor of the candy store as the poisoner. Whether or not Dr. Beard suggested it is not known, but someone noticed that the writing on the anonymous notes about the poisons in the candy with Mrs. Edmunds. They matched. Soon they learned a story from some local children. A middle aged woman had been giving them some money to buy candy from the store, and then told them to return the candy after she held on to it for a few days. Christiana was arrested for the murder of the little boy who died.
There was to be a defense that came out in the trial. Her mother who was living with her explained that Christiana came from a family with mental illness on both sides. She was convicted of the crime of murder, but sentenced to a prison for the mentally ill.
Christiana Edmunds never was released from the asylum. Instead she died in the early 20th Century, decades after the case that made her national figure. Her insanity may have been worsened, for Dr. Beard died in the early 1890s, and someone made sure Mrs. Edmunds learned the news.