Murder most
curious:
The atmosphere outside the High Court in Edinburgh was charged to fever pitch as the crowd awaited the verdict at the end of the most sensational trial of the century. Hanging in the balance was the life of Madeleine Smith, attractive 22-year-old daughter of a prosperous Glasgow architect.
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Over the last few days, revelations of Madeleine's secret romance had been making headlines in London, Paris and New York. By the end of the trial, in spite of widespread belief in her guilt, sympathy had swung towards Madeleine and the crowds cheered when news of the Not Proven verdict reached the street. Madeleine was free to leave the court but never was she free from suspicion. |
However, over 140 years later the following headlines were to appear in the Scottish Press:
The Scotsman 4th July 1997:
"EVIDENCE SHOWS ONE OF SCOTLAND'S
MOST HATED WOMEN WAS FRAMED BY HER LOVER"
The Scottish Daily Mail 5th July 1997:
"THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WOMAN BRANDED A
POISONER - 140 YEARS LATE"
In 1857, the public trial of Madeleine Smith – accused of poisoning her lover, Emile L’Angelier, in Glasgow – shocked the world. The Prosecution and the Defense both argued brilliantly, but due primarily to the fact that it could not be shown that Madeleine and Emile had actually seen each other before any of his three attacks, the jury deliberated for only 30 minutes on July 9th and then reached a verdict of "not proven" (a unique verdict in Scotland that signifies that the accused was not found innocent, but the prosecution had not made a strong enough case to convict), and Madeleine went free that afternoon.
The Task:
In the quest your group will be asked to investigate the mystery surrounding the death of L’Angelier. You will be directed to a variety of websites which hold invaluable evidence and texts relating to the trial. Your group should aim to read as much of the available evidence as possible before forming your own conclusions. You will then present your findings in a report form – of approximately 6 pages [excluding cover, introduction and conclusions] – with statistics, quotes and graphics wherever possible as support.
The Process:
Step One
Your group should familiarise itself with the case by reading through the information provided in the resources below. As you read through the information try to make a list of evidence, which could be used by either the defense team or prosecution team if this case were to be tried today.
Step Two
Divide your group into two teams - one acting for the defense and another acting for the prosecution. Use all of the evidence you have gathered to build up arguments for both sides.
Step Three
Debate the case as if your two teams were actually involved in the trial of Madeleine Smith.
Step Four
Present your
findings in a 6-page report [excluding cover, introduction and findings]
including graphics, witness statements and statistical evidence where relevant.
The report should be word processed and spell-checked for error before
submission. As an addition to the report you might also wish to design and
create a display poster showing a brief outline of the case, a timeline, some
images and some of your own thoughts. The quality of the poster will be taken
into consideration by the Webquest judges before awards are made.
Resources:
http://www.crimelibrary.com/classics3/madeleine/index.htm
http://www.fix.law-firm.co.uk/
http://www.throughthenight.co.uk/madeleine.htm
http://www.tartans.com/articles/smithmintro.html
http://www.firstfoot.u-net.com/Great%20Scot/madsmith.htm
http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/people/famousfirst361.html
http://www.microwaredata.co.uk/murder-uk/bookhtml_s/smith_m00.html
http://scottishculture.about.com/aboutuk/scottishculture/library/blfamsmith.htm
http://www.fix.law-firm.co.uk/Census.htm