The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-08-30 00:00:00

INFANTCIDE AT LONGFLEET

COMMITTAL FOR WILFUL MURDER.
On Wednesday last Harriet Steet, i aingle young woman.
and Robert Beasant, were charged before the yeyoe (r. T.
Esq.), and C. J. Stone. Esq., with wilful murder. The
female prisoner appeased to be very weak, but the man seemed
as before, perfectly Indifferent to the proceedings.
Marina Wlndeon proved finding • dead infant in the closet,
of Scott's house, on July IS.
Catherine Scutt, mother of the female prisoner, mild she au
a widow and Roof at Loot/fleet lier daughter 'Lurie lord
with her, and slept in the imme bed. She kept eosuisny
Robert liemmit, the prisioner,who lodged aeversilmonths at her
house, and left three months ago. There sae one rout aiol
two &Mt She and her daughter and a little boy slept in otie•
prisoner and her son in another. She did not krtw that
her daughter wax eneiente im she always denied it Six weak.
ago that day her daughter was very ill all day, and also in the
evening iivhlt In the closet. She went to her and Amami" ordered her back. Raiment and her daughter were both in the
eloact together at the Ulna and the door was partly shut. Rah of them canve into the hinue together. lat slept io the home that nijrht with witness'. son. Her daughter ime see, al
during the night but got up in the moming. She went mil
laid on the bed several timm. Witnem did not then know that
her daughter had given birth to • child, but ahe thought wan&
thing more than common had taken place. She heard dunes:
the 'lay that the dead body of a feto-le child tied been found te
the chalet, and it was brought Intl the house by her da gla`l
and put into a cupboard. It was afterwards carried sew) by
Robert Bement mad Moiled by him. Wither told him that he ought to take It to the Cemetery• We were all in bed •hen
Brawn mid he should bury the child. This we.n in the
Bement got up and went out aSnUt day light and he came lAA
again and gut into bed. She looked in the cupboard in the
morning and found the body had been removed.
Supt. Hunt apprehended Scott, when she admitted Axial
Incest delivered of a child, and hearing it cry. Nob,olv "!
prinient but Bement, and he took the infant away. He et
to Bement, who told him he had buried it in sand on th.
common. There the body wan found.
P.C. Reeks said that on the 17th inst. when he was eoneer'
this Robert Mamma to the gaol, ttie prisoner enquired of h" how the female prisoner wee getting on. He told him she
'cry ill. lissemit replied, •• I am afraid It will go hard with
her, and that she will not get over it.' He also mid, "1 ern
very sorry that I did not take the child out of the emeet wiro
I heard it cry, and than I should have been clear of this Job."
Dr. Crabb gave it an kin opinion that the child was born alive.
One of the eym had bees) partly gouged out and the face and
none were injured by blows.
The prisoner. declined to my anything in their
defence, and they were committed to the Pools Osol
to take their trial at the next amines at Dorchester on admire
of "Wilful Murder."

BRIDPORT.
LOCAL BOARD RAMA. —cAS of the Iwo rate Is uncollected,
sod defaulters are VJ be ausnosteted. A new eightpenny rate LI
ordered.