The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-06-22 00:00:00

HORRIBLE CABE OF INFANTICIDE NEAR
WIEBORNE.

Within about • mile and a half from the Wlmborne
station of the South Western Railway, and dose to
Content bottom in the parish of Hampreston is the
residence of Lieut.-Col. Paget. The district forms part
of that range of hills formerly known by the name of
Cole bill or Middle bill, but now called Park Homer.
Near Mr. Paget's residence is the National Scbooll.room,
of which during the past four years • young unmarried
woman named Emma Pitt, daughter of Mr. Pitt, of
Wit:thorns, and sister to the late relieving officer of the
district, has acted as schoolmistress. Till within a
short period, it would appear, this young person has
conducted herself as befitted the responsible situation
she filled, but unhappily, during the last few months,
the gossips of the neighbourhood had something to tell
of more exciting than usual, and their surmises proved
too true, for on Tuesday evening but the dead body of
a male child was found concealed in a bed room at the
icbool house, of which there tone doubt she was the
mother. Information of the discovery was given to
Mr. Hammond, deputy chief constable, and superin.
tendent of the division, who immediately had the body
removed to the police-station, and on Wednesday
evening an inquest was held on the body at the
Cricketer's Arms Inn, Winaborne, before A. White-
head, Esq., deputy-coroner, and a highly respectable
jory. The otily witnesses were Mr. Deputy Chief
Constable Hammond, sod P.C. Adams,
Mr. Hammond stated that Noon after eight o'clock
on the previous evening he received information that
the body of a newly born male child had been found in
the National school-room at Park Homer. He went
to the place, and found the full-developed body of a
male child, on which there were marks of violence on
the mouth. lie afterwards had the body removed to
the polioe-station. So short • time had elapsed that he
now applied for an adjournment.
P.S. Adams was Pilled to prove that the body of the
child before the jury was the same as found in the
school-room.
The inquest was then adjourned till Friday evening
at seven o'clock, when T. Rawlins, Esq., the
coroner. conducted the examination. Before taking
the evidence, Mr. Rawlins, addressing the jury, said
that the ease was one of the most p info' that had
occurred for many years in the neighbourhood, and ex.
premed his satisfaction that the Superintendent had
selected nen who, by their station in life and general !
knowledge, were so well fitted to discharge what must
be a sery painful duty. He trusted that they would,
after heaing the evidence, be guided in giving such •
vs, diet as would be oonsistent with the oath they had taken
Mr. Hammond was the first witness called, and re-
peated the mime statement as he had given on Wed-
nesday evening.
P.C. Adams stated that he went with Mr. Hammond
to the school-house at Park Homer. and saw the body
of a male child in a drawer in the bedroom where the
schoolmistress resided. He also found • large stone on
the fourth stair from the top, which he produced. The
stone was covered with blood, which was wet. By Mr,
Hammond's direction, he conveyed the body to the
police-station at Winthorne, and placed it in one of the
cells, where it remained all night, and was the nest day
shown to Mr. Druitt, the surgeon. The child's mouth
was open as wide as It could be, as it laid in the drawer.
He looked into the mouth, but could not see any tongue.
The next morning he made • closer examination of the
body, but could not see any tongue or the appearance
of one. Mr. Drain examined the body in his presence,
after which witness went *gain to the school.bouse, an
made a further search, and found the tongue of • child,
wrapped up in • piece of blue ribbon, enclosed in two
pieces of rag and • small cloth, and pissed at the
opposite end of the drawer to where he found the body.
No one'had mimes to the room from the time be brought
the body away till he found the child's tongue. Saw
the stone on the stairs before he went into the room.
It was lying in • comer of the stairs. Did not believe
that the blood .on it fell off any one coming down
the stairs.
Elisabeth Parsons, wife of Joseph Persons, baker of
Hatnprcaton, Meted that on Tuesday about half-past 12
o'clock, the was sent for by • pupil teacher of the
school, named Julia Guy, to see KW Pitt. She went
and found her in her bed-room, kneeling on the floor
with her head resting on the bed. She said she wee ill,
and was suffering from dial-sheen By her request
witness sent home to Mob some ginger to put in • Wile
gin, and sent it by Julia Gay. Wither went in again
about half-pest one, when she found Miss Pitt lying on
the bed very ill. She went, by her request, home again
to fetch &little brapdy. and on her return found her in
the Bitting room below, seated on a low stool. She was
still very IU and witness supported her whilst she drank
the broody. Miss Pitt then said she was better, and
would Ito up stairs and lie down again and did so, witness
returning home. A little after three o'clock one of the
scholars came and asked her to make governess • cup of
tea. She did so end took it to her about belf.peet three,
finding her in her bedroom. She was, however, too ill
to take it. At four o'clock Julia Gay mune to witness's
house and told her she need not come in again as
governess was better and was going home, and in con-
sequence she did not go again till five o'olock, when she
found the front door bolted within and the keys in the
door outside. She thee went to the back door which
she found open, and on entering heard a loud knock
which appeared as if some one had fallen, and a faint
moan. Thinking that Miss Pitt had fallen out of bed,
alter waiting about hats minute witness went upstairs,
and as the was going up the bedroom door was
peaked together. In reply to her, Miss Pitt
mul "Bad I mu, Mrs Parsons, very," and in reply
to her, Miss Pitt said she would like a cup of tea.
Witness went to get it, and on her return found Miss
Pitt down staira She drank three cups of tea and Ate
art of a biscuit, and said she should walk home.
Witness endeavoured to dissuade her,einhdldattalairset
he
asked if the boy in witness's employ hh
hoses in the cart. Witness then went for her husband
who took Mies Pitt home. She and her daughter
helped
she believed
rPhiattt
hhintoh
htle
been
confined. Miss
wilhiahrt she saw
d her to lock the school room_ door. She
did told
dthls gave
dohltrer th,the khosyosh,anudthbyeyMwierese Pirate: request
she
and her daughterhorehtheernrottoh
by the beak or psitairsh"e,hw7ll3 they and
found
saturated with blood. She sanL
thezin
Colonel Paget's housekeeper. opening
foriMors.dßrhirwat;
ana ataa ad. Her slaughter felt its
iltsheylegietawan Ike
dth—ouiht from
the
re
heabZinewhwertheiyt
were
ilive. She
horrified to ettathureheerlieod flowing from one side
fromof It. mouth, and the ohnthaerhha
hdessfampouwthh. nhrherhehhwerren.
also bruises on the
(w/nereloomhah,king
hfhohrytbfri:h.....,lnstruh rineltwaLtstlThwoteireahthwethustaieblowcdtnohdrts:
mime P"da4" by P.C.
it they placed it in the same
it, and alter esamislinf
it On her husband's return
p•Mtloo es that an.fouptl hi, whet they had seen, and
Ihr"n„ theWeiminebaelle sodd --
st gae information to the police. The
In iheedrawer in the same state till the !
Peb.sm" as" deaghter of tbe last witness, folly
Sarah Seem of
eta lenient as to the finding of
meer"d b.ee
m also
sh- Said that Miss Pitt was taken away
the body.and that it Image have been fully
abb°ragf site' five,
-freM the time they re-entered the house
till theysew the bogy, as illrnßirch did not mime
till solos
time a she
t*/ woe not for.
r enother's !statement as ho the
Bb. also confirmed he
b retained f telt'
warmth of the child. Her fat et from mg
Pisiatlnhtttiohbonisbeis
jasbodutht
es
bqaduartarathhto
drerandseven.
thles.o77;
hors
stailaadriewiatiehedrer righer weab"Mvarssersadthanthemanblyol4ttwte.