The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-07-25 00:00:00

DEMOTING • CHILD AT 'AltarLan.

Harrid Scott, 26, seamstress, of Imperfect education,
arid Robert Bewail, 25, labourer, (duo ednostion, were
charged with the wilful murder of the female child of
the arid prisoner, at Lonelleet, on July 13, 1870.
Other mints charged them with manslaughter, and
with ooneselment of the birth.
. .

_
The female prisoner was apparently net yet very
strati, and she crouched on a seat, writhing as the
more painful parte of the evidence were given, and fre-
quently moaning aloud.
Mr: Collins prosecuted, and his Lordship asked Mr.
Si. Aubyn to defend.
Mr. Collins staled that the female prisoner livei at
Longflael with her mother, and the male prisoner kept
company with her and lived in the same house with her
mother and herself. Her mother bed caked Scott pre-
viously whether she was in the family way, but she
denied it, On the 13th July she WU very ill, and a
neighbour saw her go into a place near her mother's
house, and this attracts.d her suspicions. The male
primmer also went into the placie, but no ono interfered
for some time, till after they had left, but about two
hours mtbmquenUy another person vent into the pleas,
and found it had been newly washed. An examina-
tion was made below the seat, and the body of a newly
born female child was taken from the soil, The female
prisoner was there when it was found, and she took it
np, *anted it into her house, and put it in • place
where they kept clothes; but Beasant afterwards took
It away and buried it in sand. Information was given
to the polies, and the day after, the Superintendent of
Pollee called at the house, and having cautioned Scott,
asked her if she hail been rioufined of • child, when she
said, "I may ma weU tell you the truth about it, for I
have had no pesos of mlnd since. On Wednesday night
while I was sitting on the seat, the child was born. I
had thought it was dead, for I had felt very little of it
for the last two month+ ; but I know now that It vu
not dead, for I heard it cry. There was no one with
me at the time but Robert Bessant, tall no one put a
latod to assist me, not even myself." Bement was
charged with concealing the birth of the child, and in a
conversation made a statement to the same effect as the
female prisoner. He said that while he was with her
In the closet the child was born, and he knew it was
alive because he heard It cry. She wished him to take
It away, and he did so and buried it. He told the
pollee where the body was and, a short distance from
the mother's house, an ox:mination was mad., and the
body found buried in sand on a heath. Dr. Alfred
Orabb, of Poole, examined it, and gave it as his opinion
that it wee born alive, and that the umbilical cord was
severed with • sharp cutting instrument ; it 11111.1 not
tied. After remarking on the duty of the jury, Mr.
Collins called the following witnesses:—
Marina Winsar, of Great Heart-lane, Longlieet, near
Poole, said the female prisoner lived next door but one
to her. On the evening of Wednesday, July 13, 1870,
she observed in the house where the prisoner lived a
light going backwards and forwardv, at nine at night,
to a closet not many steps from the Louse. She heard
prisoner tell her mother to go indoors. About 12 she
went to the closet, and noticei that the floor was wet
with waters On the next evening witness went to the
privy with prisoner's sister and some neighbours. They
took the seat from the privy, and found the dead body
of • child. When 11 was taken out, the female pri-
soner took it up and carried it indoors, wrapped in a
Moth.
_

Catherine Scott, mother of prisoner, had lived at
Loneliest about two years before July, 187 i). Her
daughter lived with her and took In work. The prisoner
&smut had lodged with them, sad had kept company
with the daughter about a twelvemonth. In the house
there is only one bedroom, with two beds—herself, the
female prisoner, and a little boy, slopt in one bed, and
the male prisoner and her son in the other, but there
was a curtain between. In July she thought her
daughter was in the family way; but she denied It.
On the 13th her daughter was ill, and Robert Beacant
was there. She said she wee very relaxed and went to
the olosct more than once. Wither went out, and
prisoner told her to go in. Beasant, she believed, was
with her daughter, and he went to get some brandy for
her. When she saw her daughter again she was very
poorly. She slept with her that night, and Bement
slept behind the partition. Neat day bar daughter was
way ill. As they were at tea, the body of a female ohlld
was brought in and put in a cupboard. With.,. told
Robert &want to take it to the cemetery. She after-
wards looked In the cupboard and the body was gone.
film afterwards removed the afterbirth, but did not
know !hat It was.

-Bt-eplliTsl--Iftuli.,—superintendent of police at Poole, on
Ratnr&y. 16th July, went to Lonelen, and found
Harriet Boob sitting In, char. He said "Well Miss
Boob, I suppose you know our business here." She
odd "I think I do; I've been expecting you." He
cautioned her not to criminate herself, and then said
" You've lately been delivered of a child" She replied
"Yes, I may as well tell you the truth." and she added
that site had had no poses of mind. She sald that on
Wednesday afternoon she went into the Own, and
while she was sitting on the seat, she was confined.
" Wo one was with beret the limo, but Robert Haunt,
and no one assisted her, not even herself. But she
thought the child was dead, as she had felt little of it
forth, past too months; but she knew it was pot dead,
as she heard it cry. Robert Beaman afterwards assisted
her indoors, and had taken the child and buried it some-
where, the believed, but she did not know where. Wit-
ness left sergeant Breton in *barge, and went to a pub&
bona', ken by a man named Whittle, where he found
Boseent, and charged him with aiding in concealing the
birth of a newly born &lid of Harriet Scott. Ile replied
that he know nothing about it, when witness cautioned
Lien, Ha said he should like to an the girl, and they
took him there. They went upstairs where the girl
was in bed, and she said "Oh Robert, you have
brought me to something now." Ro said ',a I. a bad
lob. and lam very sorry for it" As they were going
so Poole, Baalant said " What shall I say when I get
there?" Witness and " You need not say anything
when you get there not even to ms," when Banat said
mighkas well tell you the truth. On Wednesday last
I was at the house of Harriet Scott. She was very
poorly; I went away to gel some brandy, and when I
same bask, I found her in the noon. While I was with
Los there, the child was born. I know it was alive, for
I heard it cry. I afterwards assisted her indoors, she
wished me to take the child away and bury it, and I did
en. It yoe'll go with we, I'll show you the spot where
I betted the &Rd." He turned round and pointed
arrow the heath and said "If you'll go on the hill,
you'll Lad where sand hos lately been removed. Wit-
DWI took him to Poole. left him at the station, fetched
Dr. Orahth and went to ficott's house. lie afterwards
veal 6° 'at ipet pointed out, with sergeant Breton,
led found viten sand had been removed, and found the
Trni•Phe th nutting. Osoneramined by Mr. Bk.
AnbYht Tim Pgiv,7 was an ordinary one, and the &Oh
ben the son to the aral shoat 2 fad, and the moil about
Isor feat deep.
Dr.A, Orabit. FR,cA. part physician at Poole
saw the Prist"l at ""tieet arid found she
bad boss delivered of a child. Site was tans to the
yak.. Next do withal' bade rte
swahaike d tha onlild,whloh wee over a ponmont the ilith month.
The body was well elevated and the Image thaaaaa,m„
pained. Then was a bruise on the lied-
V
Illtrok home, and the nab of the month ant s. nt am
web lio. If it had falba 2 hot to the soil. it would an have one thole mails. Weft it bad slink some
foreign body. It was ask that than Injuries
mot 2.1010•Pt7 nilllidaywe,blica tee ; but hi did not
Ai& IS greande, they must have bon
dose la Mat mesa. Yoe and bed lam be naparasea bellond 'by &sharp
god the pine saifa dtadylasimumnsh. and not tied.
mins *sum: sMwt epsell:4b4s..l:Z Th.
The Mrs Only diebnied. sad every peek Sege& He
the and was bars an. sad had Why
=Thin onfdlytinesont for lb death,
Os oaMiag awl id al Ilks net and lb.