The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-10-02 00:00:00

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

At the Middlesex 'tensions, Annie Cummings, alias Finch
aged 25," married," was indicted for abandoning and exposing
a ch Id named Ellen Mary Cluninings, tieing under the nge
of two years, whereby the life of such child WAS endaingere.l.
This was a very extraordinary case, as the following outline
will show:'—
It appeared that at about half past ten o'clock
on the night of the sth of July. a by named
Henry Cleverty was passing along Gloucester-road,
Brompton, and in the ilornivay or a house he saw
a bundle which he picked up. and on opening it found
that it contained a female infant, wrapped up in a
night-gown and a piece of old flannel. He took the
child to the police-station, and it was afterwards sent
to the Kingsington workhouse. In the workhouse the
child wan attendsd by Mrs. Weathgrshead, one of the
nurses in the sick ward, awl elle gave it an her decided
opinion that the child had liven I irug:ed with genie very
powerful narcotic, as it sUpt for up wards of a week,
and during that time when she wanted to give it food
she was compelled to shake it violently to at all Brum
it from the stupor it was in. The child lan ins very
dirty condition, and presented all the appearance of
having been starved.
The matter was then placed in the hands of Detective
Troughron for inquiry, and from information he re-
ceived he went to 72, Highfield-road, Broniption, where
the prisoner was living, and mired her if she hail not
registered a child in the name of Ellen Mary Cum-
mings. She replied "Yes," aid he then asked to see
it, and she said she had not got it, and. in answer to
his question where it was, she paid. "I- Kent.' He
then took fir into enworly on the • r .
It appeared that the prisoner Ii . , . .. ~ Mrs.
Eagle, of .31, Rectory-pare, Fulham. bum the 22nd of 1
February iii! the 21st of June, when she went to live '
at 30, Rectory-place, next door to Mrs. Eagle's, %vial
Mrs. Burgess, where she remained till about the
middle of August. While at Mrs. Eagle's, on the 10th
of April, the prisoner said she had been confined, and
showed Mrs. Eagle a child, which did not seem to for
newly-born. The child was not nursed by the prisoner,
and Mrs. Eagle stated she believed the child found and
1 taken to the Kensington Workhouse to be the one she
had seen with the prisoner.
Mary Elizabeth Jackson, who had been in. a fort-
, , night with the prisoner while she was at Sirs. Eagle's,
' i and worked for her and attended to the child, at once

deiced out the child, which was fouud among others at
NVorkhotee, and identified it as the child she had
‘sown as the prisoner's, and which she said also had
s toes drawn us. Mrs. Burgess said that when the
traveler came to live with her she had a child with her
shout two months old, but this witness could not soy if
he child found on the sth of July was the same. Oi
tie sth of July, as Mrs. Burgess believed, the prisoner
steam out with the child, leaving word for her husband
that she had gone to Chelsea, and returned about half-
molt eleven at night, without the child. On being asked
'iy her husband where she had token the child, she said
he should not tell him, and that she felt its going as
much as he did. She had previously said she
.was
4oing to send the child away into the country. On the
night she took the child away Mrs. Burgess and Jack-
-ion went to the Cheliit railway station, expecting from
whit she had said to see her there, but dirt ii it. Two
;. tters which the prisoner had admitted to be in her
haudwriting were put in evidence. One of them was
s 'dressed as follows :

"To Y. 0: It, a liar.; post office. 1101 born, W. C. To
01. ft till called for.*

It bore the poet mark June 24, 1869, and we re.
, irowl (not having been called for) on the 21.4 of July.
'he enehature we.; SM follows

" A., care of Mrs. Eaelo, M, Reetory.plare, name. To
V. 0. If the writer will meet me at Bishop's road railway
tatlon, first-class waithig room, on Thursday or Friday
vetoing, half-past eight, you will oblige. Please write at
ince, that I may get a letter bef..re coming, so as to he in
one It most he this week. No questions will be asked.—
r'imes, Se ,A. W. Address as 'Move, which will he for-
:arded."