The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-12-24 00:00:00

Debonishire.

CHARGE OF UtiEDDM.—At the Exeter Assists on
Wedgies Iny, before Mr. Justice Williams, Sued&
Shephtrd was indicted for the wilful murder of Mary
Ann Ashton, at Stocklond, on the 26th of October.
Mr. Cotter And Mr. here prosecuted; and Mr. H. T.
Cole defended the prisoner. Thin was achargeof wilful
murder, but different in its details from most other
uses The murder was said to have arisen from various
acts of omission as well an commission. The prisoner
wan the wife of a labouring loan. They had both been
married before. By her first bookend the prisoner had
• daughter. whose death was the subject of the present
inquiry. The deeetoed was about 18 years GI age. She
ocsanionally went out to servioe, bat was at nations
times at home with her mother. After Midsummer
last several persons had conversation with the prisoner,
who was told that her daughter Mary Aim was enceinte;
when the orismier inid, if it nhoold prove to be so, no
one should conic near her until she was dead, that she
would not put • flour near tier, and no one eke should
so long as she was living. One person asked if she
thought her (the prinunerbs) husband was the father of
the child. The prisoner replied, "No ;" but she was
afraid something was wrong, as she thought her
husband lint more feeling for her daughter than for her.
On the 26th of October the prisoner went into M.
Stack's, • chemist, at Honiton, about 4 o'clock in the
afternoon, and asked for some smelling-salts, and then
asked for something for her daughter, who, she said,
had just been confined—The chemist asked the prisoner
where she lined—She said at Stockland, which
was sir ndles from lioniton.—The cheudst asked it she
had left any one with her daughter.—The prisoner
replied that she bad left four women and a midwife
with her daughter, who had bud a fainting lit. This
was untrue, as no one was left with her daughter.—The
prisoner said the child was dead. She called in a mid.
wife about one o'clock the next morning, as she said, te
usdit in the confinement, but upon going to Use
prisoner's house the milwife found the girl deed, and
that she had been so for several hours, as well an the
child. It was. therefore, alleged that the prisoner bad
purposely allowed her daughter to die from neglect, and
thot this, conoled with the peinoner's expressions,
nn ..... wed to the crone of murder, ben:our, if she un.er-
took o• toy, an, by resis iu of want of skill or care, she
ilo•de,th of another, she •ould be guilty either
Of murder or ticilialauglitter.— Mr. Cole sub ~, i . tied that
there 11(1 s.c I' go ti/ the jury—The Judge said,
.4 course lie had ron,tlend it, mud lie throat.' tell the
I II". jury 01.4 if they thought that the daughter Was
sing with her mother, nod yrs token in labour, it
wan duty to she all realion-bla sore to I.roure
...i-taote, aril ifs r ttrtl to du so it au minted to
l in o iolotori ter ; I ie. if r.oirasarr, he should rr.oeve the
—Mr. Cole theti urger' that, as the deceased awe
em•ipipatell, the IHOther lean u t obliged to render
sudelonee, hot the %it-hood's dame ter hod put the cue
out of conrt.—The Judge {(11•1 Ile 111111(uld lease the whole
• to tie ury, and would rearne anything that
loiglt, - Tie pity tumid the primmer guilty
of ostaitalaughter.- The Judge told the pri 00000 er that
lie had reoerved a point of low for the connideration
thin and it would be urged at the earliest coil-
Venieut opi.etiwity, and be should therefore respite the
smit.ence.

MART Nawitt.L.—This noted individual vim ma-
tenord at the II ddleaea delusions on Toraday 10
.111
iouathe irepriwoweat with eard labour. tee Melo(
mar* apparel, lie,