The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-17 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

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AT Tll TOILDMAIL.

Har►iet Nelson, 27, described in the calendar u will
educated, was indicted for unlawfully refusing and ne-
glecting to maintain her infant child. She was further
charged with having injured such child by leaving it ex-
pand to the inclemency of the weather in a state of naked-

Mr. Le Breton appeared for the proeetatioa, oa behalf of
the guardians of the Strand Union.
From the evidence of several witnesses examined by the
learned counsel, it appeared that on the 28th of November,
the prisoner, being at that time an inmate of the workhouse
of the Strand Unions, was delivered of an illegitimate female
child, and just a month afterwards, on the 28th of Decem-
ber, she discharged herself, and left, taking with her the
child, which was provided with warm and comfortable
clothing suitable for its age. Oa the afternoon of the same
day, she found her way, in the compare y of another woman,
to a public-house near Wych-street, Strand, and she re
mained there until about sin the evening, when she left,
stating that she should go to a friend of hers, a Mr..
Jennings, in Long Acre, for the night, and took the child
with her. At that time the child was properly clothed.
About 9 o'clock, &constable of the F division was on duty in
Milford-lane, and on passing through a plats called Grey-
hound-court, he hard what be thought was an indistinct
groan coming from a dark doorway, and on going to the
spot he found a child, quite naked, lying on the ground
with its head in a pool of water, stiff cold, and to all outward
appearance dead. He at once ook the poor little creature

op and hetes it as little exposed es pessible,oonveyed it
to Mr. Duna a, surgeon Norfolk-street, whose assistant,
after about two hours treatment, succeeded In bringing it
to. He pronounced it to be very near dead when it was
brought to him, and the policeman said it bore on Its head
I a mark as if by a kick, or from being thrown down with
violence. After it had recovered it was removed to the
Strand Union. On the 29th, • Mrs. Godwin, who lived at

15, Newcastle-court, and who was in the Prisoner's and
the other woman's company at the publie.house on the
evening of the 28th, met her and asked her about the child,
mime said she had " left it in the are of the person she
dewed with on the previous night," and on the 30th, she said
NEN had left the child again with her friend, who would take
great are of it, but as the friend's husband happened to be at
home that day, she (prisoner) would not be there
herself. On the 4th inst., this woman again met the pri-
mmer, and again asked her about the child, having heard
rumours that it was hers which had been deserted, and
she said she had placed it with a person in Endell-street,
and that it was in good hands. Mrs. Godwin then said
there was a sad report in circulation about the child, and
that she should " stick" to her until she had seen it. The
prisoner wished her to make an appointment for the follow-
ing morning, but she refined, and the prisoner then took
her to a hones in Emden-street and asked her to go up
stairs. She was about to do so when she detected the pri-
soner in an endeavour to escape, and then she said she
would not lases her until she had brought her before the
chewing officer of the Strand Union. That functionary
gave her into custody, and to the constable who took her
she said it was true that the child which was found was
hers, but she did not leave it there—phe was a married
woman, and gave it to a woman named Mills, who lived in
Villiers-street, to take care of, but no such person could be
found. The constable who found the child stated that
when he picked it up the water in which it had been lying
was frozen on its head.
The prisoner, when called upon for her defence, simply
said she did not do it.
The Assistant Judge said the ease appeared to be so clear
that he really did not know how to sum it up.
The jury found the prisoner Guilty.
The Assistant Judge said it was a case of very great
cruelty, and had not about it one single redeeming point.
In some such cases commiseration might be felt : for in-
stance, where the esteems poverty or misfortune of the
mother was the cause of such conduct ; but this unfeeling
woman thought fit to discharge herself from the work-
house, where both she and the child were well provided for,
and then on a cold, wintry night stripped her child of
every article of its warm clothing, and left it to perish.
The sentence was that she be imprisoned in the House of
Correction for twelve calendar months, and he way only
sorry that he could not impose hardiabour upon has.
William AM*, 13, Georg* Grey, 15, and That Mr-
pAy, 14, were indicted for stealing_ 211)s. of lead, the pro-
perty of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, and Bliss-
MA Gating., 50, was indicted for feloniously receiving the
same, well knowing it to have been stolen. Aldin aid
Murphy pleaded guilty.
Mr. Clarkson appeared for the prosecution. Mr. Metcalfe
and Mr. Lawrence appeared for °filings.

It appeared that the lead had beau stolen from property
belonging to the deem and chapter in Vett:hall-bridge.
road. The primmer Murphy took the lead to a marine
store shop kept by the female prisoner, to sell, but • police-I
rasa who was oa the watch iaterposed before legally the
receiving was completed, and therefore that charge fall to
O. ground. There wee no evidence eg.ainet Gray.
Under the direction of the court, the jury Acquitted Gray

- -
and Oillinge.
The Assistant Judge sentenced Alan and Murphy each
to two year.' hard labour, with the view of their being
admitted to the institution at Besibill. He said he was
very sorry at the result as regarded the female prisoner, for
it was clear she had encouraged these boys; and had the
policeman waited till the bargain was complete, the ease
would have been quite clear, and he should most un-
doubtedly have sent her to penal servitude for eight years.
No crime could he worse than inciting boys to become
thieves. The police would keep a sharp look out apse her
ship.
Yr. Clarkson said upwards of 8001bs. of lead had been
stripped off the property in question, and it war only the
belief that this woman been engaged la the traffics that
Induced this prosecution.
Robert Foster, 63, and Williams Poster, 17, father sad
eon, were indicted for having stolen a quantity of dram
glasses, the property of James Powell, the employer of the
younger prisoner. The latter was also indicted for stealing
and the other for receiving.
Mr. W. J. Payne appeared for the prosecution ; 311 k.
Horry far the de.
The prosecutor was a dealer in glass, 78, Loeg-sere, and
the younger prisoner was his erread-boy. Oa the 30th
December the boy was detected pilfering a "half-go" de-
eladiff, and he at ones said he should not have dose Mr but
hr bb father and mother. At the father's lodgings they,
hued some dram drew, which the bey bed steam ea a
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