The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-08 00:00:00

MURDER OF A CHILD BY ITS MOTHER.

A coroner's inquest was held on Friday, at Liverpool.
upon the body of an infant, the ninth child of a an 'Tried
woman, named Roukiuson. The nature of the case is fully
displayed in the following evidence :
John Ikelkinson deposed-1 am a brewer (monocrat
for Mr. Copeland), and reside at No. 21, Rigby-
street. The deceit-eel, whose name was William Rod-
kinson, was my son. lie was teem weeks old.
The prisoner is my wife. We have had eight chid ircn,
three of whom are dead. About five minutes rut siz
o'clock yesterday morning I got up, and left the prisoner is
bed, anti the deceased with her. Another little child, three
years old, was in the same room, in another bed. Flu
night before the occurrence the prisoner ate a very hearty
supper, and appeared all right then, and we went to bed.
During the night she (his wife) awoke me and tail she MU
dying, and desired me to veil up the children. I did to,
and sent for a doctor. lie ordered some brandy,
which was given, and she came round. I returced
to bed, had a nap,,awelre re Biz o'clock, when Igo: up.
The prisoner then appeared quite rational, only comelained
of a headache. I went down into the kitchen to wash my-
self, at.il, whilst doing eo, I heard my daughter screaming
out " father !" and also • woman named Kenyee, who
lodges in my Louse, screaming. I immediately ran up
stairs; and, on going into our bedroom, I saw my :little
child's throat cut. Ile appeared to bo dead, and wi.s lying
on the floor. The prisoner was standing on the floor, in her
night dress. She had a knife in her baud (the cum pro-
duced, an ordinary table knife, and not the leak.: stained
with blood), which she threw under the bed. As I was
going up stairs, I met nay daughter and Mrs. Kenyon coin-
ing down. I got hold of the prlienier, and held her, and
asked her what she had been doing. She made nu reply,
but asked me to let her go, and etruirgled with me. I told
my daughter to run fur a doctor, and whilst I was
holding the prisoner ho came. The prise nor re.id to
the doctor that she had done it, and that Mrs.
Kenyon had persuaded her to do it the day
before, and had sharpened the knife for her, and that
Richard (Mrs. Kenyon 's husband) would take it to the
brewery, and get quit of it. A policeman was called in and
the prisoner taken into custody. About fourteen or fifteen
years ago the prisoner was very ill, after her conficercent.
She was then quite out of her mind, and was so for about
thirteen weeks. At this time she had two women to watch
her. She got better, and I never saw her in the some way
again after any other confinement. She got over the last
confinement very well, and I did not perct iv, any thin; in
her manner to lead me to think she was going to have an
attack like the first.

The prisoner was told by the coroner that she might ask
the witness any questions she pleased, but she declined,
saying, " No; it's all right."
Jane Kenyon was the next witness examined. She said—
I am the wife of Richard Kenyon. We lodged in the Wise
of the last witness. Yesterday morning, about one o'clock,
1 was awakened by the daughter of the prisoner ealiing
me to come to her. I got up and went to her in the
bed-room of the prisoner. Her husband was holding
her, and she said she was dying. and that the baby beside
her had been dead for some time. I lifted the baby up,
but he was fast asleep, and appeared quite well. I caid to
the prisoner, " Don't get such foolish thoughts into your
head—the baby is here.' I took the deceased downstairs,
and gave him some food. I then returned to the rcoin of
the prisoner, and found that the doctor was with her. She
could not speak, and appeared to he in a fit. She got
better, and about three o'clock I returned to bed. My
husband went out about five o'clock. About a quarter to
seven I heard the prisoner's daughter call out, " Mrs. Ken-
yon, my mother wants you." I went into the prisoner's
room. She met me near the door, with the knife n,w pro-
duced in her hand. She said, " See what I have done :it
will be no mere hungered." I saw the child on the
door, in a pool of blood, and I saw that his throat was cut.
I shrieked, and rushed down stairs. I have known the
prisoner for about fourteen months, and during that time 1
'never saw anything in her manner or conduct to ad me to
think that she was out of her mind ; but I thought the ap-
peared rather low at times.
Hannah Hodkinson deposed—l am the daughter of John
Hodkinson, and am fifteen years of age. The night before
last I went to bed about nine o'clock. I slept in the same
room with my father and mother. 1 slept in a bed with a
younger sister. My father and mother came at the sante
time. My mother then appeared very well. During the
night I was awoke by hearing my mother saying that she
was ill. I got up and lighted a candle, and then went back
to bed and fell asleep. I got up about eight. My father
had then gone down stairs. My mother was then awake,
and was giving the desessed the breast. I told her I would
go down and make some "pobbies" for the baby, and my
mother said " Very well." I was only down stairs about
ten minutes, andon my return to the bed-room I saw the
baby on the fieor with his throat cut. My mother was
standing on the floor. She had a knife in her hand. I
asked her what she had done it for, but she did not say any-
thing.
Dr. William Thorbum examined—l was sent for about
seven o'clock. There was nothing stated, but I think I
was called to see the mother. I found the prisoner in bed,
and her husband holding her down, in a state of great ex-
citement. The child was on the floor, lying in a pool of
blood, with the head nearly separated from the body. The
mother (the prisoner) owned immediately that "she had
done it," and she was labouring nadir the delusion that her
family would come to want, and she would destroy them.
The Coroner—Did she use the word delusion

il;:iiiorl;Orniteaaiiihrtshereir,.tterdhat she had
not destroyed all the other children ; that she would have
done so if she could have caught them. She repeatedly
owned that she felt no regret at what she had already done;
that they would all come to wont, and, therefore, she would
destroy them.
The Coroner—When you saw her, did you think thnt she
was out of her mird ?
Dr. Therburn—No ; I think not at that time, neither is
she now.
In answer to a question from the coroner, Dr. Thorburu
said that death must have been instantanems.
The Coroner—Where did you find tke knife >
Dr. Thorburn—lt was lying upon the floor, and was
covered with blood. Afterwards I gave it to the police•otficer.
(The knife was lying on the table, perfectly polished ]
Coroner—Who cleaned the knife ?

Dr. Thorburn —The girl. She asked if she might clean
the floor, and I said she could, and, on turning round, I
found that she bad cleaned the knife also.

The Coroner (to the husband of the prisoner)-1111 ycu
oectsion to use a knife in the heroom ?
Witness—No, sir.
Coroner—Theo you don't know how she got posses,icn
of it? _ .

Witness - Yoe there were fa, linirci out of hiP-a-
diren that we did not use.
The C,roner milled upon the prisoner, f she could, to
produce any witnemsa Inter behalf. She declined to do
so, and then the Cur finer summed up the evidence. and
the jut) icuoil a yeriii.it of " Wilful murder.
The l'rrentr was Ilia committed.

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