The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-12 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGBNCB.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—LeccAsTr.a, Auo. 9.

CllO.ll Cover.—Bet oat ifs. Strict WIGII MAN.
Jane biases. aged 19, was charged with having, at Fins-
thwaite, wilfully murdered her infant male child.
Mr. Blair appeared for the proescution, and Mt. Overend
defended the prisoner.
It appeared that the prisoner bad been in the service of
Mrs. Burns, of Back Barrow, since Whitsuntide, I&i2, and
remained till Feb. 18.53. For some time previous to that
her mistress had socosed her of being in the family way
many times, which she always denied moat positively, but
said that she had previously been ill but had got better.
On the evening of Feb. 12 Mrs. Burn's suspicions were most
strongly seated, and on stating them to the prisoner, she said
that she bad better go home. This she did not do, and the
neat morning she found her very unwell in the kitchen,
leaning against the boiler. She then ordered the prisoner
to go to bed, and repeated her suspicions as to her con-
dition, which the prisoner still denied. Mrs. Burns then
sent fur a Mrs. Newby, who sometimes acted as a ired site ;
and on her arrival .8 asked the prisoner, who was in bed,
how she was. She replied that she was poorly. Mrs. New-
by then said, " Yon have done as many foolish girls have
done before." This the prisoner denied, and witness re-
plied, " You can't deceive nie." Mrs. Newby then ex-
amined her, and found that she had been delivered; and
then a policeman was sent for, who searched the house, and
in the privy under the soil he found the body of • full-
grown male child. The of then went to the prisoner,
who said that the child had been born the night before in
her flannel petticoat on the chamber floor, and that she did
not know whether it was alive or not, sash, did not feel it
then, and there was no light, and she could not see. Her
room was then searched, end in it were found two little shirt
bodies and a cap Mr. Henry Settle, a surgeon at Newenton,
examined the body with Mr. Gibson. At first they did not
perceive any marks of violence. It weighed 6:b , and mea-
sured 20 inches. The umbilical cord had been torn, the
lungs were very buoyant, the pulmonary vessels were full
of blood, and circulation had been perfectly established.
On removing the scalp them was a commove on the head
and extravasation of blond, and fhe external tassels of the
brain were congested. The contusion bad been caused by
• blow.

_ .
On cross-examination, the surgeon stated that the oon.
cu,sion would have stopped the action of the heart, which
would have created less effusion of blood. The coutution
on the head might have been produced by the child falling
on the floor at its birth. The external congestion might
have arisen from protracted labour.
Mr. 0 d addressed the jury for the prisoner, and at
the outset confessed that so far as regarded the conceal-
ment of the birth of the child, the prisoner must be found
guilty, but contended that there was no evidence what-
ever upon which they could fled her guilty of wilful
murder of her child. None of the evidence proved that the
child was alive when it was put into the privy; the little
clothes ha I been found, showing that she had a mother's
feelings. It was clear that the child might have died in
the act of parturition by falling on the floor.
The jury returned a verdict of Guilty of concealing the
birth.

1114 lordship sentenced her to be imprisoned for six calen-
dar months.

MCHDER, AND SENTENCE OF DEATH.

Richard Perkier, aged .50, was indicted for having, at
Ilambleton, or, the 20th of April last, wilfully murdered
Betty Pedder.
Mr. Aston prosecuted, and Mr. Blair defended the pri-
soner.

It appeared that nn the night of the 19th of April two
men, named George Blackburn and William Bwarbrick,
went into the Shovels Inn, in liambleton, when the pri-
soner, who we, in liquor, came in about a quarter past six,
and haying sat down, asked for • glue of beer, and said,
"I've killed our Bat." The two men upon this left the inn
and went to the prisoner's house, and shouted " Heigh,
Bet ;" but no one answered. They then went to the back
of the house, and in the garden they found the body of the
deceased lying on her back, with her head on one side, her
hand up to the side of her face, and one leg a little drawn
up to the body, and blood on her cheek. Blackburn then
went away, and while Swarbrick was standing by the body,
the prisoner came up. Swarbrick asked him how he did it,
and he (prisoner) said, " I shot her, and I will shoot my-
self." He then fetched a gun out of the house, and got
some potato forks, and fixed them in the ground near the
dead body. He then put the stock of the gun on the
ground, and laid the barrel against the forks, with the
muscle towards himself. The prisoner was at this time I
by himself, as the witness Swarbrick dared not stop with
him any longer, but watched, and saw the prisoner
leave the forks, and go and jamb the butt of the
gun into the bush, with the muzzle towards him. This
he did twice, and then left the gun and went into
the honse. Swarbrick then went to the gun, which
the prisoner had left on the ground, and. trying it with the
ramrod, found that it was loaded, upon which he drew the
charge, and found that it was loaded with No. 2 shot, but
had no cap on. Shortly after the prisoner came out of the
house, and laid himself down by the side of the body, laid
his arm over it, and wept, and after lying about ten
minutes he returned into the house. Swarbrick followed
him into the house, upon which the prisoner asked him
what be wanted ; he lad another gun in his hand, which
he was loading. Two men, named Jackson and Hill, then
came in, and took the gun from the prisoner, and the pri-
soner then went out, and dragged the body into the borne,
and said, " She must not lie in the garden ell night."
The body was then placed on the sofa, and while the
were sitting with the prisoner he said, " I have shot her—l
won't deny it." At half-put eight a policeman named
H. Cooper, who had been sent for, arrived, and found
the deceased dead on the sofa, bleeding from shot
wounds on the left side of the face. The officer
I apprehended him, and the prisoner said, " I did it ; I'll go
I with you quietly." On his way to the station he sail, " I
shot her out of the kitchen window. I took good aim. I
am a capital shot. I ant happy that I did it." The officer
asked him what he had done it for ? and he replied, " I
doa't know." He also said that he aimed at the killing
plate, and shot her dead.
Mr. Blair addressed the jury on behalf of the prisoner.
The jury returned • verdict of " Gailty of Wilful
Murder," but recommended him to mercy.
His nrdship—On what ground, gentlemen ?
The Foreman—The inconsistency of the case.
His Lordship—l do not understand you. Do you mean,
if consistently with justice he can be recommended to
mercy, you wish to recommend him ?
Foreman—Yes.

Ills Lordship put on the black cap and proceeded to pass
sentence of death.
Tie prisoner, who appeared quite unmoved, was then
taken from the dock.

LIVERPOOL, AUG. 11.

At twelve o'clock. the business of these assizes was com-
menced before Mr. Justice Wightmen, in the Crown Court.
His lordship, in charging the grand jury, said he had
been informed that considerable difficulty had been expe-
rienced in forming a grand jury, which he regre:ted, as it
was of great advantage to the public that there should be
always a full attendance of grand jurors. He referred to
the heavy state of the calendar, which contained 124 pri-
soners-7 of whom had been added since printing—and re-
presenting 98 distinct and separate charges, and he had no
doubt, before their labours terminated, they would have
100 cases to diepoto of. Although the state of the
calendar appeared alarming, it became less so in reality,
when the large district, comprising such towns as Liver-
pool and Manchester, was to be considered. There did not
appear to be any diminution in the quantity of crime with
the admitted prosperity of the country, as employment was
ready and wages good. He was certain that ready employ-
ment and good wages had contributed a great deal to the
amount of crime by producing intoxication, and that a great
many of the charges on the calendar would be found to have
commenced in public houses. He next addressed himself
to the five cases of murder which appeared on the calendar
—but there was nothing of importance in his observations.
He concluded by remarking that in the depositions which
came before him from Manchester an important omission
was made. No mention had been made of the prisoner
being asked bad he any statement to make. It was most
important to the ends ofjustice that the prisoner's voluntary
statement should be placed on record, and he hoped the
magistrates of Manchester would alter the practice.
The court then proceeded to try eases.
The grand jury dined with the judges last night, upon
the invitation of Mr. Justice Wightman.