The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-19 00:00:00

SUSPECTED CHILD MURDER.

A young woman, named Sarah Spratt, aged 24
years, wastaken into custody yesterday evening by a police-
constable named Edward Kiddie, No. 480 K, on a
charge of wilfully murdering her male illegitimate
child, on the 17th of April last. She will be
brought before Mr. Partridge, at Oho 'Mamas Polioe-
court, this afternoon, after the hearing of the night
charges. On the day above-named the body of a
male child, nine days old, was discovered on
the drill ground of the Stepney Grammar School,
Tredegar-square, Mile-end, by a Mr. Thomas Valiance,
the drill instructor. The skull was fractured and there
were other marks of violence on the child. A coroner's
inquest was held before Mr. Richards, deputy coroner,
end a jury on the 20th of April, and a verdict
of wilful murder spinet some person or persons
unknown, was returned. The case was put into the hands
of Inspector Kerressey, of the K division, for inquiry, and
he ascertained that the prisoner had given birth to a male
child at a house in Half-paved-court,Salisbury-square, Fleet-
street, on the 7th of April. The was attended
in her ao:oucheinent by Mr. Reed, a respectable
netof Fleet-street. She was seen with the
Bow and the neighbourhood of Tredegar-
square on the 16th of April. The infant was
murdered the same night and thrown over the wall of
the drill gronniL She afterwards told a Mrs. Goodyear, of
el-road, Bow, who is nursing another illegitimate
child of the prisoner's, that the deceased expired in her
arms between Old Ford, Bow, and the Globe
public-house, in the Mile-end-road, and that she
left the body in the street. A black shawl
and a white calico night gown in which the body was
wrapped. have been traced by Inspector Kerreseey to the
Insoner..

The prisoner was in the service of a respectable family at
No. 14, Surrey-grove, Newington, last night, when she was
taken into custody. The father of her illegitimate children
is a Customhouse clerk.

ANOTHER FRESH OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT
FIRE IN THE EAST INDIA DOCKS.—crIiTS DAT.)—The
ortelpossible excitement was caused this (Saturday)
t oon by the outbreak again of the fire in the East India
Docks at Poplar, which a few weeks ago consumed such an
enormous amount of property. Following within a few
hours of the conflagration in Crisp-street hard by, the
inhabitants naturally were much excited. Shand,
Mason and Co.'s land steamers were telegraphed for
from all parts of the metropolis, and several
were at once despatched by Captain Shaw to the
Docks. A powerful land steamer has ever since the com-
mencement of the fire been kept on the quay, but it was
found inadequate to extinguish the fire, which was raging
amongst amongst a vast quantity of jute. The intense
heat of the sun, it is supposed, again caused the material
to be ignited. Eventurily the fire was safely got under,
but by no means entirely extinguished.
WHITSUNTIDE AMUSEMENTS.—The preparations
for the Whitsuntide holiday-makers will be made this
year on the most extensive scale by the proprietors of our
public gardens, for theatrical managers have wisely ceased
to contend with the establishments which offer summer
visitors so many congenial attractions. The principal
novelties which appear in the theatrical programme are
a aired revival, with a strong mist, of the Corsican
Brothers at the Lyceum, and the production of •
posthumous play by the late Mr. Sheridan Knowles, which,
ander the title of A Ininn ; or, True Unto Death, will be
represented on Whit Monday at the Strand Theatre for
the first time. At the other West-end Theatres the pieces
which have already secured possession of popularity will be
continued. All the most attractive places of out-door
recreation have at this season prominently displayed the
extent of their respective resources : and, with the agree-
able change which has taken place in the weather, there
can be no doubt of the enterprise evinced by the proprie-
tor* being readily responded to by thesublia—Era.
DEATH OF MRS. CUSHMAN.—WO deeply regret
to announce the death of Mrs. Cushman, which took place
at Brixton. Surrey, on the 7th inst. Mrs. Cushman, who
was in her 72nd year, was a native of Boston, Massachu-
setts, and some years ago accompanied her two celebrated
daughters, Miss Cushman and the late Mrs. Dr. Sheridan
Muspratt, to England. The late lamented deceased was
largelv endowed with those qualities which attach friends
and command respect. To a cultivated and refined mind
she added a warm heart and great delicacy of feeling,
which rendered her society delightful. She was interred
CO Tuesday, the 10th inst., in the family vault, Smith-
down-lane Cemetery, near LiverpooL—Era.
Nassow ESCAPE.—A Mrs. Stratton, of Little
Buford, was travelling from London on the Great Northern
lailvaY, with her little daughter, on • visit to friends in
the country, and as the train passed Little Barford shewas
anxious that the child should see where its grandfather
lead. She took it on her lap, and as they passed the place
h leant on the carriage door, which opened, and the child
fell out. There were two engines attached to the train,
and on arriving at St. Neot's one was sent back in search
of the child. Some platelayers had discovered it lying
dawn the embankment, and were completely at a loss to
aocount for its being there until the engine in search came
°P. The child was examined by a medical man, and it
was'found the only injury it had sustained was a alight cut
over the eye.
A Ccitioerry.—Mr. John Moss, of Matilda Mee,
barn, has a eat at present suckling three young rats. Its
own kittens had been thrown into the river. Next morn-
ing the rats were found in their place ; where they came
host is a mystery. The cat watches over and suckles the
Ms as affectionately as her own offspring.—Westmoreland
Go.xtte.