The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-16 00:00:00

CLERKENWELL.

A middle-aged woman, named Eleanor While, was
brought up on remand. She had been more than once
before under examination, at the instance of the paro-
chial authorities of St. Pancras, for wilful neglect of her
two children in locking them up in the room where she
lodged, during her absences of many hours at night with
another woman who lived with her, and so leaving them
without the food and attention necessary to their tender
years. The particular subject of inquiry was the
youngest, an infant only nine or ten months old, which
some time ago was taken from her on the representations
of hor landlord, and received into St. Pancras Work-
house, where the poor little creature soon after died.
It appears that as the tendency of the evidence on a
former examination had marked this as a case which a
magistrate would not deal with summarily, but, if proved
that the death of the infant had accrued from the neglect
of the mother, he must send her before a jury, the pa-
rish authorities had lately come to a resolution not to
prosecute. Yesterday, however, the defendant was
brought from prison, in accordance with the last remand;
and Mr. Birchmore, overseer of St. Pancras, attended
fur the parish.

Mr. 'rumEarr expressed regret on having
heard that
the parish officers were not disposed to prosecute. Mr.
Birchmore was aware of the nature of the case; the
question involved was whether death had occurred from
the wilful and culpable neglect of the woman to her child;
and this was a nice and intricate inquiry, but one which
he had no doubt would be fully investigated. The case
of Slow, and other cases oa the books, showed that this
belonged to a class which ought to be fully investigated;
and by Baines's Act, recently passed, overseers were not
only privileged or empowered, but were bound to con-
duct the prosecution and to pay the expenses from the
funds of the parish.

_
Mr. Birchmore said that when the prisoner was first
given in charge, he was of opinion that it was a case for
investigation.

Mr.7fitawmiTT said he had of course no wish to pre-
judge the case; but it was for the parish to consider
whether it was not a case in which they ought to press
an investigation, and whether the overseers had the
power of reimbursing themselves the costs from the
parish funds; also, whether they would not bring down
censure and odium upon themselves if they declined to
prosecute such a case.
Mr. Robinson, a medical gentleman, deposed that he
had only seen the infant in the last stage of its illness,
and when there was no chance of recovery; so that,
although evidence of gross neglect were apparent, he
had ❑ot had the opportunity of collecting symptoms, or
medical data, sufficient to enable him to fix a definite
time, during which the infant bad been subject to that
neglect. It might have been several months.
Mr. TvawrinT said he could understand that a long
course of mere neglect, without other ill usage, might be
pursued for some time without becoming manifest by
absolute illness, but that towards the end some disorder
would break out that would be fatal.

Foulkes, landlord of the house where the prisoner
lodged, deposed that in September she had lived in his
back parlour for seven or eight weeks, paying 2a.
a-week. She had two children. He had noticed them,
and one of them was the infant that had died in the
workhouse. It was very ill from neglect; for Mrs. White
would go out at eight or nine o'clock in the evening,
leaving both the children in the room, and on one occa-
sion did not come home till about ten or eleven o'clock
the next morning. Her coming home at one or two in
the morning was a common occurrence; the children
being left alone. The witness said that, he being out a
good deal, his wife knew more about the prisoner's ill-
usage of her children than he did, and he stated a par-
ticular instance of cruelty which his wife had told him
of, but which could not be received as evidence. He said
that his wife had been prevented by illness from attend-
ing that day.
The prisoner denied the fact the witness had alleged,
and said it had been done by the woman who lodged
with her.
The MAGISTRATE observed that the evidence of Mrs.
Foulkes would be necessary.
In answer to Mr. TYRWHITT, the witness said that
the prisoner was often drunk when she came home late
at night or in the morning, and then she used to "give
the baby a parcel of stuff to make it sleep.
Mr. Waldegrave, surgeon to the parish, deposed that
he had attended to the infant every day from its coming
into the workhouse to the time of its death. He had no
hope from the first. It was excessively emaciated, and
exhibited symptoms of neglect and want of proper food.
He could not undertake to fix a precise period during
which the infant must have so suffered; but perhaps it
might be dated from the period when it was taken from
the breast, and he did not think the mother could have
suckled it more than a month or so. The immediate
cause of death was mesenteric disease, which might have
been prevented by proper food and careful treatment.
All the symptoms he had seen would be produced by
improper food and neglect.
The prisoner was again remandA to Saturdaym, when
the evidence being completed she will be fully committed
for trial.

THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR.—Letters have ar-
rived from Madeira this week, from Lord Frederick Fair
clarence, the contents of which are of a very gratifying ale,
racter. His Lordship has completely recovered from a fit of
the gout, which proved very slight, and is now in the enjoy-
ment of excellent health. The mild climate, we are happy
to learn, has been highly beneficial to Miss Fitzclarence,
whose health has considerably improved. His Lordship ex-
presses Lords ex-
presses himself in warm terms of the beauty of the island,
but is quite silent as to his return. We have heard with
pleasure a rumour that the Lieutenant-Governorship of
Portsmouth is about to be raised to a Lieutenant-General's
command. We earnestly hope that it may be so, for then
we should probably retain the invaluable services of Lord F.
Fitzglarence in this garriaon...Portsmouth Guardian.