The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-16 00:00:00

The Recent Case of Infanticide by a Young
Lady.

Elizabeth Lydia Brown, scarcely 17 years of age, and at
the time of the alleged offence residing with her parents,
persons of unquestionable respectability, at 74, Rotherfield-
street, Islington, was finally brought up at the Worship-
street Ponce-court on the following charges :—Suspicion of
having caused the death of her illegitimate child, and of
concealing he birth,
The prisoner now, as previously, was-accoupanied by her
parents, but on this occasion had the advantage of profes-
sional advice from a gentleman whose name did not reach
the reportet's ear. She is an interesting looking person,
and was attired in a silk or barego dress, a grey seal-skin
cloak, and a white straw hat with black ribbons.

At the former examination it was shown that an infant
had been found in a waterclosit attached to the Wesleyan
Schools in Mintern-street, New North-road, on the after-
noon of the 4th inst., by a girl scholar there, a staylace
being twice round the throat and tightly secured behind,
the envelope c' nsisling of a coloured barege scarf, one
corner of which was also tied round the throat; that Inspec-
tor Webster, N division, who had charge of the case, found
the prisoner had been seen passing from the direction of the
closet a few minutes before the discovery of the body, and
that when he apprehended her beneath her parents' rosf
she did not deny that fact; also that a personal examina-
tion by Dra. Clen, Griffiths, and Atkins, Cully showed she
had given birth to a child very recently, but the parents
denied all knowledge of her having been enciente.
Serjeant M. Veety, N division, now said—l searched the
prisoner's bed-room and found a petticoat very much
,stained with blood. Also two night-dresses saturated with
blood. They were in a bag that hung on a bed-post. I
could not discover any preparations for a birth.
Dr. Griffiths—l examined the dead body of a male infant
on the 4th inst. There was the impress of a finger and
thumb upon the throat and the deep mark of a double
ligature round it. Marks of the former might have been
caused by an attempt at self-delivery. It was a full
grown child, and healthy. The umbilical cord was torn
across. The ligature could not accidentally get round the
throat. I have since made a post mor Son examination, The
lungs had been inflated.
By the Magistrate—Strangulation appeared to have been
the cause of death, but that might have happened before
the entire birth. The umbilical cord being torn might
have caused great loss of blood, but there were not any
marks of such about the body, and it had not been washed.
There is not any decided test of an infant having been born
alive, except by the lungs, as mentioned.
Magistrate—And that test is almost exploded.

Witness—Medical testimony can go no further.
Cross-examined—The bruises on the side of the windpipe
could have been occasioned by self-delivery—certainly not
sufficient to account for death—the body was not decom-
posed, and I consider had been horn about a week.
Dr. Atkins, a physician of Edinburgh, confirmed this
evidence in all points.
Elizabeth Diver, nine years of age, was called to show
that prisoner was seen by her in the playground on the 4th
instant, but she persisted in stating that it was on the Wed-
nesday following, and her evidence certainly did not clearly
go to identify the prisoner at eny time ; but it appeared tha
acces could be gained to the playground from the road

any one ; end
Elizabeth Ford, a pupil-teacher at the school, swore that
she met and spoke to the prisoner in the playground on the
afternoon of the 4th, at which time she appearwd extremely
ill, also that she had three years since been a pupil at the
school.

Elizabeth Donovan, searcher at the Kingsland station-
house, was next called, and the attorney for the defence ob-
jected to her evidence being received, as it had been of such
a character as to call forth the animadversion of the coroner.

The Magistrate remarked that this court had not any-
thing to do with the coroner, and witness was therefore
sworn.

She said--On the sth instant, when the prisoner was
brought to the station house, I searched her. I found two
brooches and a gold watch upon her. I asked her what she
was charged with. She replied, "It is about a child ; I de-
livered myself and put it down a closet, or the closet. I had
spoken to a chemist to recommend me a medical gentleman.
I thought that I was not near my confinement, or I should
have mentioned it to my mamma." On the following
morning her mother questioned her closely with regard to
time, and she replied, " I thought that I was not near the
full time, or I should have had preparations for what was
requisite."
Cross-examined—l did not invite her to make these ad-
missions. I did not say they should be confidential and
should go no further. I told her to be cautious, tor that I
should not have anything to say to her after she left the
station-house. I certainly said this after she had made the
statement. I did not suppose my evidence would be re-
quire f, and, therefore, was nor so particular as I might
have otherwise ueen. I did not ask the prisoner whether
the child was born alive, but her mother did, and the
answer was, "My pains were such that I did not know
whether it was or not."
This being the whole evidence against the prisoner, the
depositions were fully completed by Mr. Safford, the clerk,
and she was fully committed for trial at the ensuing Old
Bailey sessions, on the capital charge of murder, and also of
concealing the birth ; her attorney assuring the magistrate
that he should be able to prove ultimately that medical
assistance had been solicited, and also that preparations
were in course of making for childbirth.
The wretched girl sat during the entire hearing with her
face concealed by her hands, which rested on the dock rail;
she was manifestly in extreme prostration, mentally and
bodily, and by desire of the magistrate, was removed to the
waiting-room of Bendall, the gaoler, until a cab could be
procured, in which he then conveyed her to Newgate.