The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-21 00:00:00

Child Murder.—Committal of the Mother.

Yesterday morning an inquest wss resumed by
Dr. Lltikester, at the Crown and Anchor, King-
street, Long-acre, on the body of a newly born male
infant, which was found murdered in a cistern of
water, at 57, Great Queen-street, Lincoln's Inn-
fields.

The inquiry had been merely formally opened,
and adjourned for the purpose of the supposed mur-
deress being present to hear the evidence that might
be adduced against her.

Mr. Inspector Brennan, of the F division of police,
produced the young woman, who was accommodated
with a seat during the examination of the witnesses.
Mr. James George Blake, beadle and coroner's
officer to St. George's, Bloomsbury, said—On the
31st ult., a female, named Sarah Wigley, was
brought to St. Giles's -Workhouse in a cab by Mr.
Graygoose, furniture dealer, of 57, Great Queen-
street, with whom the young woman had lived as
domestic servant. Mr. Graygoose said she had been
taken ill, and from what he saw in the kitchen he
believed had been delivered of a child. The chi.d
was not found until the next day, when he (wit-
ness) looked into a cistern in the back kitchen, when
he saw the child and pulled it out. It was partly
wrapped in an old apron, and a towel was floating
in the water. Round the neck of the child was a
piece of an old gown, co, responding with one given
him by Mrs. Graygoose, and tied tightly twice.
The body was removed to the workhouse.
Mr. William Bennett, surgeon to the workhouse,
said the child was brought to the house on the Ist
inst., having evidently just been taken out of the
water. The cause of death was suffocation by strati•
gulation, with a ligature round the neck, after a
separate existence from the mother.

Kate Fox said she lived with Mr. Graygoose, and
slept in the same room with Sarah Wigley on Mon
day night, the 30th ult. She did not complaim of
being ill, but in the morning she said she had not
closed her eyes all night. Witness went to the nur•
sexy, but between 10 and 11 she was sent by her
mistress into the kitchen respecting dinner. She
saw Sarah Wigley sitting on a chair apparently in
a faiiiting state. She spoke to witness. Witness
saw marks of blood about the floor. Her mistress,
thinking she was a long time, st nt down one of the
young ladies just as she was about giving her some
water. Witness identified the ligature as a portion
of a candies; ick rag which was lying in a kitchen
beside the nursery.
reduced and exa-
A piece of an old gown WFS p
d exactly
to corms-
mi
with thenedbythejulirgya,taunrde :basicfhouwna round the neck of
pond
the child.
by
The Coroner then addressed the jury, and said
no doubt
to its death
thechild
and there was Was
that of Sarah Wigley ;
that in this also no doubt
it was born alive,
tahnedre wthast itE came
d its neck. There w
the cord round as no chance that
it was placed there by any other hand than that of
its mother, and it was for them to e onsi er how far
she was voluntarily guilty of the death of her •
child.
She was, however, present, and he would caution
her that if she wished to say anything
taken down end used against
it would be
her, but if she so
to
wished she would be listened by the jury.
Sarah Wigley then s
aid—l was so frightened at
the time that I hardly knew what to do.
The Coroner sa•cl no doubt she did labour under
fear, vs •, as her future prospects iu life might have been
destroyed, but the • jury were to consider how far
that would influence their verdict. He (the Coro-
ner) said this crime was very much on the increase,
and frequently by lenity an encouragement was
given and a public injustice done.
The Jury, after a short deliberation, returned a
verdict of wilful murder against Sarah Wigley, and
the Coroner made out his warrant of committal to
Newgate.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—One Shilling Day, Monday,
April 20, admissions on payment, 1,332; ditto by season
tickets, 691; total, 2,078.