The Sun.
London, England, 1839-02-07 00:00:00

W ORSHIP- STREET.

THE HORRIBLE CASE OP INFANTICIDE AT SII•REDITCII.—Ycster.
clay Jan€ Reeves, charged with the murder of her illegitimate in.
fent child, and the horrible mutilation of the same, was brought up
for final examination. She appeared in a state of great mental de.
pressi9n, and was accompanied by tier mother and brother, who
during the examination were very deeply affected. The evidence
was taken before Mr. GROVE, in the Magistrates' private room,
which, as on the former occasion, was crowded. The prisoner was
allowed to be seated. Mr. Humphreys, who was her legal adviser
on her last appearance, was not present.
In addition to the evidence previously adduced,
"

Grove, an officer of the establishment, said that when the priso.
nor was brought to the office, immediately subsequent to her ap-
prehension, while she was in the waiting-room with her fel-
low. servant Eliza Reeves; upon seeing them he said to the latter,
" Good God f surely these arc not the parties charged with
the horrible murder, where the child was found in the ditch'"
He was induced to make the remark in consequence
of the excessive levity of their manner. Eliza Reeve said No, it
was not me, but this one, pointing to the prisoner, who then ob-
served, " I'm not guilty of the murder, as the child was still-born
I put it in the ditch, and its head was not oil then." A woman
who was standing by asked her wino was the father, when she said
" I do not know ; I met him by accident." The following day
witness went with the Inspector, Robinson, to Mr. Chatfield, where
the prisoner was cook, when he searched three boxes, in which he
found some napkins, and a dark-coloured cotton gown, which was
stained with blood, and which had been recently washed, being
then damp.
'Mr. Chatfield deposed to tho enlarged appearance of the pri-
soner's shape, and to the sudden alteration on the morning of the
15th ult., but on which day she went about her work as usual.
Hariiet Heywood, wife of police constable, 212, and the
searcher at the station-house, stated that she searched the prisoner
and in her pocket found two pen knives. The prisoner observed
to witness, " You do not want these, do you Y" Witness answered
that she did, upon which the prisoner observed, " Take them, for I
have done it, and it cannot be undone."
Mr. Glove asked the witness whether she had not something to
state in reference to what had been communicated to her by the
witness Eliza Reeve.
The witness said that she mentioned to witness that she heard
the child cry ; that, immediately after, she left the room, bus, while
leaving, she heard it gurgle, as if it were being throttled.
Mr. Gaols called the witness Eliza Reeve, observing to her that
he had acted towards her very leniently in having allowed her to
be sworn as a witness. He would not now alter the situation she
was placed in, but the Judges had that power which he did not pos-
sess, and they might consider her accessory. He then stated to her
that her former evidence should be read over to her, and he cau.
tioned her against saying anything which was untrue.
Her evidence having been read to her,
Ifr. GROVZ asked her if what the witness Heywood said
was true 7
Eliza Rieve—r ; when the gurgling was she left the room.
I then went to sleep,es, Si
and saw no more of the, prisoner till the
morning.
Mr. Grove--Did you hear a distinct cry first of all, and the gurg-
ling after?
Eliza Ili:eve—Yes, Sir ; just as she states.
illichard Howe, police constable, 37 K, said that he brought the

prisoner to the office in the van from the House of Correction on
the last examination. While in the van she complained of her feet
le:ing very cold, and she added that she bad not seen a fire since she
had been at the prison. Witness asked her the reason why. She
replied on account of several old women in the prison, who
called her a " Greenacre," for having cut up her own child.
When she observed that she did not cut it up, but in the
anxiety of the moment she pulled the body to pieces with her hands,
without knowing what she was about. She then observed, that she
was confident the girl Reeve could not have heard the child cry as
she was asleep. She was sure the child had been dead two months
before it was born. She added, that she bad put the child in the
duet-bin, and she did not know how it came in the ditch where it
was found.
The mother of the priToner, who was sitting by her side, here fell
into a swoon and was obliged to be supported out of the room, and
the prisoner sobbed loudly.
The whole of the evidence being taken,
Mr. Geova observed, to the prisoner, that he should commit her
for trial. He had not seen her legal adviser there that day; but
in his absence, he would give her that advice which he was assured
Mr. Humphreys would recommend. It was his duty to ask what she
had to say to the charge. He, however, would urge her not to say
any thing, knowing that she would be cautioned to that eftbct.
The prisoner said that on the night she went out she had no
white straw bonnet on. She knew she did not take the child away.

-
Mr. GnATE then told the officer to let the prisoner and her
relations have some refreshments, after which he was directed to
convey the prisoner in a coach to the Central Criminal Court. He
was also ordered to communicate to Mr. Humphreys that the pri.
soner was committed.

The brother of Eliza Reeve was held to bail for her appearance
before the Grand Jury.

THE CORONERSHIP OF MIDDLE-

SEX.

The following circular was sent round to every Magis-
trate of the County yesterday morning:—
" Sessions House, Clerkenwell, Feb. 6.
" be to acquaint you, that the Court will meet
here on Thursday next (this day), at one o'clock, pre-
cisely, for the special purpose of taking into consideration
the propriety of sanctioning an application to the Lord
Chancellor to increase the number of Coroners from two
to three.

" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
HENRY E D MOND ES, Deputy Clerk of tltc Peace."
This is the result of the private meeting of the Justices
at Hick i's Hall, on Tuesday last. The Tory clique are
determined to have a Tory Coroner if possible.