The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-29 00:00:00

THE SUB, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 29, 1865.

she came to my house and took the child in her lap and gave
it something. I asked her what it was, and she said Some
sweetstuff.' I took up the child and put my tongue to its
mouth to discover what it was, and I found it very sour
Harris said Don't taste it, as it will poison you ; it is what
they clean brass with.' I said You nasty - ; if it will
poison me it will poison the child.' I went out for a short
time, and when I came back she washolding its head in a pan
of water. I said You nasty -, you will hang yourself
and me.' " Tho way in which it was sought to identify the
child was by the evidence of a Mrs. Gibson, at whose house
Harris was confined in October, and with whom it remained
until Dec. 12. That child had no mark or wart on the toe.
Harris had obtained a situation, to which she was to go on
Dec. 12, and on that day the child was removed to the pri-
soner's house. Mrs. Gibson was certain the body found
was that of the child of which Harris had been delivered in
her house. The prisoner's granddaughter was shown the
body at the station, and she at once said " Oh, that's little
Tommy." The medical men were of opinion that death
had resulted from pressure or exposure to the severity of
the weather. On Feb. 9 the prisoner and Harris were to-
gether at the prisoner's cottage. Harris had the child in
her lap. When the girl returned she missed the child, of
whom she was very fond. She used to wash and dress it.
She inquired where the child was, and she was told that
the aunt had taken it away. Sho never saw the child again
alive. The learned counsel then narrated the evidence he
expected Harris would give, but we prefer giving it from
her own mouth.

Witnesses were called, who proved the above facts.

They were cross-examined, but nothing particular was
elicited from them. One of the policemen stated that when
the prisoner and Harris were in the magistrate's private
room Harris asked the prisoner if she had seen her child.
The prisoner answered " Yes." Harris said "Is it mine ? "
The prisoner paused and then said "I can hardly toll after
the child is dead," adding " You will neither hang me nor
transport me." Mrs. Gibson saw the child in January ; it
appeared to be well treated. She never said to Harris that she
did not think the child would live, but she had said to ker
it would be a good job if it did not. Harris was to pay the
prisoner 3s. a week for the child when her quarter was up.
Harris endeavoured to put the child with other persons be-
fore she took it to the prisoner, who was at first unwillingto
take the child. It was also shown that after the child was
missed the prisoner was seen washing some of its little
clothes. The granddaughter proved having gone with her
grandmother to the spot where the body was found.
Mary Jane Harris was then put into the witness-box.—ln
February last I was a servant at Mrs. Wansey's. I went
there on the 12th of December last. Before that I lived 13
weeks with Mrs. Gibson. I went to Mrs. Gibson's and was
confined at her house on the 16th October. I had the child
registered as Thomas Edward Gibson Harris. I used to wash
and dress it. There was no particular mark on its foot. It
was a fine child. On the 12th December the prisoner called
on me, and 'ye took the child to the prisoner's, having on
the 10th of December made an arrangement with her to
take care of it. I had previously been to two other persons
to ask them to take care of it. It had three short frocks, two
long ones, three shifts, two white petticoats, two flannel
petticoats, and one pair of white socks. It had nothing for
its head. I saw the child four times while it was at the pri-
soner's. As we were taking the child to the prisoner r said
there had been ono child picked up in the country. The pri-
soner said, "I wonder I had not got myself into it once
before." She had put away one for a girl who was confined
at her house, who had promised to give her £3, but she
did not give it her. I asked her how she did it. She
said she put her finger under the jugular vein. She said she
had stifled one three weeks old for Elizabeth Darwon, and
thrown into Torbay, and when it was picked up it was nearly
washed all to pieces ; that she had put away one for her
sister Poory, as her sister said she would give her £4.
While her sister was staying at the house directed a letter
to be left at the Jolly Sailor for the father of the child, and
she received £5 by return of post. She said sho only gave
her £2, but that when her husband returned from sea she
would make her a handsome present ; but she had not done
it. I then went on with her to her house and had tea. I
asked her if she was not afraid. She said, "To with
you ; its doing good," and she would help any one that
would never split upon her. I was leaving, and she said,
"I'll do whatever lays in my power for your child." I
said,- " All right," and went away. I saw my child a fort-
night after in Mrs. Wansey'skitchen. The prisoner brought
it. Sho said if I would give her £5 she would away with
the child. I said I had not got £5 to give her. She asked
me to give her a note to the father of the child. I said I
could not do that. She said, " Get it any how else ; I'll put
them all by for thee if thee halt 40." I said 1 should not do
any such thing. She said she did, and I could do the same.
The prisoner was there better than half an hour. She then
went away. On Sunday, Feb. 5, I saw the child at the pri-
soner's. I got there about half-past 7 ; they were in bed. I
knocked at the bedroom wind° w. She said, " Is that Mary?"
I said, " Yes ; I want to come in and see my child." She
said, "My husband will let you in," and he let me in. I
went into her bedroom ; the child was in bed with her.
She said, " I've made it all right with my husband. I shan't
keep the child after the quarter." She said if I would give
her the £5 she would do away with the child, and asked

me if I would come over ono day in the week and take
away the child. I said she might if she liked. I asked
her how she could do it, and she said she could get sonic-
thing at the chemist's. On the Bth of February I asked leave
to go out, but I went out on the 9th to the prisoner's, and
got there at half-past three ; the baby was tied in the chair 11
and the granddaughter playing with it. The prisoner was
sitting on a stool. After talking a little time she sent the
little girl out. After she was gone the prisoner said she
did not do it before I came out, because if I told on her I
must toll on myself, for one would be as bad as the other.
I said I would never tell if wo were never found out. She
asked mo if she should do it. I asked her how she would
do it. She said put it between the bed ticks. She then took
the child into the girl Pratt's bedroom. I did not go. She
stayed ten minutes; then came back without the baby.
She asked me to look in ; she said it would soon die. I
looked in, and saw the bed made, but no child. The child
did not cry. The prisoner's husband came in, and asked,
Where's the boy ?" She said her aunt had been and
taken it away. Ho said, !' She brought him a pail and
he fastened the handle. I asked him where he was going
with the pail. He said up to the wood. He went away,
and the prisoner said to me, " Did you hear the child cry ?"
I said, " No." Sho said, " I did, and I was afraid my hus-
band would hear it." The girl Pratt came back and staid
a short time, but was sent out again by the prisoner to
fetch some buns. The girl went out and the prisoner
said she must make haste, as her girl would soon be back.
She went out of the room and came back with the baby.
It was dead. She undressed it, and we went into the
bedroom and opened a box. I took out the things it
contained. She wrapped the child up in newspapers and
then she put it into the box. I put down the lid, and
she locked it and put the key into her pocket. Pratt
came home, and the prisoner tole her that Mary's
aunt hail been and taken away little Tommy, and put red
socks on it. I had given her a piece of carpet, which is
the one in which the child was found. I then made an
engagement to meet the prisoner on the 14th at the Clarence
Hotel, to go over around Peignton with the child. I did not
meet her. I saw her on the 15th at Mrs. Wansey's. ihe
came there with her little girl. She had a basket. She said
" You did not come out last night." I said " No." She said
" Never mind, let me have 4s. to take it up to Exeter." I
said I had not got 4s. She said I might draw from my
mistress. I went to Mrs. Wansey, who gave me ls. 6d. I
gave it to the prisoner, and said I could not get any more.
The prisoner said she would send up the next day for the
rest, and she did send, but I had not the 2s. 6d. On the
next Sunday I went to Mrs. Gibson's and had some con-
versation with her, and then I went to the prisoner's house;
she said, " Oh, it's you, Mary ?" I said, " Yes." She said
she had just come home. I said "There has been a child
picked up, between three and four months old." She said,
" Yes ; they tell me the Government will take it in hand." I
said, "So they ought." We went into her bedroom. She
said, "I've got you under the rabbit-box." I said, "Have
you really ?" She said, " Yes, I have." I said, " Mrs. Gib-
son has dreamt it was mine, and that you have killed it and
lam going to be hung for it." She said, " Oh, nonsense ;
don't lot her got anything out of you." I asked her again if
she had it, and she said, " Yes, I have, upon my soul." She
said she was going away to-morrow if I had not come, as she
had received a letter from Plymouth enclosing an order for
£3 from a girl she had done it for before, asking her if she
could take her in again for £4, as she was looking to be con-
fined soon. She had sent back to say she would not, as if she
had been honest she would have paid in the first place. She
could not go in the train with my child,
because there was
such an air with it, but she should take it out on the moor.
On the Wednesday I was apprehended. On Friday she
came to me at the station, and she made a sign round her
throat. In the gaol I asked her if she had seen the child.
She said, "Yes." I asked if it was my child ; she said she
could hardly tell, it had been dead so long, but I was not
going to hang her. Coming up in the train I asked her if it
was my child. She said, " I rather think it is." I said,
" Did you carry the child there ?" She said, "I did not."
I said, " Who could have done it, then ?" She said, " That
is a mystery." I said, " You know you were there—the
little girl said you were." She said, "Yes, I was -I went
to show her where ygu lived." I saw her again in the gaol,
and I asked her if she did carry my child there, and she
said, " I did."

Cross-examined—l have taken my trial for this offence.
On my solemn oath, before my God, I did not attempt to
poison that child myself. I did not give it stuff that poisons
rats and mice. Indeed, I wished the child to live. It's true
that I saw it barbarously murdered. I was there when it was
done. I did not put it there for the purpose of being done
array with. The conversation took place as we were going
to her house, and yet I left my child with her and wished it
to live. Farmer Nicholls allowed me something fertile child,
but not after it went to the prisoner's. I had had a few words
with Nicholl's, the father of the child, and had had as. 6d.
a week for a previous child. I had known Nicholls
seven years. I never had but those two children. I
never took anything to procure abortion. • The inter-
course was carried on for 61 years. I had only
seen the prisoner twice before the first conversation. Mrs.
Gibson worked for me. I went to her house four times
while my child was there. I stayed one night at the
prisoner's. I did not ask that my child might sleep with
me that night. I always found my child well cared for
while it was at the prisoner's. I never asked any one to