The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-09 00:00:00

INFAMICIDE IN THE METROPOLIS.

At an inquest held in Islington yesterday Dr.
Lankester, one of the coroners for Middlesex, took
occasion to make some remarks on the very large
number of cases of infanticide which occur in the
metropolis, and on the failure of justice in instances
where there is too much reason to suspect that
actual murder has been committed. The inquiry
at which the Coroner was presiding was one into
the circumstances connected with the death of a
newly born male child, whose body was found on
Thursday last in a mews at the rear of Compton-
terrace, Islington. Police-constable 270 N deposed
that the dead body of the child, wrapped up in
some wool, had been found by a little girl_ The
constable knew no more about the matter; and, in
reply to Dr. Lankester, he stated that he had not
made any inquiries on the subject in the neighbour-
hood of the place in which the child had been dis-
covered. The Coroner said he supposed the police
thought the finding of the dead body of a newly
born infant too ordinary an occurrence to call for
inquiry. Dr. Stamford, the medical gentleman
who had made the post mortenz examination, gave
his opinion that the child was born alive, and that
it had been three or four days dead when found.
The umbilical cord was tied, but not in a skilful
manner. The child had been a weak one, and
he was not prepared to say that death had not
taken place from natural causes. That was all
the evidence on the subject. Dr. Lankester said
that this was one of a class of cases which
were exceedingly numerous at the present day
—much more so, he thought, than society generally
was aware of. He regretted to state that such
cases were constantly occurring in London. He
believed he held nearly one inquest a day on the
bodies of newly born infants. These children were
found under three different classes of circumstances.
First, there could be no doubt that premeditated
violence had been used—cases in which the child
had been born alive and had lived for some short
time, but in which the parents, or either of them,
had determined to get rid of it by putting it to
death. In such instances juries had little difficulty
in finding a verdict of wilful murder, but too fre-
quently that verdict had to be against " a person
or persons unknown." Again, there were cases in
which there was no evidence of violence, but in
which it would appear that the child had died
shortly after birth from causes which had occurred
during birth, or, as was perhaps the fact in the
case under consideration, in which the child had
died from natural causes, and in which, because
of illegitimacy, the mother, feeling ashamed of her
position, took advantage of the death and got rid
of the body as best she could. There was another
class of cases—that of children who had not been
born alive. He could not but think that something
might be done to diminish the number of each of
these classes, more especially that of actual child
murder. It appeared to him that if more vigour
were shown in the matter by the police
authorities—if there were more activity in en-
deavouring to find out the guilty parties—more
discoveries of the perpetrators would be the
result. Punishment would have a salutary
effect in the way of prevention. It was a criminal
offence to conceal the birth of a child; and, if re-
wards were offered for the apprehension of those
who committed it, much good might be the result.
A juror observed that parishes had in some cases
offered as large a reward as £6O. Dr. Lankester
thought that there ought to be a reward in every
case. The English public expressed their horror
at infanticide when it was brought under their
notice. They were not aware that the finding of
the body of a dead child was of so common an oc-

currence in London that there were instances of it

every day. So common was it that the police
seemed to think no more of finding a dead child

than they did of finding a dead cat or a dead dog.
This was a blot on our civilization, and vigorous
measures ought to be adopted with the view of re-

moving so great an evil. In the case under consi-

deration the jury returned a verdict of "Found

Dead."

FATAL OMNIBUS ACCIDENT AT
BOSTON.

A GENPLENIAN KILLED AND SEVERAL

INJURED.

An alarming accident occurred on Friday even-
ing last, about nine o'clock, to a pleasure party
who were returning to Boston from a picnic at
Miningsby. The excursionists, numbering about
twenty ladies and gentlemen, veers riding in an
omnibus and four, driven by Mr. Mears, of the White
Horse Inn, Boston, and had proceeded safely on
their return until within about two miles of Boston.
The road on which they travelled at this point runs
parallel with a wide drain, and in consequence of
the centre of the road being here covered with loose
shingle, and the trees on the field side overhanging
it, the driver pulled off the road upon the grass on
the side nearest the drain, and so proceeded. safely
for a few hundred yards, when the conveyance sud-
denly slipped and fell over the edge of the drain
bank, a depth of several feet, into the water, and in
its fall it turned two complete somersaults. The
gentlemen who were on the outside were precipi-
tated into the drain, and the driver fell among his
affrighted horses. The majority of the gentlemen
as well as the driver being only slightly injured
instantly went to the rescue of the ladies who oc-
cupied the inside of the vehicle, a feat they speedily
accomplished, and found that they were but slightly
injured. /t was next decided to ascertain whether
all had been safely extricated, when it was found
that Mr. West, draper, was missing, and on a close
search the unfortunate gentleman was discovered
beneath the vehicle, completely immersed in water.
He was speedily conveyed to an adjacent public-
house, where Mr. Pilcher, surgeon (one of the party),
used every possible exertion to restore animation,
but without avail. The injuries of the remainder
were fortunately discovered to be only of a slight
character, and chiefly contusions and cuts. News
soon reached Boston, whence cabs and additional
medical aid were speedily despatched.
An inquest was held on Saturday afternoon on
the body of Mr. West, when a verdict of "Acci-
dental Death" was returned. The jury wished !t
to be represented to the trustees of the road that It
was in a dangerous condition, and recommended
that the overhanging branches of the trees be
cu
away.

W E NAVY.

His Royal Highness Prince Adalbert of Prussia
visited Deptford dockyard on Sunday, and in-
spected the iron-cased ships Favourite and Enter-
prise. His Royal Highness expressed great grati-
fication with his visit, and particularly admired the
corvette Favourite, which, as announced in :the
Sun of last week, is now perfected in her design as
a completely protected sea-going ship of war. Mr.
Reed left London yesterday for Pembroke dock-
yard to lay down a new corvette to be constructed
after the design of the Enterprise and Favourite.
Sixty first-class lads from the flagship Fisgard,
at Woolwich, were yesterday despatched to Ports-
mouth for the service of the fleet, and an equal
number will leave shortly by the Fes for Plymouth.
The Royal paddle yacht Osborne, Master-Com-
mander George K. Bower, arrived at Portsmouth
yesterday from Ostend, to which port she con-
veyed his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and
suite from -Woolwich on Saturday.
The experimental firing at the armour plates on
the side of the Alfred target ship at Portsmouth
will take place on Thursday, instead of to-day, as
originally proposed. The plates comprise one
rolled 51 inch, from the Atlas Iron and Steel
Works, Sheffield; two of 51-inch hammered, made
from scrap iron, one annealed and the other unan
nealed, and two other plates made from Shopshire
puddle iron, also hammered, of the same thickness
of metal, and one also unannealed, and the other
annealed, all four forged in the smithery of Ports
mouth yard. The trial of these four will, it is ex-
pected, set the question at rest as to the merits of
annealing armour plates, and also decide the dis-,
puted poiat as to the superiority of scrap or puddled
iron for hammered plates. Three other plates on
the Alfred's side are from Deptford dockyard, 4}
inch hammered.
The Black Prince, 40, iron frigate, Capt. J. F. B
Wainright, will, according to present arrangements,
make her trial of speed with the pitch of her screw
altered from her trial, to-morrow.
Yesterday a number of additional hands were
transferred to the iron frigate Achilles, 50. The
vacancies by the withdrawal of the large number of
mechanics from the dockyard, on strike, have not
yet all been filled up, and first-class platers are still
required for employment on board the iron ship.
Some delay has been occasioned in prosecuting the
works connected with the building of the Achilles,
in consequence of the amended plans having been
for some time under the consideration of the Admi-
ralty; these, however, have finally been decided
upon, and every effort will now be directed to the
completion of the iron frigate with the least pos-
sible delay. The whole of the improvements which
the experience of the last six months has taught the
Admiralty, will, it is fully expected, have the effect
of rendering the Achilles as much superior in sailing
capabilities and attacking and defensive powers to
the Warrior as the latter vessel is to our Marl-
boroughs, Renowns, and Merseys.
Nearly 100 convicts, in several parties, have ar-
rived at Chatham during the last few days 'from
Pentonville, Millbank, and the other convict esta-
blishments, for the purpose of being employed on
the works in connection with the., enlargement and
extension of Chatham dockyard. At the present
time there are upwards of 1,000 convicts at Chatham
establishment, nearly the whole of whom are kept
constantly employed in the embankment of St.
Mary's Island, and in the other works connected
with the improvement of the harbour and dock-
yard.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Sub-Lieut. G. W. Allen, to
the Liffey ; James Lewis, paymaster, to the Resist-
ance ; Henry Rider and W. H. G. West, super-
eameraries in the Indus, confirmed as second-class
assist.-engineers ; Hu.gh London, acting second-
class assist.-engineer to the Indus, as supernumerary;
John F. Hughes, and William Ambler, acting
second-class assist-engineers, to the Cumberland,
as supernumeraries; and Thomas R. Butters and
James Elder, acting second-class assist.-engineers,
to the Asia, as supernumeraries.