The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-10 00:00:00

NU3IDER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED

IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JULY 29.

Zymotic Diseases
Diseases of Uncertain Seat
Tubercular Diseases
Diseases of the Brain Nerves and Senses
Diseases of the Hear and Blood-vessels 24
Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of
Respiration
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
of Digestiou
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c.
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c.
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles
Diseases of the Skin, &c.
Malformations 2
Premature Birth and Debility 24
Atrophy 49
Old Age
Sudden 5
Violence, Privation, I
Cold, and Intemperance 3O
Causes not specified

DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES
Population Deaths in corre-
Enumerated. sponding week

. 1,456

Deaths
in the

1851. of 1853. Week,
West Districts
North Districts 490,396
Central Districts 393,256
East Districts 485,522 „. 210
South Districts

Totals
Males
Females

1,004

1,456
768
688

Males
Females..

Total .

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT—GUILDFORD, AUG. D.
(CROWN COURT—Before Mr. Justice Erle.)
THE ESHER MURDERS.
(Continued from our First Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. Justice Erie proceeded to sum up the whole case
with his usual care and impartiality. In the course of
his observations he said he concurred in the statement of
the case laid down by the learned counsel for the prose-
cution, and as it appeared to be admitted that it was by
the hand of the prisoner that the whole of these unfor-
tunate children met their deaths, the only question that
remained for consideration was, whether at the time the
deed was committed, the prisoner was in such a state of
mind as rendered her responsible for her acts. He felt
called upon to say that he quite agreed with the obser-
vations of a learned judge who had preceded him on an
inquiry of this description, and which had been quoted
by the learned counsel in his reply, that a defence of
this character ought to be looked at with great caution
and jealousy, and that the jury ought not, where an
enormous crime had clearly been committed, to acquit a
prisoner upon the ground of insanity, unless there were
circumstances surrounding it totally irrespective of the
enormity of the crime itself, which left no reasonable
doubt that it the time of its commission the party ac-
cused was not in a condition of mind to ,distinguish be-
tween right and wrong, Qr to be aware that he was com-
mitting a crime. The learned judge then called the
attention of the jury to the evidence for the prisoner, and
said that it appeared to be founded upon the supposition
that the crime had been committed under the influence
of some uncontrollable impulse, and he said he would
only observe that this was a most dangerous doctrine,
for undoubtedly every crime was committed under some
impulse, and the object of the law was to control im-
pulses of that description, and thus prevent crime. His
lordship- went on to say, that it was impossible to define
the condition of the human mind with certainty, and the
jury, in considering a case of this, description, were en-
titled to look at all the circiunstances that surrounded it,
with a view to forming-their conclusion, and if they
thought that, iil the present instance, there weregrounds
for supposing that at the time the prisoner committed
the act she was nOt in a sane state, they would be justi-
fied in acquitting her Upon that ground. If, on the
other hand, they should be Of opinion that owing td the
unfortunate relation in which she stood with her husband
at the time, sho was induced to meditate the commission
of some act of violence either towards herself or others,
and that this created an excited condition, which, ope-
rating upon her-brain in its diseased condition drove
her to a state of temporary insanity, during which she
committed the act with which she was charged, he was
bound to tell them that this would not excuse her from
the consequences, and it would be their duty to find her
guilty of the crime of wilful murder.
The jury retired at five o'clock, and at seven they re-
turned into court and gave a verdict of not guilty, on the
ground of insanity.

The prisoner, who did not betray the least emotion at
any period of the proceedings, was ordered to be de
tained in safe custody during her Majesty's pleasure.

CHESTER.—CROWN COURT, AUG. 9.
(Before Mr. Baron Martin.)
Sarah Featherston was charged with the murder of
Joseph Chadderton Featherston, her son, aged eleven
months, on the 28th of July last.
The prisoner, who is a respectable-looking girl, not
quite twenty years of age, has followed the business of
a dressmaker at Stoke, near Crewe, for some time past.
About two years ago Elbe was seduced by a young man,
who afterwards deserted her. She gave birth to a male
child, and about two month since put it out to nurse
to a woman Darned Hanns.h Latham. The prisoner had
been promised marriage by another young man recently.
The child was a very sickly one, and as no money had
been paid by the mother for its maintenance, Mrs. La-
tham said she could no longer keep it. Accordingly, on
Friday morning the 28th ult., the -prisoner fetched the
child from the nurse. Nothing further was seen of it
until the following Tuesday morning, the Ist inst., when,
as the constable of the district was passing a small pit
near the Shropshire Union Canal, close to the nurse's
residence, something in it attracted his attention, and he
took from it the body of a male infant. The frock was
pinned over its head, and two half-bricks were fastened
within the frock against the head. The child was quite
dead. A post mortem examination was made, and from
the evidence of the surgeon on the trial, it appeared that
death had not been caused by drowning, but by the
bruizes on the back of the head, evidently produced by a
blow or a fall on some very hard substance. The clothes
,which the child had-on, were identified as those which
the infant Featherston wore, although none of the wit-
nesses spoke positively as to the identity of the child.
After her appiehension the prisoner said to the special
high copstable immediately prior to her being taken
before the coroner, "I wish you to tell Mr. Edleston
solicitor), that he need not attend, for I am guilty of the
crime ; it is of no use me denying it."
For her , defence, it was stated that the prisoner's
father died in a state of insanity, her uncle is at present
in a lunatic asylum, her sister is an idiot, and it was
said that she (the prisimer) had attempted some
months ago to commit suicide. The probability that
the death might have been caused by a fall, and that
the unfortunate mode of getting rid of the body,
adopted by, the prisoner, was in order to avoid the shame
of a public ;funeral, was , pressed upon the consideration
of the jury; in an earnest appeal by the learned counsel
for the prisoner.
She was found guilty, with a strong recommendation
to mercy. , 1 •
His lordship, having put on the black cap, passed sen-
tence of death in the usual form. The recommendation
to mercy should be forwarded to the proper quarter, but
at present he could hold out no hoper His lordship was
very much affected while passing sentence.
Mr. Swetenham then pleaded the prisoner's preg-
nancy, and a jury of matrons was immediately em-
panelled. They found, after seeing the prisoner in the
gaol, that she is not quick with child, and this verdict
was accordingly added to the former one.