The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-06 00:00:00

CRIMINAJ COURT.--(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Creswell.)
BRUTAL MURDER OF A CHILD.
-21 retry Anne Alice Stage, 30, was indicted for the wilful
in 9'. der of William Seago.
Mr. Payne conducted the prosecution. The prisoner
V ,vas defended by Mr. Parry.
The circumstances of this case were of a very distressing
character. It appeared that the prisoner had been married
to her present husband about twelve months, and that the
unfortunate deceased was a child five years old, the son of
the husband by a former wife. It would seem that the
prisoner and her husband were in the habit of getting drunk,
and that they frequently quarrelled, and lived very un-
happily together. On Sunday, the 21st of May, the prisoner
and her hustrand had been out together, and the former
came home 'about four o'clock, and she commenced prepar-
ing tea for herself and family. While she was so engaged,
one of the children, named Thomas, told the pi isoner that
his broater Billy had got him into "such a row," and that '
his fattier bad struck him. Immediately upon this it ap-
pearQA that the prisoner seized the poor little child, and
thre wit with great violence upon the floor, and then
;p'at him into a tub of water. At this moment the
witusband of the prisoner came in, and when she saw him
she made use of a filthy expression towards him, th.-t effect
of which was that he said he would not stop in the house
any longer, and as be was going out the prisoner exclaimed
'to him, " Go, you -, and take your -- children with
you." The moment the husband was gone the prisoner
commenced another most brutal attack upon the child,
said continued to beat it and ill-use it until it ac-
-. Wally died under her hands. When the child was
seen to be motionless and speechless, one of the other
children called out to the prisoner, "Oh mother, you
have killed Billy, and you will be hung." The prisoner
upon this told the child not to say anything of what had
happened, or else she should be hung. She then sent
out for some brandy and tried to administer it to the de-
ceased child, but she found he was unable to swallow, and
she then wrapped him up in a cloth and carri.-d him to the
London Hospital, where he was found to be quite dead.
When the prisoner overheard that the child was dead, she
expressed great sorrow for what she had done, and said that
she had loved the child. Upon her being taken into cus-
tody, she again expressed her regret for what had hap-
pened, but said that the occurrence was the result of acci-
dent, and that the child fell forward while she was washing
it, and that its head struck against a tin box that was in
the room.

Mr. Parry made a most earnest and feeling address to
the jury on behalf of the prisoner, and after observing that
it was clear she had caused the death of this poor child,
he submitted that they might, under the circumstances,
come to the charitable conclusion that she was not actuated
by malice aforethought, and that she might, therefore, be
convicted f the offence of manslaughter only.
The Learned Judge having summoned up, the jury, after
a short deliberation, found the prisoner guilty of man-
slaughter, and she was sentenced to be transported for life.

NEW COURT.
(Before Baron Martin.)
THE MURDER AT NEWINGTON.
Henry Hurray, 26, agent, Nvzs indicted for the wilful
murder of Rose Murray.
Mr. Ryland and Mr. Clark were for the prosecution, and
.2,1 r, Clarkson defended.

Mr. Ryland briefly opened the case, and in so doing ex-
pressed an opinion that there could be no doubt but that
the unfortunate prisoner was of unsound mind.
The first witness examined was Alfred Buxton, who
stated that he lodged in the same house as prisoner
and the deceased. Upon the morning of the 7th of
June, at about half-past five, he was alarmed by
the cries of Mr. Larkin, another lodger, and upon
going down stairs he saw the deceased, who was bleeding,
trying to crawl up stairs, the prisoner was standing near
her. Ile was dressed, and had his hat on. In his had
was a clasp knife, and before the prisoner could get up to
the unfortunate deceased the prisoner drew the knife across
her throat, and cut it again. He then closed the knife
and came up to the deceased, whom witness had by that
time picked up, and said the Great Bear had done it. '
Witness left the dying woman in the care of Mr. Larker,
and went for a surgeon and the police, and when he came
back she was dead.

Ann Larker gave testimony corroborative of the first
witness, and added that, as far back as Christmas, she had
noticed his manner to be so strange that she told deceased
it was not safe to let him be about.
Mr. Baron Martin, after hearing this evidence, said he
h ought it unnecessary to proceed furth3r, but the jury
expressing a wish to hear the counsel,
Mr. Clarkson then briefly stated that prisoner was not
in a state to be accountable for his actions. In 1848 he
bad received a hurt upon his head, on board a ship where
he was a seaman, and from that time down to the present
had been subject to fits of insanity.
Evidence having been given of the fact, the jury acquit-
ted him upon the ground of insanity, and he was ordered
to be detained.