The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-01 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY TRIAL.

(From the Corh Constitution of Saturday.)
COUNTY (CORK) CRIMINAL COURT, JULY 27.
(Before the Hon. Baron RICHARDS.)
OFFERING A BOY TO AN APOTHECARY FOR

DISSECTION.
Honora M'Carthy was indicted for offering a boy named
William Crolly, aged eight years, to an apothecary for sale,
and proposing to him to put the said child to death. There
were several counts.
Mr. BENNETT, Queen's Counsel, would state the case, a
most extraordinary one, to the jury without comment. She
was charged with having brought the child to a medical man,
and proposing to him to put the child to death, that he might
have a subject for dissection.
His LORDSHIP, on ascertaining that the prisoner had no
Counsel or agent, appointed Mr. Scannell to act for her. She
appeared an ill-looking wretch, about 50 years old.
John Matthew Lefebure—is an apothecary in Dunman-
way. The prisoner came to his house on the 31st Match ;he
never knew her before ; it was in the evening, between six
and seven. His brother-in-law was in the shop, and she asked
to see the doctor. Witness stepped forward, and asked what
she wanted ? She said she could not speak before those per-
sons in the shop. Witness then took her into a room at the back
of the shop, and she told him she had a child to sell. Witness
asked her what he thought she wanted of the child ? "Oh !"
said she: " the likes of you always want them ;" she said he
was a fine likely boy ; witness asked her if the boy was her
own, and she said not, that she took him to keep him for cha-
rity ; witness said then that she had no right to sell the child
—she replied, "No one had a better—he on a bad boy, and
joined against her in bad words;" she was perfectly sober, and
she then went away out of his house across the market place,
and witness sent after her, and she returned and took him into
a gateway of Mr. Everett's, near witness's house • but there
was a man there, and she said she could not speak° to witness
while the man was there. When the man went away she
again offered to sell witness the child, and he asked why she
wanted to sell 'him ? She made the same answer as before—
that he was a bad boy, and going against her in bad words
Witness asked her how much she wanted for the boy ? She
said 51. Witness replied that was tco much—that groan
subjects were got for 2/. "Oh !" said site, " those who sell
the like told me that was very cheap." Witness then offers('
31,3/. 10s., and 41., at different times, but she refused, and he
finally agreed with her fur 5/ , and to come next morning ; she
said she would, but after the boy was put aside she should
want a long day to leave the town and the country. She said
too, that she would send the boy to walk up and down before
his door that night, and that he would have on cordutoy
breeches, with two blce patches on the front, and a leather
cap. Witness saw the boy thus dressed walk up and chswn
before his dear in the evening. Witness asked her to bring
him at nine o'clock, for the town would be quieter, and the
people not going to mass; she then said she would bring hint
about ten, and that she would knock the senses out of him, for
he was a Funning chap, and would nut go near a doctor's
shop. Witness asked how she would do that, and she replied,
"by giving him porter and a glass." She then said when she
came she would sit exactly opposite the witness's house, and
said she would come over to the house evhen he beckoned to
her. The next morning when he was sitting at breakfast,
about ten o'clock, he saw her walking up and down with the
boy. Witness put up his hand, and she went away (he sup-
poses to give the boy the porter and whisky), for 'when she
returned the child was quite drunk. On the preceding night
witness desired Armstrong-, the constable, to be in sttendancv
in
him the morning, and he was accordingly, and witness put
into a pantry between the shop and kitchen.
When witness beckoned, the prisoner came across
the street into the house, saying to the boy " Conte
in, I wants to light my pipe." Witness again asked
why she wanted to sell him, and she made the same answer as
before. Witness said he thought the boy was eleven. " Oh,"
says she, "he is the better for that." Witness then agreed to
take him, and the boy began to cry, and said " Anty, let ms
out, and God 'knows I'll come in again." " Whisht a-lee."
said She, " and the doctor will give you something sweet,"
and, turning to witness, said to bin; to give him something
to put him aside at once, as she should be going to the
road. He again asked her if she could have another boy for
him in a month, and site said she thought she could. Wit-
ness then desired Her to wait there while he went for the
money, and he weoit out and let in the policemen, who et
once arrested her. She gave her name to Mr. Holmes, the
magistrate, as Honors Santry, alias M'Carthy.
Mr. STANNELL addressed the jury for the prisoner on the
plea of insanity.
The matron of the gaol was swore, and examined by his
Lonosnte—She said the prisoner was four months under