The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-08 00:00:00

MARYLEBONE.•

After the disposal, by Mr. Long, of many cases of
trifling importance, Sarah Drae, a well-dressed
woman, about forty years of age, was brought up in
the custody of Sergeant \Vhitcher, of the Detective
Police, 57 A, and Superintendent Kinder, on the
charge of having murdered her child, Lewis Drake,
aged two years.
The prisoner was led into the dock by Mitchell, the
gaoler. She walked with a tolerably firm step, but
on taking her stand at the bar, it was quite evident
that she felt most painfully the situation in which she
was placed. The investigation, owing to the singular
circumstances connected therewith, excited a vast de-
gree of interest, and the court was consequently much
crowded.

Thomas Kinder, on being sworn, said, I am super-
intendent of the Nottingham constabulary at East
Retford. I have a constable stationed at a village
near there, called North Leverton. On Saturday,
the Ist of this month, he came to me, and, from in-
formation which I received from him, I, on the next
Monday, went to his station. I there saw a box which
had been opened, and it contained the dead body of
a male child, apparently two years old. In the box
was a frock, a straw hat, a pair of boots, a pair of
socks, an apron, and other articles. The apron was
marked " S. Drake."

Mr. Loss—Do you know how the box was '
directed? Witness—" Mr. Theophilus Burton, North '
Leverton, Nottinghamshire, carriage paid, Nov. 29,
1849." Information of the affair was given to the
coroner at Newark, and on the 21 instant an inquest
was held on the boiy. He adjourned the inquiry
until this day ; he directed me to make known the
particulars to Mr. Hutton, our chief constable at
Mansfield, which I did, and by his orders I came to
London last Wednesday, when I gave information at
Scotland-yard with regard to the supposition that
the child had been murdered. I made inquiries,
the result of which was, that there was every reason
to imagine that the prisoner was the murderess, and
accordingly last night I and Sergeant Whitcher
went to 33, Upper Harley-street, the residence of
F. Huth, Esq , in whose service the prisoner lives as
housekeeper and cook. -Upon asking for her we
were shown into a room, and she presently came to
us. I asked her if her name was Sarah Drake, and
she said " Yes," and I then questioned her as to
whether she had not come from Nottinghamshire,
when she replied that she had. I told her tilat I must
apprehend her for having murdered her child, Lewis
Drake, upon which she looked full at me, and said,
" How do you know that ?" I remarked to her that
a box had been sent down to North Leverton, having
in it the dead body of a male child, and that an apron
had been found in it marked " S. Drake."
Mr. Lola—Did she make any observation upon
your mentioning this to her? Witness—None, your
Worship, but she sat down and began to cry.
Sergeant \Vhitcher corroborated, in every important
particular, the preceding evidence ; and he called as
the next witness in the case,
Mary Anne Wigat)ll, who said—l am kitchen-maid
to Mr. Huth. The prisoner came to her situation last
Monday week.
Mr. Loxo—Now, be particular, and tell me all
that you know of this matter. Witness—On the
Wednesday after, a woman came to the house, bring-
ing with her a child, and asked to see the prisoner.
I showed her into prisoner's own room, and the door
was then shut.

Mr. LONG—Did you hear any conversation that
took place Letween them? Witness—l did not, sir.
Mr. LONG—HOW long were they in the room
together ? Witness— Only three or four minutes ;
the woman then came into the kitchen with the child,
and afterwards went into the pantry with it.
Mr. Phillips (the clerk)—How long did she stay
there ? Witness—About a quarter of an hour, and
whe❑ she came back into the kitchen I showed her
again into the housekeeper's (the prisoner's) room.
Mr. LONG—Was the prisoner there then ? Wit-
ness—She was.

Mr. LONG—When did you next see the woman
who brought the child ? Witness—ln about half an
hour afterwards I saw her go up the area steps.
Mr. LONG—Had she any child with her then ?
Witness—She had not. The prisoner ran up the
steps after her, calling out " Mrs. Johnson," and the
woman returned with her.
Mr. Los° —At this time was the prisoner carrying
or leading any child ? Witness—No, sir.
Mr. LONG—Do you know who this Mrs. Johnson
is ? Witness—l do not.

Sergeant Whitcber—She lives at Shirley, near
Croydon, and has had the child to nurse.
Mr. LONG (to the witness Wigatll)—Did you
have any further communication with the prisoner ?
Witness—Yes, sir; at twelve o'clock in th• day I
have spoken of she told me she was in a great deal of
trouble, and that she had paid the woman who bad
called upon her 101., and was responsible to her for
more. Shortly after this she asked me if I had a small
box, to which I replied that I had, and she said she
would buy it of me, as the one she had of her own was
not small enough for her use. She, however, did not
have it of me, and said that Mrs. Johnson had put
her out so much that she knew not what she was
about.
Mr. LONG—Did she say anything more to you?
Witness—At twenty minutes to three she came down

and told me that ;he had packed up her box ; that
it contained things that were of no use to her, but
they would do for her sister.
Mr. LONG—Did she tell you where her sister
lived ? Witness—She did not, sir.
Mr. LONG —Did you see the box ? Witness—
Yes;' in about three-quarters of an hour after the
conversation I have alluded to I saw it in her bed-
room, in which I also sleep. It was covered with a
coarse wrapper, which was sewed up.
Mr. LONG—Was it, in your opinion, large enough
to hold a child two years of age ? Witness—
Certainly. It remained in the room all night, and
the next morning. At the prisoner's request I
carried it down stairs ; it was as much as I could lift.
Mr. LONG—Was there any direction upon it ?
Witness—None.

Mr. LONG—What did you do with it ? Witness
—I took it into the butler's pantry at the desire of
the prisoner. She said that if I took it to Mr. Glasse
(the butler) he would send it for me to the Euston-
square station. She did not wish the other servants
to know anything about it, as they might imagine she
was sending something away which was not her own.
Mr. LONG—Did you deliver the box to the
butler? Witness—l put it on the carpet in his
room, and told him I had brought it from the house-
keeper.
Mr. LONG—Did you see it again? Witness—l
did, sir, in the course of an hour and a half. It was
not then directed. On the Thursday prisoner gave
me two letters to post, one of them was addressed to
Mrs. Johnson, and the other to Mrs. Burton, North
Leverton, Nottinghamshire (the envelope only of one
of them was produced, the letters had, it was stated,
keen destroyed).
George Glasse—l am butler in the family. The
prisoner clime to us with a most excellent character
from Lady Anne Gore Langton. On Wednesday
morning week the prisoner asked me to write a direc-
tion for her to put upon a box, and she dictated to
me the address. She asked me how I could get