The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-12 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY INVESTIGATION.

In our Pappr of Friday last we gave the pro-
ceedings of a Coroner's Inquest that was held, touching the
death of a new-born male infant that had been preserved
with rose leaves and musk, and packed in a baiket and for-
warded from Winchester, by one of the Southampton coaches,
to Mr. Fricker, cooper, Vincent-street, Vincent-square, Vaux-
hall-road. It will be recollected that at the elcise of that sitting
the inquiry was adjourned till a future day, in order that Wenle,
the officer ef.Queen-square police, intght proceed to. Win-
chester to investigate the business. Yesterday morning, at
ten o'clock, the officer Arrived in London, and, pursuant to
adjournment, the Jury re-assembled at eight_ o'clock last
evening, anti the following further interesting particulars
were related by Weak, the officer, touching the extraordinary
affair

On leaving London, he took with him the rush basket and
apron, and the cambric handkerchiefs that the infant was
packed in, and on his arrival at Winchester, he learned that
the basket had been purchased at the shop of Mr. Harper, a
boaket-maker, on Monday. morning, the 4th instant (the day
before the parcel was received by Mr. Fricker), but he could
not recollect to whom he sold it. He next ascertained that a
young lady, named Jane Sturgess, residing with her mother in
the church-yard of Winchester Cathedral, had been delivered
on the same Monday morning of an illegitimate child, by Mr.
Lyford, an accoucheur, which he left doing exceedingly well ;
but on going to the house in about two hotirs after, ho was sur-
prised at being told that the child was dead, but no offer was
made to him to see it, although lie expressed himself much
astonished that such a healthy strong child should die so shortly
after its birth. In consequence of this information, he (the
officer) had an interview with Mr. Lyford, who declared the
child belonging to Miss Sturgess was a male child, and its fea-'
tures, upon a description, exactly corresponded with that of the
deceased. Weale next proceeded to Sturgess's house, and
foUnd the female, Miss Sturgess, in a very dangerous state of
health. On putting several questions to her relative to the
child of which she had been delivered, she said that it was a
little girl, and that he had died, and that her brother had made
a small box for him, and she had given it to Heathcote the
grave-digger to bury. On the production of the rush basket,
she declared she had no knowledge of it whatever, but said the
apron, she thought, was the one she had wrapped her child in,
but she would not swear it was. In consequence of these sus-
picious circumstances, he applied to Mr. Newbold, the magis-
trate, who granted a warrant nor the apprehension of Jane
Sturgess, the mother of Miss Sturgess, Heathcote, the grave-
digger, anti a butcher's boy named Edwards, against whom
strong suspicion was entertained, and on Saturday afternoon
they were examined before Mr. Newbold, the magistrate, and
several of the Corporation of Winchester, when the following
depositions were taken, and the child that had been buried by
Heathcote was exhumated, and produced in Court.
Mr. Henry G. Lyford, surgeon, of Winchester, stated that
he had seen the child that had been taken from the grave in the
Cathedral church-yard, but lie could not say upon his oath
that it was the same child that he had delivered Miss Sturgess
of on Monday last, although he believed that the child of which
he so delivered her was a male child, and the one this afternoon
produced was female.
Mrs. Cooke, of Winchester, stated that she was present with
the child soon after the woman's delivery, and she thought she
heard Mrs. Sturgess say it was a girl. She saw her wash the
child with brandy, and doing all she could to recover it, but-
she could not recollect whether it was a male or female infant.
Louisa Sopp stated that she saw the child soon after it was
born, and it was a female. She saw it at half-past six o'clock
in the morning, and was quite sure it was a girl, and heard the
doctor say (when the mother asked what sex the Add was) that
it was a little girl ; and Mrs. Sturgess told her daughter, say-
ing, " There, I told you it would be a girl."
Mr. Higgs, the bookkeeper at Winchester, said that he verily
believed that the butcher's boy was the person that had brought
the parcel to him, but he could not swear to him.
This was strongly denied by him.
The Magistrates, not considering there were any charges at-
tributable to any but Mrs. Sturgess, they were discharged,
and she was placed under recognizances to appear when called
upon.

Weale further stated, that he ascertained that a man had pur-
chased some musk on Monday morning, at a chemist's, at Win-
chester, stating that it was for Mrs. Barnard, in Winchester,
and on inquiry of that lady, she positively denied having sent
any person for any.
There being no other evidence to prcduce in this mysterious
affair, the Jury expressed their unanimous with to again ad-
journ ; they at the same time were desirous to have the attend-
ance of Mr. Lyford, 'the surgeon.—The inquiry was adjourned
till Friday, and a summons was sent to Mr. Lyford.