The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-25 00:00:00

CRIMINAL COURT.—(THIS DAY.)
OLD COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice MAULE and Mr. Justice WIGIITMAN.)
CHILD MURDER.—Ann Trinham, 40, who was re-
manded from last session, was indicted with the wilful
murder of her daughter, Alice Trinharn.
Mr. Ryland and Mr. Laurie conducted the case for
She pros( cation, and Mr. Clarkson defended the prisoner.
Mr. RYLAND, having stated the case to the jury OH
the part of the prosecution, called the following wit-
nes .es :
Mary Bell--Was a widow, and stewardess of one of the
Margate steam-boats. On Friday, the Bth of Sep-
tembt r, witness was on board a steam-vessel called The
London I ride. While there saw a woman with a child
in her arms on the deck. She went close to the paddle•
box, and instantly disappeared with the child in her
arms. The captain of the vessel called for a scalier,
and put back the vessel, and did all he could to save the
woman and child. It was near Blackfriars- bridge where
the occurrence took place.
William Pry, a boy fourteen years of age, was on
board the steam-boat on the Bth of September. Saw a
woman lift up the rail which witness shut down. The
'Woman lifted up the rail again, and the witness shut it
down again and left. lie then immediately heard a
cry of a woman overboard. It was nearly dark, and there
were not many persons on board.
George Whitcomb, a letter-carrier, was also on board
the steam-vessel when the occurrence took place. Heard
the captsia call out a woman overboard with a child
in arms. Witness juniptd on to a barge, and saw some-
thing floating in the water ;it was a woman—the pri-
soner at the bar, and witness, together with others, got
her out of the water, and took her to the station-house;
while going there she asked what had become of her
child. Witness said he supposed it was safe, but could
not tell. The prisoner said it was great trouble that
'Caused her to do it.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—She said she was
in great trouble, and that it was troub!e that caused it.
She appeared in great grief about her child. Upon
being pressed, the witness would not state positively
that the prisoner said it was trouble that caused her to
do it.

William Daggett, a waterman—Was the master of the
Lor d n Pride steam-vessel on the Bth of September.
She left Hungerford for London-bridge about twenty
minutes before eight o'clock on the Bth September.
When the vessel got past Paul's, wharf w.tannesasbwd was
on
child
the. larbot rd paddle. box. He saw a
sitting near the
paddle-box. Suddenly m
whoe missed them,
and heard a splash in the water. Some
gers stied out, "A female in the wa of the passili-
ter'"
ordered the vessel to be reversed, and called out
"Seidler!" He saw some object in the water, and di-
rected the sculler to go to it.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—They had a good
spr:nkling of passengers on board.
George Bryse, a waterman, was hailed by the captain
of the steam-boat, and directed by him to endeavour to
get a female out of the water. Witness rowed to her,
and upon trying to get her out of the water, a child
dropped from her arms and sunk. Witness and others
got the woman out of the water. That woman was the
prisoner at the bar.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—The prisoner
held the child tightly in her arms although she was in-
sensible. The child dropped from her arms when
witness caqht hold of her in the water. When the
prisoner came to her senses she cried very much, asked
for her child, and said she wished she had gone with it.
The female was eight or ten yards from the
steamer when witness got up to her.
Benjamin Whet ler was pier-man at Paul's-wharf, and
assisted the last witness to get the prisoner out of the
water. Did not are any child.
John Buckley, 41, of the Thames Police, discovered
the body of a child near the Temple 'stairs, under a
barge, on the 9th of September. When the tide went
down, witness got the body out of the water, and disco-
v4eree.el iTt
btee bbeo(tis female child, about four or five years of
y of the child was very much disfigured.
delivered the body and clothes of tho child to the
beadle f St. Clement Danes.
Baker, the beadle, duced the loth o the child. Elizabeth Camptellp hroad knownc es
the prisoner for 18
years. Knew the child also; she was called Alice. The
prisoner was riot married. She saw the prisoner on the
Tuesday before the occurrence took place. The clothes
produced were those worn by the prisoner's daughter
Alice. Did hot see the child after its death.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON--The prisoner
always behaved most affectionately towards the child,
and paid ss. a week while she was in service to keep her.
By Mr. Justice ALM:lLE—Believed the prisoner was in
distress for money, having left her place upwards of four
months.
Mr. James Gray, a tobacconist, had known the pri-
soner for fourteen years. last place witness knew
the prisoner at avas General White's, where she was
cook, and which' place she left about five months ago.
Witness saw the prisoner at his house about two o'clock
on the day on which the occurrence took place. She hud
then the child with her. She stopped about fire minutes,
and said she was going to the wharf. Witness did nut
see anything particular in her manner.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—The prisoner at
times seemed melancholy. She was a most affectionate
and excellent mother.
Rebecca Fisher had known the priscner for four or
five years. The prisoner and her child had lodged with
her for four or five months previous to the occurrence.
The clothes produced were those worn by the prisoner's
child on the day on which the occurrence took place.
Cross-examined by Mr. CLARKSON—The prisoner was
an excellent mother, and behaved in a most exemplary
manner towards the child.
This closed the case for the prosecution.
Mr. CLARKSON then submitted to the Court whether
the evidence did not tend to show that the whole occur-
rence was accidental, and whether such being the case
there was anything to go to the jury.
Mr. Justice M&ULE thought that the evidence was
sufficient to induce the Court to submit the matter to the
consideration of the jury.
Mr. CLARKSON then addressed the jury for the pri-
soner, and, after adverting at some length on the evi-
dence, contended that nothing that had been put forward
child
to prove that the prisoner threw herself and her
w.tii into the water, or anything that was inconsistent
acicidethe fact that the whole occurrence was the result of
confidence
He therefore called upon the jury, with great
crime laid toathoerac
ehatrogaec.quit the prisoner of the dreadful
c
Mr. Justice M.enLE summed up, and
The
prisoner.
jurY, after a short consultation, Acquitted the
anTdhwe,hporen left theisoner, who is a respectable looking woman,
trial, then app greatly (I-jutted during the whole
dock and wAs immediately discharged.
THE CHARTISTS.
LoThe trial of Mullins, the Chartist, whose trial was
_e_tponed from last session to the present, will corn-
nu::7J.° to-raorrow morning at the sitting of the Court,
la expected to occcupy two or three days. Fr,,m
I,a Second edition of the " two
" as published to
day, it appears that there is an addition of thirty-four
prisoners since the commencement of the session.
Thereau etime before the Judges took their seats a large num-
ber
tthe French National Guard entered the court, and
accommodated with seats in the City Lands Box.
appearanced seemed to create considerable interest
'M1,414
gctilizuurtr! several gentlemen of the bar entered into
iter oonversation with them in French.