The Sun.
London, England, 1834-03-19 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

.WIDLAND ClRCUlT—Nornivasam,2llAncHl7.
Mary-Wolland, the wife of Jesse Holland, was charged
with the wilful murder of her child, aged eight years, by
means of poison.
John Shipstone lives at Mansfield; knows the husband ;
be is a brush_maker, and bad been out of employ for
some time prior to the event complained of. The pri.
goner's family consisted of three young children. Her
husband had left her, and she had no means of support
save what the parish allowed. Saw the prisoner on the
Bth day of last October; she appeared to be in a low
fretting state. On the morning of the 9 h beard a person
rattling at the door of the prisoner's house; it was a per
son named Mary Ratcliffe. Witness then went down and
knocked also, but could snake no one hear. Was about
to get a ladder to enter the window, when witntss found
the door key ; be then opened the door and proceeded up
stairs, where he found the prisoner and her three children
lying on a bed all together. S'.e appeared stupified, and
the chill was in a like state, its eyes being glazed over ;
the other two children were awake and appeared in a
sickly state. There was a cup in the room, and in it the
remains of laudanum.

Mary Ratcliffe corroborated the statement made by the
last witness.

Cross..examined by Mr. WHITEHURST—Prisoner told
witness that she had borrowed eigbteenpence. That she
had expended sixpence in buying bread and milk for facr
poor babes, and with the shilling she purchased laudanum.
She had placed the youngest child next herself on the bed,
the next in age by the side of that, and the eldest was
put on the edge of the bed. She was a hardworking
woman, when she could get it to do. The child died the
following morning. Prisoner was a fond and affectionate
mother.

On the part of the prisoner several witnesses were
called, who gave it as their opinion that the prisoner was
in a state of insanity at the time, brought on by severe
mental suffering.
The jury acquitted the prisoner, on the ground that
ehe was labouring under temporary insanity, and she was
ordered to be detained in custody till his Majesty's pleasure
should he known.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT—CAmBazDaR, MARCH 17.
(Before the LORD CHIEF JUSTICE.)
THE RING V. HEMINGTON AND OTHERS.

This was an indictment against three parochial officers
of the parish of Chatteris, for conspiring to bring about
a marriage between a pauper named Spriggs and a young
woman who was pregnant by him of an illegitimate child,
with the intent to relieve the parish of Chatteris of the
maintenance, and throw it upon the parish of St. Ives.
The pauper was the natural son of a married woman,
who was born while his father was on foreign service, and
was chargeable to the parish of St. Ives—the young
woman was a pauper, whose settlement was in the parish
of Chatteris, and swore the yet unborn child to the pau-
per Spriggs, who was taken into custody on a warrant of
bastardy. While in durance on this charge it was pro-
posed that he should marry the girl, and an offer of two
sovereigns was made to induce him to take her as his
lawful wife. The woman was willing to marry him with-
out any such inducement, but be would not agree to it
unless be received three sovereigns, which, after sortie
"chaffering" was -eventually promated. The parish (dß-
ceersy then took
hthee married,
parties
ailnonz v
a ‘caitrht tothtehemoptlhaceer
ofthe
where
th
bride, to give her consent, she being under age. The
parish officers also gave her 21. 12s. 6i. fur a license of
marriage, but when the parties were assembled in the
church; the proper Mused to be married until the three

The prisoner was about 15 years of age, and the de-
ceased nine, and the only aslignabla motive of the prisoner
for the commission of the offence was the acquisition of
Is. 6d., which the deceased possessed. The prisoner and
deceased were both in the service of Mr. Hawley, a potter.
Both had been paid their wages at about six o'clock on the
3d of August. The deceased had due to him ls. 44th. ;
hut, as he was a good lad, his master made it up ls. 6d.
En a few minutes after they were paid, the deceased and
prisoner went away together ; they were seen by various
persons going together towards the Etruria race.course.
On their way they passed a boy named Robinson, who
was bathing in the canal He saw the prisoner dangling
a piece of cord, and when afterwards the prisoner was
reminded by Robinson that such was the case, be denied
,hat he had any curd at all. The prisoner and deceased,
alter some little rough play with Robinson, then went on
in the direction of Maccaroni-bridge, and they were seen
playing with copper money on a bank. The deceased not
retutning, his parents went in search of him, and pro-
ceeded to the house at which the prisoner lived, and the
account he gave was, that he had left the deceased. with
gamblers at the race ground. The parents continued their
search, without success ; but one of the peasantry having
a wood-lark, which is a bird which is fond of sotne of the
contents of a wasp's nest, he went in search of a wasp's
nest, and found concealed under some willows the body of
the deceased, with a cord round the neck, corresponding
in appearance with that which the prisoner had carried.
In consequence of suspicion the prisoner was taken up.
-Th6e were-stnall marks of blood on the prisouer's..shirt,
which had been covered with potters' clay; but it being
foun f to be blood, he said his nose had bled, and be began
rubbing his nose, as if to make it bleed. Evidence was
also given that the prisoner had told another lad in the
prison that he killed the deceased by putting a cord round
Lis neck.
Verdict—Guilty.

Mr. Justice RATTESON passed sentence of death upon
the prisoner, and ordered him for execution on Wednesd ,y
next.

Mary Smith was convicted at the last Assizes of the
murder of her child (which was 12 days old) by drowning
it in the canal, near Bloiwich.
Mr. Justice Parritsort now passed sentence of death
upon the unfortunate young woman, who was only 24
years of age, and ordered her for exeen ion on Wednesday
next.

Richard Tomlinson, a tall, rough-looking man, of
about 22 years of age, 'hough he looked much coder, was
charged with the wilful murder of Mary Evans, by strik-
ing her on the head with a stone, and throwing her into
a ditcb, whereby she was suffocate!.

The prisoner, when called on to plead, said be was guilty.
Mr. Justice PArrssox—Prisoner, do you know the
consequence of what you are doing ? If you plead guilty,
you must inevitably be executed on Wednesday next.
The prisoner then pleaded not guilty.
Mr. CORBETT and Mr. WHATELY conducted the prose•
cation ; Mr. Gonsott the defence.
John Dobbs sail—l live at Knightley, whirl, is four
miles from Ranton. lam sometimes called John Hatchet.
The prisoner and deceased came to my house at about five
o'clock on the Isth of December. They staid all night.
Next morning, at about seven o'clock, I started with them
to go to High Ercall. They were going there &rout some
things missing from a box of my sister-in law, the do..
ceared. Ihey were going to a man' named Light, who was
a wise man, and she thought he could tell who bad taken
the things. When we had got about two miles and a half,
the prisoner kept behind. The deceased asked what was
atilisa with him several times, but he made no answer.
We got about 70 yards in advance, he being in the field
and we in the road. The prisoner lay down in the &Id,
and rested his head upon his hands. The decwsed asked
what was the matter with him, and he made no answer.
She was standing close to his feet, and said, " He is the
rogue that took my things ; my sister told me so, and I
believe it to be true." He made no answer, and went
home. At about ten o'clock in the morning the deceased
called at my house fur her pattens. They came up toge-
ther, but she only came in. Ina minute she went away,
following the prisoner towards Ranton.

Charles Harper said—l am the waggoner of Mrs.
Bate. On the morning of the 16th December I saw
simetbing in a ditch by the road side. I saw it was a
dead woman.

John Perkins said—l saw the body in the ditch. It
lay at length in the ditch, with the face downward.. The
body was quite warm when I put my hand upon the chest.
That was ten minutes afier I first saw the body. This
stone is the one that I saw on the right hand,—(lt was
a portion of a very large pebble, and bigger than a person's
fist there was blood uppn it.)

Mr. J. Glover said—l am afarmer. I assisted in t 'king
the body out of the ditch. I took the stone that has been
produced. When I took it out of the d;tch it had one
human hair on it. It was of the colour of the deceased's
hair.

John Betley said—l was at Philips's beer-house between
one and two o'clock on the 16th of December. The pri-
soner was thtre, and gave me a glass of ale. He whis-
pered to me something that I did not understand. He
then asked me to go oat of the house. We went
into; the cart-house, at the end of the house. He said,
"Betley, did you see me murder Polly Evans ?" I said,
" You have not murdered her, have you ? I cannot be-
lieve you." He said, " I have murdered her, and she lies
in a ditch under an oak tree, near Mr. Perkins'." I tat
him I c mld not believe it.

John Walton said—l know the prisoner. Ido not think
him sane. He came and wanted to fire a gun up my
kitchen chimney. My wife would not let him. He fired
it at the door. About a fortnight after he came and
wanted to put a whole pound of gunpowder on my kitchen
fire. I would not let him, and I told him it would blow
the house up. This was about two months before the
death of Mary Evans.

Mr. John Collier said—l keep the Goat publie.house
at Stafford. I consider the prisoner to be insane. He
had come into a good deal of property by the death of a
relation.

Mr. Justice PartssoN, in summing up the evidence,
remarked that it was astonishing that, in this 19th century
persons should be so ignorant and so stupid as to think of
going to consult a conjuror.
The jury found a verdict of Guilty.
_ _

Mr. Justice PArrxsoN passed sentence of Death upon
the prisoner, and ordered him for execution on Wednesday
next.

Tt.e pi isoner appeared to be quite unmoved.

NEWSPAPER PlLFERERS.—Notwithstanding
the many startling examples which we have recently pub-
lished of the punishment which continued indulgence in
the disgraceful practice of purloining newspapers from
public libraries and reading rooms, has entailed upon per-
sons, previously moving in a respectable sphere of society,
we regret to learn that there are still to be found, even its
this town, individuals capable of gratifying their dis-
honest propensities by means so despicably low and mean.
Within the last week several newspapers have been pur-
loined from Lee's library; and though in one instance,
restitution of the stolen property was slily made, yet
such grounds of suspicion as to the guilty party exist, as
may render a repetition of the experiment rather dan-
gerous. A person is now in gaol in London, fully coni-
mitted for trial, for trial, for this very offence; and if
convicted, there is li.tle doubt of a severe and ignominious
punishment being inflicted upon him. In that instance,
the theft was committed in a tavern, to which it may be
presumed that men of all classes occaronal,y have access;
but in stealing papers from a library, in a fashionable town
like Che:tenham, the guilty party not only abuses the
confidence reposed either in the assumed respectability of
their own character, or in the introduction of some friend,
but also places every other subscriber to the same esta-
blishment in the most unpleasant situation, being, how-
ever innocent, either liable to suspicion, or of necessity
exposed. to an association with some very dishonest in-
truder into respectable and honourable society.— Chelten-
ham Journal.

Lw.
aenregmfoeur,ndof ii‘nlicaktipealsdt,urbe;fi
aelpde
Yesterday se'nnight, three human skeletons
irnsonthwehoocwcuapsautinodnero.dfrl:ilL.
lug. They appear to be the remains of two men and a
woman, and were found without coffins, not more that.
twehty inches below the surface. Two of them laid beside
each other, head and foot, and the third wasab.:ut tests
)ards apart from them. There is no house within Cu, s),
furlongs of the place where they were discovered.—Suf.
10/k Chronicle.