The Sun.
London, England, 1833-02-05 00:00:00

CURIOUS CASE.

(Abridged from the Portsmouth Herald.)
An inquest was held before F. HOWARD, Esq., on Mon-
day last, at the Goat Tavern, Wish-street, Southsea, on
the body of a child, which was discovered in the privy of
a house, called Clarence Cottage, near the Bush Inn, on
the previous morning, at ten o'clock. The Jury assem-
bled at ten o'clock, when the following facts transpired in
evidence:

Dr. Stewart, M.D., of Portsmouth, deposed that, in
consequence of a note which he received, he went to the
above-mentioned house at ten o'clock on Sunday morning
last, where he saw a young woman, named Jane Hague,
who was employed as servant in the house. She was
lying across the man-servant's bed, in a room adjoining
the kitchen, covered with the servant's great coat. De.
ponent asked what was the matter ?—She replied, she had
had a very severe shivering fit, to which she was periodi-
cal:y subject. Her pulse was quick, and there was a mois-
ture on her skin. From certain appearances, he felt con-
fident she had been lately delivered, and insisted on her
telling him the truth. She denied the fact. Deponent
observed a child's pinafore on the bed, saturated with
blood, when he called her mistress, who attended with
another female, Mrs. Purchase. In their presence depo-
nent did what, as a medical man, he considered necessary,
and requested her to say where the child was, which she
refused to do. She said, however, afterwards, if depo-
nent would leave the room, she would tell Mrs. Purchase
and her mistress where the child was. Deponent then
left the room, and from what he afterwards heard, he pro-
cured assistance, and searched the privy, where, by the
light of a candle, he perceived the body of a child lying on
its left side, on the soil. It proved to be the body of a
male child full grown. From the result of examination,
deponent was of opinion that the child was born alive,
and that its death was caused by haemorrhage and suffoca-
tion. The haemorrhage alone was sufficient to cause
death. The umbilical cord was torn asunder, and not se-
parated in the usual way, nor tied. On the lungs being
removed and plunged into water they floated, almough the
heart was still attached to them ; and a crepitation, on
pressure, was audible from the lungs, showing that they
had been inflated prior to death. During the examina-
tion of the body, the head of the child was allowed to hang
over the edge of the table, and deponent observed a consi-
derable quantity of soil issuing from the mouth and nos..
trils, proving that the child bad been thrown into the
privy alive. This evidence was confirmed by Mr. Duncan,
surgeon.

Klrs. Hanna Purchase deposed that, on Dr. Stewart's
leaving the room, as stated in the foregoing evidence, the
young woman stated to deponent that she went down to
the privy, about half-past seven o'clock on Sunday morn-
ing ; that she did not know she was near her con-
finement ; that she was cleaning the parlour stove, and
went out to the privy, and that the child was born there,
and that she had never seen it at all.

Charles Horspool depo,ed to having taken the child
out of the privy as stated by Dr. Stewart. He found
aiso a piece of carpet in the privy, with a considerable
quantity of blood on the under side of it.

Thomas Henderson, a fellow-servant. of Jane Hague,
deposed that she was in the kitchen when he went to bed
on the Saturday night previous to the child being dis-
covered in the privy. On Sunday morning, about half-
past seven, he went up to her room as usual to call her,
and she handed a candle out to him to have it lighted.
About eight o'clock, she came info the kitchen and told
him she was very ill, and she went to his room and lay
clown across his bed, where, covered over with his great
coat, she remained till Dr. Stewart oarne, about tett
o'clock.

Hannah Bicknel was present when the child was taken
up from the privy by Charles Horspool, and took it into
the house. Deponent had examined the clothes which
Jane Hague had on, and there was a considerable quan-
tity of blood on them. Deponent had asked her about the
cuild, but she kept to one tune, and said she knew nothing
about it.

Lucy Bright, mother of Jane Hague, proved that her
daughter was married on the 19th of January, 1830, to
a m nine, named Joseph Hague.
The Jury, after considerable deliberation, brought in
the following verdict :—" It is the opinion of the Jury
that the deceased child was born alive, and lost that life
in consequence of the neglect of its mother."

WURZBURG, JAN. 25.—0 n the 18th died
at Oheizell, near this town, in the prime of life, F REDE.
RICK KoNic, of Eisleben, who had the merit of being the
inventor of the steam-press, which, in conjunction with
his friend and countryman BAUER, he first brought into
use in London for printing the Times. For these ii.urteen
years they have bad at Olierzell a great establishment of
these presses and other inachinery.--Fronlifiirt Papers,
Jan. 28.