The Sun.
London, England, 1834-01-28 00:00:00

INFANTICIDE.

On Thursday, the 16th inst., whilst some masons
were at work at Loders, and were in the act of
removing a stone which covers a well, commonly
called the cellar-stone, for the purpose of placing it
on a well near to it, which they were about repair-
ina, one of the men observed something in the hole
of the stone which at first he thought to be either a
dead dog or cat ; fearing the smell of putrid mat-
ter would interrupt their work, he called to some
other man to help him remove it; on taking away
the filth and straw with which it was covered,
what was their surpri,e to find it to be a (lead
child ! An alarm was given to the neighbourhood,
and the parish authorities soon assembled at the place
which is a farm-barton, belonging to Mr. Marsh,
of Loders. No time was lost in communicating
it to Mr. Tucker, who immediately issued his pre-
cept for the summoning of a jury to investigate this
mysterious occurrence. At two o'clock the same
afternoon, the Coronet's Court was opened at the
Loders Arms Inn, in Loders. The first witness
examined was David Lathy, the man that first found
the body under the stone; he spoke of its situation,
appearances, &c Samuel S. Cory, and William
Sweeting, Esqrs., surgeons, of 13ridport, being
sworn, deposed that they had attentively examined
the body of a dead male child, given over to them
by the above witners; that it was a full grown child,
measuring in length twenty-two inches, and weighed
seven pounds and a half ; the nails, hair, and
general appearance, such as a child born at
its natural period would present; on examining
the cheat and abdomen, and making various experi-
ments on the lungs, circulation of blood, and using
other anatomical tests, they were decidedly of opi-
nion the child was born alive, and at its full matu-
rity. Suspicion having alighted on Hannah Crann,
a young woman lately come to reside in the dwel-
ling-house of John Brown, at Loders, whose back
premises bound the farm-barton, and to which there
was a direct access by a hole in the wall, and she
having been long observed to be pregnant, was
apprehended by the constable on her road to Bea-
m.nster. On being charged with being the mother
of the child, she at first positively denied having
given birth to any child ; but the two medical gen-
tlemen, after an examination in a private
room, deposed to her having been recently
delivered of a child, corresponding to the
time that the after evidence went to prove she
was delivered. The inmates of the house
where the transaction took place were John Brown,
labourer, and Anne his wife, their daughter Sarah
Brown (the mother of an illegitimate child about
six months), the bedfellow of the said Hannah
Crann, Matthew Brown, the brother of Sarah
Brown, and two younger brothers. The house is a
miserab!e hovel in the middle of the village of Lo-
ders, containing two bed rooms above, connecting
with each other, and two below, one of which
opens to the barton. It appeared that several
months ago the parish officers of Bridport re-
moved Hannah Crann from the town to Nether-
bury parish, her home, in consequence of her
being pregnant. Ann Case, the landlady with
whom she lodged, charged her with having
gone six months; this was three months before
Christmas. Crann did not deny it. Matthew
Brown, the reputed father, afterwards came to Case's
house during her stay there; she shortly left Ne-
therbury and went to Loders, where the bans were
published in the parish church between her and
Matthew Brown, but no marriage teok place. Va-
rious witnesses proved her size and their belief of
the time she was likely to be delivered.—The Jury
returned a verdict of 'Wilful Murder against Hannah
Crann, Ann Brown, and Sarah Brown, who have
been committed to gaol to take their trial.—Sher-
borne Mercury.

METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICE.—An
investigation on Saturch.y took place into the conduct of
police constable Frazer, 22 of the B division of police.
The constable had been drinking with several persons at
A public house in Westininst. r, and on the sergeant
making his appearance, the defendant made himself very
busy, and ultimately tov
k one of the parties into custody ;
but on being brought up to Queen-square, the Magistrates
went into a lengthened examination, and dismissed the
case, it fully appearing that the policeman had been drink-
ing with the parties. Colonel Rowan was quite satisfied
that the man had acted improperly, and he ordered him
to be instantly dismissed the force.

WOOLWICH PETTY SESSIONS.— On Satur-
day James Lane, of White-street, Borough, was charged
with uttering base coin. The prisoner, it was stated, is
supposed to be one of an extensive gang of notorious
utterer' of base coin, who have for a long time been prac-
tising their nefarious employment to a considerable extent
upon the publicans of Woolwich, Greenwich, Lewisham,
and Deptford. Two cases were brought against him by
Mrs. Burch, of the Bell, Woolwich, and Mrs. Richards,
of the Ship and Punch-bowl, Gi cenwicb, at which houses
he presented bad crown pieces in payment for some
liquor. At the first-named house he received 4s. 2d.
change, but at the latter he was given into custody. The
prisoner crass-examined the witnesses at considerable
length, but the Magistrate considered the cases quite suffi-
cient for the attention of the Solicitor to the Mint, and
the prisoner was remanded until Monday, Ito give that
putlitmau an opportunity of prosecuting.