The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-28 00:00:00

OLD COURT.

ALLEGED CHILD MURDER AT HOMERTON.
Emma Padfield was indicted for the wilful murder of
her infant, Augustus Padfield.
The prisoner was defended by Mr. Best, of the Oxford
Circuit.

From the lengthened reports that have already appeared
in The Sun, during the time the prisoner was under *mini-

nation at the Worship-street Police-court, it is unnecessary
on the present occasion to give more than en outline of the
facts to refresh the memories of our readers.

It will be recollected that the prisoner was a domestio
servant, and hasi for some time lodged in the house of a
labouring man, named Mead, at Lea Bridge, Bow. For
some time she had a child with her a boy, about
three months olds; that about 12 o'clock on Monday,
August 27, the prisoner left the house, taking the child
with her, which was then in a sound healthy state, and
did not return home till about the same time that night,
after Mead and his wife had gone to bed, when she was
admitted by Mead, who saw that she was without the
little boy, and to whom she accounted for the child's
absence by stating that her sister had taken it with
her into Somersetahire. On the following day prisoner
left, asserting that she had got a situation, and was
going to it. Nothing more occurred about her or the
child till 11 o'clock on Wednesday, when Mrs. Mead
happened to look into the cesspool of her house, and to her
astonishment perceived the body of a child lying on its
back, with the legs uppermost. She despatched a mes-
senger for her husband, who procured a constable ; and
upon the body being extricated, it was found to be nearly
black, the left arm missing having apparently been chopped
off near the shoulder. The infant was conveyed to the
station, while the cesspool was emptied, but the limb men-
tioned could not be discovered.

On the discovery of the body the police instituted
inquiries relative to the prisoner, and found that she had
gone to live at Notting-hill, and on proceeding thither,
Inspector Bowler called at a house in Lansdowne-road,
and there prisoner opened the door to him. On being
asked if her name was Padfield, she said it was not, but
that it was Bride. The inspector informed her that he
knew her name was Padfield, and told her that he must see
her in the presence of her master and mistress. She

took the constable to them, and in their presence
he told her he was a police officer, and had come to appre -
hend her on a charge of killing her child. She said she
knew nothing about it, but admitted she had given birth to
a child at Lea-bridge about the month of June. On being
asked what had become of that child, she said the friends of
the young man who was the father had taken it away to
keep. She was then informed of the finding of the body,
as above mentioned. She said, " I've been in great distress
and wanted bread, but indeed I did not do it myself." Her
box was then taken possession of, in which there was a con-
siderable quantity of apparel and other things, including a
quantity of baby-linen, several letters, etc. In her master's
kitchen prisoner said to the officer, " If you take me into
custody all will come out—l'll let it all out. The father
has behaved cruelly to me in not supporting it."
On the body of the child being examined by Dr. Gay,
senior surgeon of the Great Northern Hospital, he gave it
as his opinion that the child did not die of any natural
disease, but of suffocation. Referring to the amputation of
the left arm, he said it had been taken off about an inch
below the joint; an attempt had been made to take it off
by the shoulder, but had failed, and it appeared afterwards
to have been separated from the body by fracture of the
bone. The skin appeared to have been cut with a toler-
ably sharp instrument, though the edges were jagged. He
thought the suffocation might have been , produced by
drowning.
Mr. Best having addressed the jury for the defence,
The learned judge summed up the evidence.
The ury had not returned a verdict when we went to
press.

THIS DAY'S N.A.REETS.

CORN EXCHANGE.

There was a large supply of English wheat on offer in
to-day's market, chiefly composed of the samples left over
from Monday. For both red and white qualities there was
scarcely any demand, and in most instances prices must
be considered almost nominal.

We were heavily supplied with foreign wheat. Evan
the finest parcels were very dull, and to have forced sales
further depressed prices must have been submitted to by
the factors. In floating cargoes nothing was doing.

Barley met a very dull inquiry, at a further decline in
value of is per quarter.

The malt trade was in a most inactive state, and prices
were with difficulty supported.
Oats changed hands slowly, and heated parcels of foreign
were Gd per quarter cheaper.
Beans and peas were a dull inquiry,.and the demand for
flour was most restricted, at Monday's currency.

ARRIVALS THIS WEEK.
Wheat. Barley. Malt. Oats. Flour,
Eng1i5h........ 1,330 1 3,340 1 550 I 520 i 660
Irish. -140 1
F0reign........ 16,170 11,880 32,6601 1,820 sacks
3,000 brie.

BOROUGH HOP.
Our market is very inactive, and prices are barely sup
ported.

WHITECHAPEL.

The supplies of meat are moderately good, and the trade
is somewhat heavy, as follows :
Beef, 2s 8d to 4s 2d ; mutton, 3s 4d to 4s 4d ; veal, 3e 8d
to 45 4d ; pork, 3a 8d to 55 Od per Bibs, by the carcase.