The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-04 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 4, 1860

death took place. I have no doubt that the stab
in the side was done after death. There was no
contraction Of the parts, and no flow of blood such
as would have occurred if the wound had been made
before death. It would have required treat force
to inflict such a wound. The wounds on the hand
were very trifling, and in my opinion were done
after death. When I first saw the body at 9 o'clock
I believed it must have teen dead five or six hours
at the least. When I entered the house after see-
ing the body in the laundry I was shown into the
nursery by one of the ladies of the family. This
was between 9 and 10 o'clock. I saw the cot in
which the child was said to have slept, The bed-
clothes were perfectly Smooth and were folded
down in the usual manner. I noticed the depres-
siondthat made by the bead on the pillow,
a
m aavdee
folded
etdh e
theb o
bedclotheson the ms
oa. tt
neatlyr a s s.
wli t
hcoonuultd not
il
con-
siderable trouble. I saw the nurse in the room,
and she told me the clothes were then in the state
in which she had found them.
C Mr. Ribton—l have been
examinedross
exanieninpest by Mr.
occasions. I cannot say
-
whether I have to-day added anything to my former
statements. My impression is, though I cannot say
positively, that the child was first suffocated by
pressure on the mouth and then stabbed in the
side. I think the wound in the chest had nothing
to do with the death, but I cannot say positively
whether the child was dead•when the first wound
was inflicted in the throat. The suffocation might
not have been carried to the extent of producing
death. I was not originally of opinion that the
child was suffocated in the first instance, but sub-
sequent reflection has brought me to that conclu-
sion. I sent- the pill to Roadhill-house by a mes-
senger. I did not see it administered. I found no
traces of a narcotic in the stomach, nor did I find
any traces of my own pill. If a narcotic had been
administered by mistake it would not necessarily,
have left any traces behind it ; it would most pro-
bably have beep absorbed into the system. If the
aperient pill had passed from the stomach into
the lower bowels it would not necessarily have
operated immediately. I should think the dark
appearances about the mouth could not be attri-
buted to any other cause than pressure. If a nar-
cotic which would be a proper dose for an adult
had been administered by mistake to the child, I
do not think it would have produced the appear-
ances about the mouth. When I examined the cot
in the nursery the lady who went upstairs with me
was in the room as well as the nurse. Ido not
know whether other persons had examined the cot
before me. I cannot say positively whether it was
the nurse who first told me that the clothes were
then in the state in which she found them ; but I
am certain that she did tell me so. When the
clothes were shown to me the bed was not partially
uncovered.
By the Chairman—My opinion is that the cut in
the throat was made after pulsation had ceased. I
have no doubt that there was pressure on the
mouth, but I cannot say positively that it was car-
ried to the extent of death. It must have been
greater than any that could have arisen simply from
the clothes lying over the mouth. Considerable
violence must have been used. The severance of
the muscles of the throat might account for the pro-
trusion of the tongue, but that would not change
my opinion as to the cause of death.
Here the examination of the witness terminated,
but he expressed a wish to be allowed, before leav-
ing the box, to make a statement, which he said
might affect the prisoner as well as Mr. Kent.
Mr. Saunders—l do not know what Mr. Parsons
has in his mind, but I am not, as a general rule,
disposed to encourage or recommend extra state-
ments by witnesses.
The Chairman—There is a peculiarity in our
position at the present moment, for we are not only
trying an issue in which the young person at the
bar is deeply interested, but we are also in4uiring
generally into all the circumstances connected with
this melancholy affair. Perhaps the best plan would
be for Mr. Parsons to communicate with the soli-
citor for the prosecution, whose duty it will be, in
the exercise of his professional discretion, to say
whether Mr. Parsons should be permitted to make
any further statement.
Mr. Ribton—From the notoriety which this case
has obtained, and the extraordinary interest which
it has excited in the public mind, I am unwilling,
on the part of my client, that anything should go
forth which might not be admissible as evidence
against her. At the same time, however, I have no
objection that Mr. Parsons should be allowed to
put his statement in writing, and to communicate
it privately to the magistrates. lam certain that
the statement, whatever it may be, will not have any
influence upon the minds of the magistrates, unless
they see that it is directly relevant to the present
inquiry.
Mr. Saunders—l think the suggestion of my
learned friend is a reasonable one, and I heartily
concur in it.
The Chairman—Whatever bearing the statement
may have upon the present case, it may be found
useful in any further inquiry in which it may be
our duty to engage.
Mr. Edlin—On the part of Mr. Kent, I have not
the slightest objection to the publication of any-
thing which Mr. Parsons or any other person may
have to say.
Hereupon Mr. Parsons wrote something on a
small slip of paper and placed it on the bench
before the magistrates. After glancing at it for a
moment, the Chairman handed it down to the
counsel, stating that he did not think it con-
tained anything calculated to lead to further inquiry.
In that opinion both Mr. Saunders and Mr. Ribton,
after readinc, the note, expressed their entire Con-
currence, and Mr. Parsons was accordingly told
that he might leave the box.
Captain Samuel Meredith—l am chief constable
of the Wilts County Constabulary. On the Ist of
August last, I believe it was, 1 went to Roadhill-
house- with Mr. Superintendent Wolfe. On that
occasion we were shown into the nursery, and
saw the nurse there. I desired her to show me the
cot in which the little child had slept. I asked her
to describe how she had left the child.
By the Chairman—At the time I was collecting
evidence generally. There was no charge against
the prisoner then.
Examination continued by Mr. Saunders. She
described the bedclothes as having been tucked. in
by her on the night of the murder, and she then
described how she found the clothes when she
missed the boy in the morning. She said the sheet
and counterpane were turned twice down, so as to
come below the centre of the bed, andethat was the
state of them when I saw them. It was quite im-
possible to see whether there was a blanket between
the sheet and counterpane. If a blanket had been
withdrawn from between the sheet and counterpane,
as I saw them, the clothes must have been adjusted
afterwards.
Cross-examined by Mr. Ribton—l swore the infor-
mation upon which the warrant was issued. It was
not at the suggestion of any one. I was present at
nearly all the inquiries by Mr. Slack. Mr. Kent had
an attorney watching the case for him at Mr. Kent's
house. The prisoner had no one watching the ease
for her. Mr. Kent's attorney objected to several
oqucelostcikonnwosth ewhich
nt were put by Mr. Slack, and they
were ,
hc answered.
nurse
showed
It w
s re
betweennthe c
120 t
ha
ensd i
n 3
the nursery, as the state in which she found them.
She did not tell me that they had nver been re-
moved. I took no part nor did any of the county
police force in the proceedings against Mies Con-
stance Kent. I know that the prisoner was fully
questioned as to her antecedents, and where she
lived before she came to Mr. Kent's. Inquiries
have been made, and it. has .been found that the
statements she made were correct.
The Chairman said he was informed by one Of:
the magistrates who had taken an active part in
this investigation, that the antecedents of this piling
woman were ascertained to be highly respectable.
Witness continued—The proceedings against
Miss Constance were not taken at my instance or
by my advice.
Mr. Saunders and Mr. Ribton concurred that it
would be unnecessary to call Mr. Stapleton, the
other medical man who made the post mortem
examination of the body.
Mary Amelia Kent, a little girl five years of age,
was here brought into court by Miss Elizabeth
Kent. The poor little thing seemed very much
frightened, and her sister said she hardly thought
she would be able to state anything.
The Chairman asked whether she understood the
nature of an oath ?
Miss Elizabeth Kent replied that she did not
think her sister did.
Mr. Edlin said if the magistrates insisted upon
examining this little thing the responsibility would
be upon them.'
The Chairman said if the bench were of opinion
that it was proper to examine the child, they would
not shrink from the responsibility.
. Sauruodoemr s stated
with thati
r.
stnhdi s
Mrs.littl cite( girl slept
sametheMr
night of the murder, and in the course ofstloehnpettihnine-
qd u:si
desirable
bssl
eh itcoh
ascertainh a db een
whetherins instituted dsdihti
ffieh beenawdals
.i
.thought
Lion to give evidence, but some oim(eent'
thrlo,rie
Cihnstihrmen a situa
s legalcu tiesalvia.d been
.w_aore.iasemr.er,
Chairman said, that whether it
child could give vague possibility that the
evi-
dence, or it was merely desired to exhaust all the
i n memart.e sEodfl 21 1-u os
tu sbee,ghlee
advi de , noont
bkenhoaslvf.
of this poor
afflicted family, to crave the attention of the
bench for one moment. He was positively informed
that this little girl .had been taken kindly on
Mr. Slack's lap and questioned by him. Mr. Slack,
he believed, asked :her if she knew where she
would go if she did not speak the truth, putting

-- .
Ellin)seeing
thehaa question
done,
and
n di n
he st rno
nu
that the child was too young andteomuch agitated
grrsttecordngthtahjMn lir.eSiMacrk.,
had not pressed her examination. When, therefore,
to' answer any questions, with great good feeling,
it was said that obstacles had been thrown in the
way of her examination, he was sorry to have to
give the statement a most positive denial.
The Chairman said that, as a question merely as
to whether the child could give evidence in this-
particular case he saw no reason to presume that
she would be able to make any statement relevant
to it, inasmuch as she was not likely to be aware of
any essential facts. Under these circumstances, if
those engaged in bringing the truth before the ma-
gistrates felt that he ought to press it, he should
not shrink from the responsibility.
Mr. Slack said that., after what Mr. Ellin had
stated, he felt it due to himself to say that the facts
were very different from the representations made
by the learned counsel. It was desired to examine
this little girl, but Mr. Dunn, the legal adviser of
Mr. Kent, objected. lie (Mr. Slack) nevertheless
did ask her a few questions, which she answered
not very satisfactorily. He then said to her, "Do
you know what will become of you if you die after
telling a falsehood ?" Her answer. was, " I should
go to hell." Thinking then that she might be ex-
amined he expressed 'a desire to put further ques-
tions to her, but Mr. Dann took upon himself de.
liberately to refuse that she should be subjected to
any examination.
Mr. Millin was sorry that Mr. Dunn was not pre-
sent, as he might possibly give some explanation.
The little child was then carried from the Court.
Miss Elizabeth Kent, in reply to Mr. Saunders,
said—On Saturday night, the 30th of June, I slept
with Mrs. Kent, in her bedroom. Mary Ann and
Constance slept in our room above Mrs. Kent's
room ; the nurse slept, I believe, in the same room
with the cook and housemaid.
Sarah Kerslake, the cook, was recalled, and
stated that on the. Saturday night she and the
housemaid and nurse slept together. Did not re-
member at what time the nurse came to bed. The
housemaid and witness went upstairs about 11
o'clock, and the nurse came-up soon afterwards.
Cross-examined—l don't know where Mrs.
Kent was when I went to bed. The nurse usually
attended Mrs. Kent when she went to bed.
Miss Elizabeth Kent, recalled, stated that on the
Saturday night she and Mrs. Kent went to bed at
the same time ; she rather thought the nurse
assisted to undress Mra.-Kent's child ; she gener-
ally did. Did not know whether the other servants
had gone to bed at that time ; they gene: ally went
to bed before Mr. and Mrs. Kent. .
Alfred Urch recalled—When I went to Road
hill house on the Saturday morning I saw Mr.
Kent drive off; it was then about 8 o'clock. I was
shown into the drawing-room ; I looked for foot-
marks there directly 1 went in, but could not see
any.. s
Cross-examined by Mr. Ribton—l don't know
that a great many persons had been in the room
before I got there.
Sarah- Cox recalled—l have tried to place the
shutters in the position they were found in the
drawing-room on the morning of the murder from
the outside this morning, bat could riot do it, the
wind was so rough. .
Cross examined by Mr. Ribton—Yesterday morn-
ing I did it without any difficulty.
By the Chairman—l don't know whether the
nurse usually left her door ajar till Mrs. Kent came
up to bed.
Superintendent Wolfe stated that the wind was
not the preventative of performing the experiment
with the alutters this morning.
Cross-examined by Mr. Ribton—When I made
the experiment of kneeling in the prisoner's bed to
see if I could see into the cot, the prisoner was
not present.
Re-examined—This morning I had a child placed
in the cot, and Mrs. Dallimore made the experi:
ment of kneeling on the bed.
Mr. Ribton said the same objection applied. The
prisoner was not present when,the experiment was
made.
Mrs. Kent recalled, in reply to the Chairman,
stated that the door of the nursery was left ajar by
her orders, in order that the nurse might hear if
the little girl who slept in her room should cry
before she came up to bed. There was nothing,
therefore, unusual in its being left open on the night
of the murder. , _
By Mr. Ribton—The nurse assisted in undressing
me nearly every night. ..I think it very likely that
she did on the Saturday night after the murder;
that would have been after the other servants had
gone to bed. .
Eliza Dallimore—My husband is an officer in the
Wilts County Police. On the afternoon of Satur-
day, the 30th of June, I went to Roadhill-house for
the puipose of examining the female inmates of the
house. I went up to the nursery, and went in with
the nurse. In opening the door I found it made a
little noise. Any one accustomed to the door by
opening it with care might do it without making
any noise, but a stranger could not. I said, " We'
nurse, this is a very shocking thing about the po
child," and she'said "It is." ' I said, " Can you give
any account of it, do you think P" She said, " I got
up about five o'clock and missed the child from the
cot, and I laid down again." I said, " Why did you
lay down again after missing the little boy ?" She
said, "I thought he must be with his mamma, as
he generally goes in there in the morning." She
said, "This is done through jealousy ; the little
boy goes into his mamma's room and tells every-
thing." I said, "No one would murder a child
for doing such a thing as that, would they ?"
I said, " Who doyen think would do it, nurse ?"
She said, " I really can't tell." She undressed
• herself, and I went out of the room till
she had finished. That is all I remember that she
said at that time ; she made several observations
about the murder. I examined the other female
inmates of the house. I also examined the night-
dresses of the young ladies, including that of Miss
Constance. I found nothing whatever suspicious
about any of them. After doing this I went down
into the kitchen ; the nurse came in several times
while I was there. The nightdress of Miss Con-
stance, like those of the other ladies, appeared to
have been worn about a week. When 1 was in the
kitchen I said, "This is a shocking thing ; I think
the whole house is responsible for the child." The
nurse, who was present, told me that the little boy
had not been very well, and that she had given
'him some medicine on the day of the murder. A.
person named nicker came to the kitchen door,
and the nurse turned round and said, "What have
you been doing, Pricker?" He said, "I have been
opening the water closet. The nurse said, " Have
you found anything ?" Ile said, " No." "Nor you
won't," the nurse said. Nothing was said at that
time about the finding of a knife. On Monday, the
oth of July, the nurse was brought by Superinten-
dent Foley in a trap to my house, to remain with
me for a little time. I spoke to her several times
about the child. I asked, " Who could you think
has murdered the child ?" She said, "I don't know."
I think some one must have secreted himself in the
house." 1 told her I did. not think any one was
secreted in the house, and asked how they could get
in. " I don't know anything about it ; I.can't say,"
she replied. During the week I said, " The cot
being folded down as it was, I don't think any one
could have taken out the blanket." She said it was
a small blanket, and could be slided out underneath.
I told her I thought it was impossible for any one
to have taken the child out and hare left the bed
in that position. I said it was quite impossible
for one person to have done the murder. I
said, looking at the size of the child, it ' was
impossible for Any person to have tacked— in
the clothes with the child in his arms. She said,
" I don't know about that, butl.did not touch the
cot; it .was as I found it," I spoke to her several
times after about the murder. • L asked her if she
thought it was Miss Constance. She said, " I
wdth Miss,, Master Constance,
William
is m
-den't'think Miss Constance could have done it." I
asked her what she thought of Master William,
havingore fitdonefoirt. a
g"irl Oh,"
a she
said,
boy. I told the nurse she did not seem to sleep
very well, and she said she slept more soundly
than usual on the night of the murder because she
had more work to do that day. I asked her how
it was she did not hear anybody come into her
room. She said they might have put something to
her nose and caused her to have 1 s ept soundly. I
asked her it she thought Mr. Kent did the murder.
She said "No ; I could not think for
that he did it, for he is too- fond of his children." I
asked her where she found the child's clothes on
the morning, and she replied, " Oh, where do
you
think I found them, but where I put them ?" I
was shown a piece of flannel by Mr. Foley at Road-
hill-house on the day of the murder. Since then it
has been washed. In consequence of instructions
'from Mr. Foley I took this chest-flannel. to Road-
. hill-house.- I do not think it was made for a chest-.
flannel ; it appears to have been made out of the
back of some other garment, but I believe it has
been used by a woman for the protection of her
chest. It was on the oth of August I took thiS
flannel to Boadhill-house. The nurse came down
several times and asked rne what I was doing
there, . I said, ." A gentleman will tell me what I
have to do before I leave." Mr. Foley came into
the kitchen and told me to try the flannel on the
cook, housemaid, and the nurse. I did so ; the
piece of flannel was not wide enough for the chest
of- either the cook or housemaid, On my proceed-
ing to try the flannel on the nurse she said, "It
is of no use, even if it fits me; that is no reason why
I should have done tlio murder." She did not
hesitate to take off her things. I tried the flannel
on her, and said, "You see, nurse, the flannel ex-
actly fits you, which it did not the others." She

repeated that that was no reason why she did the
murder, and said the flannel might fit others as well
as her. I said, "That is tree; it fits file, and might
fit a great many others, but they were not in the
house at the time of the murder.' I went to Road-
hill Howe this morning with Superintendent Wolfe
I went into the nurse's bedroom there with Mrs.
Kent. I saw a cot and a bed there. I got upon
the bed and knelt upon it, and looked across to the
cot. Mrs. Kent brought her little child into the
room, and it was put into the cot and covered up
with the bedclothes in the usual way. Kneeling
up in the bed I could not see the child. I could
only see a small portion of the pillow. The side of
the cot is open eanework, but is faced with some-
thing inside which prevented the child from being
seen through' it. 'I saw the blanket with which
the little 'child was covered; it is 11 yard in length
and 1 yard in width; it would not allow much to
be tucked in at the side, but it is quite enough to
be tucked in at the bottom of the cot.
By, the Chairman—When I went to try on the
chest flannel at Road-hill House none of the women
servants worse such an article;
Cross-examined by Mr. Ribton—l did not take
down in writing any of the lengthened conversa-
tions I had with the prisoner. Mr. Slack examined
me lastveek. That was the first time I mentioned
these conversations with the prisoner. I told the
magistrates the result of my experiments with the
chest-flannel before the prisoner left Road for her
father's house on the 27th of August; bat 1 did not
say anything to them übout the conversations. I
was not asked about them, and I did not think it
worth while to speak of them unasked. It was
after the inquiry into Miss Constance's case that I
fitted the flannel on the prisoner. The flannel has
been cut out of same old garment, and I do not
;- think it was made for the chest.
The Chairman said it struck him that nothing that
came from the prisoner's room could add to the un-
doubted fact that the child himself came from it.
The piece of flannel would be good evidence against
anybody else,but itcouldnotbe evidence against the
person from whose room the child was cofessedly
taken.
Mr. Ribton was much obliged for the suggestion
from the Rench, and would not further pursue the
matter; but he might state that he was told the
prisoner had never worn a flannel in her life.—[To
the Witness—These things are generally worn by
elderly ladies, are they not P]
Witness—Oh no, by young ladies as well as old
ladies. I wear one myself. (Laughter.)
Mr. Ribton—l shall not take the liberty of ask-
ing you your age ma'am. (Renewed laughter.)
Witness continued—When I looked at the cot
this morning I was on my_ knees in the bed. It
was the youngest child which was put in the cot,
I do not know whether it'was younger than the
boy who was murdered.
Superintendent Woolfe—On the Ist of August
I was shown by the prisoner the position of the cot
and her own bed. When I went to Road to-day I
found the cot and the bed in precisely the same
position. I myself put the clothes in the same state
in which the nurse told me she found them on the
morning after the murder.
Mr. Clark, clerk to the magistrates, produced the
deposition of the prisoner taken before the magis-
trates at Road on the 9th of July, on the occasion
of the general inquiry into the circumstances of the
murder.
At the request of Mr. Ribton,
Mr. Kent was recalled, and stated that on the
9th of July, while being examined before the ma-
gistrates at Road, he said, "I believe - some one
well acquainted with the child and the house, or
some discharged servant, must have murdered the
child. I know that a discharged servant of mine
has used expressions of revenge against • the chil-
dren."
Mr. Ribton—l shall not ask the name of that per-
son. My object is not to throw suspicion upon any
individual, but to show that the expressions of the
prisoner, "Oh ! it is revenge," and " Oh! it is
jealousy," may have had some ground, however
unfounded, in the circumstances of the family. ---
Witness continued—A discharged servant called
my children " horrid children," particularly refer-
ring to the little boy, and when she left, a few days
•before the end of the month, she vowed vengeance
against the children and threatened myself ; but I
do not recollect the precise words.
The Chairman—:The magistrates have made in •
quiries respecting this person, and have found that
she was not iu the neighbourhood at the time the
murder was committed.
Mr, Clark produced another statement made by
the prisoner on the 13th of July, and one made on
oath. when Miss Constance Kent was charged.
The contents of these depositions have already
been published in The Sun, and embrace nothing
'which has not been elicited in the course of the
present inquiry.
Mr. Saunders—This is the case for the prosecu-
tion. -__....
The proceedings were then adjourned until to.
morrow, when Mr. Ribton will address the magis-
trates for the prisoner.
lor

YILE-CIIILD MURDER AT BOW.

Yesterday, at three o'clock, Mr. Humphreys,
coroner for the eastern division of Middlesex, and
the jury resumed, at the Spread Eagle Tavern,
Honaertnn, the inquest (adjourned from Wednesday
week) on the•body of the child, Augustus Padfield,
the supposed mother of which, Emma. Padfield, is
now in custody, charged with being concerned in
its; murder at a place near Lea-bridge. The prisoner
was present at the sitting of the Court on 'Wednes-
day week, but not yesterday. No cause was assigned
for her absence.

Mr. G. Lewis attended for the young man, Fre-
derick .Bryant, whose name has been frequently
mentioned in connection with the matter; Mr. G.
Vann appeared for the prisoner, and Mr. Shorter
on behalf of the local vestry.

The witnesses Mary Padfield, George Allen, and
Elizabeth Miller were examined in succession, and
repeated substantially the evidence they gave on
Tuesday at the Worship-street Police-court, and
which was reported at length in yesterday's Sun.
Ellen Webster (anew witness) said—l live at No.
1, Lea-bridge, and am the wife of William Thomas
Webster. a labourer. I recollect a young woman
named Padfield being confined at Mrs. Mead's,
Haramond's-cottages. I met her after she had left
there, on a Wednesday or a Thursday, in the Back-
lane Clapton. She crossed over the way to me, and
asked how Mrs. Mead was. I said Mrs. Mead was
in a great deal of confusion. She asked what about.
I said they had found the dead body of a child
down the watercloset, with the left arm off. She
said she was going down to Mrs. Mead's. She
asked what the time was. I said I did not
know. She then said she was going to meet her
mistress at half-past five; that she (Padfield) had
come from Brighton, and was aboUt to return
there. I said to her, " I thought your baby -was
down in the country ?" She said it was, and that
it was doing well. She said " Goodbye; I shall
see you again." She was then coming towards
Clapton, and when we parted she went in that di-
rection. I did not see her again.
By Mr. Shorter—lgave information to the police
after I had seen her. The body of the child had
_ bedn found on the morning of that day.
Mrs. Mead was recalled, and stated, in answer to
the coroner, that Emma Padfield did not come to
her house on the day the child was found, nor
afterwards.

A surgeon's certificate was put iu to the effect
that Mrs. Drake, in whose service the prisoner was
when taken into custody, was suffering from an
attack of bronchitis, and was unable to attend to
give evidence.
Frederick Bryant, of 6, Holloway-place, Isling-
ton, was called and said, in apswer to questions
put chiefly by the coroner, and in addition to the
evidence given by him at the police-court, that he
had written to Emma Padfield while she was at
Mrs. Mead's, remitting her money. lie declined at
first, on the advice-of his solicitor, to say for what
purpose ho Sent, the money, hut afterwards, on ad-
vice from' the same quarter, said he remitted it to
assist her. She had applied to him for money-per-
sonally. and by letter. He remitted it by Post-
office.order. (Shown a letter addressed to the pri-
soner; dated July 23, 1860.) He admitted that to be
in his handwriting. He could not say whether ho
gave her a sovereign referred to in that letter. He
saw her after writ tint that letter, and, as ho had re-
qu6sted her to do so, she produced to him a doctor's
certificate of -the-birth of a child. The-certificate
stated that it was her child. (Shown another letter,
undated, addressed to the prisoner.) That was in his
handwriting. Emma Padfield first came to live at
his father's house as a servant in Nov. 1858. He
had not known her before. lle did not see her on
the 27th of August last ; he saw her on the 17th
of August, and that was the last time he saw her.
She never told him, either personally or by letter,
that she bad sent her child into the country.

At the request of Mr. Vann, the solicitor: for the
prisoner, the letter of the 23d of July, written by
the witness to her, was put in and read. It was
signed with the fictitious name of Thomas Wright,
and requested her to meet him in the Liverpool-
road on the next Friday at 9 o'clock, when he
would give her £1 if she would bring the doctor's
certificate, but not without. Another letter bear-
ing the same signature, undated, from the witness
to the prisoner, and enclosing her a post-office order
for £l, was put in.
By Mr. Shorter—He did not know why the
child was registered in his name ; he never gave the
slightest authority to•the prisoner to make use of
his name.
Dr. Gay, senior surgeon of the Great Northern
Hospital, related in some detail the results of an'

examination he had made of the body of the de-
ceased, and 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 bane. The skin appeared' to
have been cut with a tolerably sharp instrument,
though the edges were jagged. It was possible,
he added, that the suffocation might have been
produced by drowning.
The Coroner carefully summed up the evidence,
and the jury, after deliberating with closed doors
about half-an-hour returnd a verdict of " Wilful
Murder, against Emma Padfield."

TIM DOUBLE MURDER AT ALDER-

SA OTT.

An inquest was held on Tuesday at the Queen,
Aldershott, before Mr. Thomas Pain, coroner, touch-
ing the deaths of Sergeant Owen Chipp and Corpo-
ral Cole, whoa ere deliberately shot in the barrack
room on Saturday afternoon, by private James
Johnson, a native of the north of Ireland. The ser-

geant was from Readinm, where his relatives .now•
reside; and the corporal eame from Chalgrove, near
Oxford. Ho has two brothers now in the regiment
(41st), and Chipp has also a brother, who is hospi-
tal sergeant at Aldershott.
The jury being sworn, and the Coroner having
addressed them,

•
The first witness was private John Mulchay, who
said—l knew Owen Chipp, a lance sergeant. I was
with him in the barrack room on the 29th Septem-
ber, at about a quarter past 2 in the afternoon, in
No. 19 room. Corporal Cole, of the same regiment,
and Sergeant Chipp were sitting at the table, play-
ing a game of backgammon. I was standing on the
left side of Corporal Cole, and private Wm. Sutcliffe
was between me and Cole. There were other soldiers
in the room, and James Johnson, a private in the
same regiment, was there,too,cleaning his rifle,while
the game was going on. I watched the game, and
did not notice anything particular until I heard the
report of a rifle. I then saw Sergeant Chipp jump
up from the form and make a grasp at the rifle in
Johnson's hand, saying at the same time, "You
villain, you have shot me." The prisoner said no-
thing. Corporal Cole also got up, and cried, My
God, lam shot." The two deceased had been sit-
ting opposite to each other at the table, which is
not quite two feet wide. The prisoner had the rifle
against his hip. I caught hold of Johnson, but as
the men fell down and said nothing more, I let go
of him and ran for the regimental doctor, who came
in about 10 minutes. Both of the men were then
lying dead on the floor, and the prisoner had been
taken into custody. I have had no conversation
with Johnson since. In the morning, about 7
o'clock, the prisoner was ordered to clean the grate.
As he was not doing it to Sergeant Chipp's liking,
he said he would put him in the guard-room. The
colour-sergeant said, " Don't do that ; make him do
the grate. He was using a dirty brush, taken out
of the coal-box. The prisoner said he would rather
be put in the guard-room than be threatened to be
put there. Sergeant Chipp then ordered him to
put down the brush, and told two men to take him
to the guard-room. I. didn't see him after that till
about 11 o'clock, when he left the guard-room and
came to his own room. He had been before the
colonel of the regiment, and he told me he had got
12 days' extra drill. He was cleaning his straps
foi drill at 2 o'clock, but because it was Saturday
there was no extra drill that day. I saw him clean•
ing his rifle outside, but I did not see him clean th'
inside of it. He was out on Friday with another
company at ball practice. We always keep 20
rounds of ammunition in our pouches. The prisoner
slept in the same room, and kept his pouch there. I
saw Adjutant King examine the prisoner's pouch,
and there were 20 rounds in it.
A juryman here asked if it were possible for a
man to have a ball left after being at ball practice.
The witness said it would be known if he did not
fire.

Another juryman asked if Sergeant Chipp was
an arbitrary man; and the witness said he was so
sometimes in barracks. •
Private William Sutcliffe said,—On the afternoon
of Saturday last I was in the barrack-room with
0 wen Chipp between 1 and 2 o'clock. Corporal
Cole was there, and the sergeant and he were play-
ing a game of backgammon. James Johnson was
there, but I did not notice what he was doing. I
was leaning with my arms on the table watching
the game. I heard nothing till the report of a gun,
and then I felt the splash of blood all over my face.
I got up, when I found myself unhurt, and saw
Sergeant Chipp wheel about and seize the rifle in
the prisoners hand, and he made use of the words,
" You villain, you have shot me." Prisoner did not
reply. At tlio same time Corporal Cole put his
hand to his breast and exclaimed " My God, I am
shot !" I said, "Private Morley, take the rifle from
the prisoner's hand." I hastened round the table
and seized the prisoner. I told him he had shot
Sergeant Chipp and Corporal Cole. The prisoner
said he didn't intend shooting Corporal Cole or any
other man. With the assistance of two men I took
him to the guard-room. The witness then corro-
borated. the evidence of the preceding witness re-
specting the grate.
A juryman asked this witness if Sergeant Chipp
.was severe or mild with the men, and the reply
was— _ _

Sometimes he was rough with the men. I don't
think the prisoner could have done the grate better
with the brush. In my opinion prisoner was sober.
The Prisoner—Was I standing behind Sergeant
Chipp or by my bed ?
Witness—You were standing between the two
cots, behind the sergeant, when I heard the report.
Private William Cox, 41st .Regiment, said-1 saw
the prisoner on Saturday morning last at the hos-
pital, waiting to be inspected before going to drill.
He said, " I'll have some one's life before night if I
get punished for this crime." He was talking to
the other prisoners then. I saw him going to the
guard-room after the men were shot, and he then
said he did not mean to shoot Corporal Cole, but he
meant it for Sergeant Chipp.
The Prisoner—Who was in conversation with me
when you heard me use those words ?
Witness—You were speaking to the other
prisoners, but I did not notice to which of them in
particular.
Sergeant Costeno was then sworn. He said—l
was not in the room when the men were shot, but
heard of it, and I ran from the sergeant's mess and
went across directly, and there saw Chipp and Cole
lying dead. Tao prisoner was then in custody. I
lobked in the direction the bullet had gone, and
found a mark on the wall • and after the bullet had
bit the wall it struck a rifle stock and broke it. I
&looped down and found the bullet close to where it
hit the wall. It is an Enfield rifle ball, and the same
sort as we use. I gave the bullet to Major Bligh.
The bullet now shown me is the same.
Sergeant Penny said—On the mmning Of the
28th the prisoner was served with 10 rounds of am-
munition, and when he came home from ball prac-
tice he ought to have had three rounds, as we only
fired seven. Corporal Cole brought the returns to
me, showing that the men had fired seven rounds
each. It was the prisoner's duty to keep these balls
Until next ball firing.
By a Juryman—lt came on wet, so they could
not fire away all their balls. I searched the pri-
soner's pouch, and found that there was only one
ball left, and that was in his haversack. The other
ball has not been found.
Frederick Abbott, Assistant-Surgeon to the 41st,
said—Between 1 and 2 on Saturday last Private
Mulchay came rushing up to my room, and told me
that two men had been shot in the barrack-room.
I went to the room, and saw Corporal Cole lying
dead ; and I also saw Sergeant Chipp lying on his
back, quite dead. I made an external examination,
and found in the back of the sergeant a small hole,
evidently made by a bullet, in the right side of the
back, near the fifth rib ; a corresponding hole was
in front of the body. The ball had passed through
the body, and death had resulted from hemorrhage.
The.body of the corporal had also been shot through
in a similar manner, except that the ball had entered
the front and gone out at the back.
This being the whole of the evidence intended
to be produced, the
.Coroner addressed the pri-
soner with the usual caution, after which the pri-
soner said, " That:morning I was put into the
guard-room by the deceased. I had no ill feeling
egainst him, neither did I make use of the expres-
sions about shooting:Win or any other man. I was
' scaled' by the colonel, and when I came back I
went to my barrack room and threw off my tunic,
and went to the canteen and had some ale there.
I went tomy room again and took down my pack,
and began to clean my things. I got ready for
marching order parade, and when ready I did no
more till after dinner time. When I had my dinner
I took my rifle out of the rack, as I wanted to have
it well cleaned. When I had done so, and while I
was half-cocking the piece—there had been a cap
on it—unfortunately it went off. As soon as I heard
the sound of tho piece deceased got off the form and
said he was shot. I-knew not at the time, I was so
much thunderstruck, whether I was shot or no. I
didn't know how the piece was loaded. I remem-
ber being out at ball practice the day before, and
that I had' not fired all my ammunition. Mr. Ken-
nedy, the rifle instructor, said that every man who
had fired his ammunition wa.3 not to load again on
account of not seeing the target. I loaded my piece,
not heeding his words, and home my piece
loaded. Through being in a hurry for pack parade,
I did not notice that the piece was loaded at the
time I was cleaning it.
The Above defence caused a necessity for other