The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-27 00:00:00

THE LATE MURDER IN ISLINGTON.

Yesterday moreieg having been appointed for the re-
examination of Celestrina Somner, aged 2G, a vocalist,
lately residing at Linton-street, Islington, and who
stands remanded on the charge of having murdered a
girl, aged about 10, name unknown, the avenues' of the
Clerken well Police-court were crowded to excess by per-
sons anxious to obtain a glance at the mur ieress. Large,
however, as the crowd was, it was nothing to be corn-
pared to that of Monday, to which day the prisoner was
previously remanded ; on which occasion not only the
court and passages leading thereto were filled with spec-
tators, hut at or .e time there must have been nearly a
thousand persons outside, and it was with the greatest
difficulty that the pavement and road in front •f the
office could be kept clear. Tee two girls who were as.
saulted en their way home after leaving the inquest
room last week were, for protection, brought to the
court early in the morning, and at. the close of the exa-
mination were taken away, under the care of the police,
in a oab. There was, however, no disposition shown to
molest them or any of the other witnesses in any way ;
a..d, notwithstanding the large numbers that were pre-
sent, the greatest good order prevailed.
About two o'clock the prisoner was placed in the
dock before Mr. Cowie, the sitting magistrate, and she
appeared a great deal better than on the last examina-
tion.

Inspector Payne, of the M division, attended to watch
,he case.

Mr. Mould, the chief clerk, having read over the evi-
dence taken en the Frevions occasion,
Mrs. Julia Harrington was the first witness exa-
mined. She said—l reside at No. 4, Great P. ter-
street, H ckney-road. I have seen the body of
,the
child which was found murdered in the cellar at No. 18,
Linton-street, Islington. The child went by the name
of Celestriva Christmas. She was borne in my house.
I was present at the birth of the child, and the priscner
is the mother. The child was born in the month of No-
vember, 1845. I kept her until Thursday week, when
the prisoucr came in the orenirig and took her away,
saying that she wal going to take it to her sister's, in
Murray street. She also said that she had got the girl
a place to nurse a little baby. _

Police-constable Hone, 134 N, raid that on Monday
week last, after the prisoner was removed from the dock
into the gaoler's r.,orn, at the hack of the court, she
began spenkirg about "Hamlet" an 1 "Richard III."
After speaking very particularly of the part of " ham.
let," she asked if he hail seen Phelps take the part of
the tyrant in "Richard III." After that she said it was
her poor dead brother's child, and that was why she felt
it so tnuch. After he died sits said she hal promised to
keep it, and that she pail ss. a week for its support.
That money she further stated she paid out of her own
earnings, she being a teacher of music. She then said,
"I did not like to put the child out to service, for she
was not oil eLough to work. It is no use telling you a
lie. I did not know what to do for the best." She was
talking the who's of the time that she was in the room;
in fact, until she was removed in the van.

The prisoner, whose defence was reserved by' Ms.
Humphreys. jun., wt o attended for her, was then corn-
mittfd to Newgate for trial, upon the charge of having
wilfully murdered Cele,trina Criristosas, aged 10 yars.
The witnesses having been bound over, the case, se
far as this curt was concerned, terminated.