The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-12 00:00:00

IN RE WILLSON.

This was the first sitting under the bankruptcy of Charles
Frederick Willson, a grocer, of 14, Munster-street, Reading.
The prelitninary statement shows—debts, about X 1,800;
and assets, £i3oo.
Mr. Underwood, of Eastcheap, a wine merchant, was
chosen trade assignee.

Mr. Polk made the usual application for an allowance,
which was granted.

ASSIZE IN7'ELLIGENCE.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.—WELLS, AUG. 11.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron Watson.)
THE NAILSEA CHILD MURDER.
_ _ _

Elizabeth Card was indicted for the wilful murder of
her son, James Card, at Nailiea, on the 27th of July. She
pleaded not guilty.
Mr. H. T. Cole prosecuted ; and, at the request of the
learned judge, Mr. Prideaux watched the case on behalf of
the prisoner. _

This was a very sad case. The prisoner was the wife
of a hawker living at Nailsea, and some quarrel having
taken place between her and her husband, on the 23d of
July, she left her own home and went to her mother's, who
lived at some short distance. She returned on the following
Tuesday, but appeared to be very much afraid of going to
her own home. She was seen by a woman named Ann Day,
who lived next door, who spoke to her, and on saying, "Se
you are come home," she replied, " Yes, but not for long, as
my husband will kill me if I am not dead before he comes
home." She then went into the house and closed the door,
and was heard to go into an upper chamber. Very shortly
afterwards Mrs. Day heard the .screaming of children, and
on going into the house she found the prisoner on the bed
with her throat cut, and her child lying on the floor in a
pool of blood, quite dead, and with its throat cut. Mrs.
Day immediately went for assistance, and on speaking to
the prisoner she said, " I did it myself; it was not my hus-
band." To another witness she stated that she killed the
child because she feared it would be starved, and that she
wished the others were lying by her side. In the window of
the room a razor covered with blood was found, with which it
was clear the woman had killed her child, and attempted her
own life. It appeared from cross-examination that the
husband of the prisoner was a drunken, worthless fellow,
who treated her with great brutality ; t hat the poor creature
was in the family way at the present time ; and that a per-
son with suicidal tendencies frequently destroyed these
nearest and dearest before taking their own lives.
Mr. Prideaux, in a pathetic address to the jury, urged
that at the time of this unhappy transaction the state of
mind of the prisoner was such as to render her not respon-
sible for her acts, and subsequently called Mr. Nicholls, the
surgeon, who had attended the prisoner since her commit-
tal, who confirmed this view.
Mr. Cole having briefly replied on the evidence, the
learned judge summed up; and the jury, after retiring to
consider their verdict, acquitted the prisoner on the ground
of insanity. The learned judge directed her to be detained
during her Majesty's pleasure.
THE DOUBLE CHILD MURDER AT CLEVEDON.
Elizabeth Williams was arraigned on two indictments
and on the coroner's inquisition, charging her with the wil-
ful murder of her children, Elizabeth and William John
Williams, aged respectively 18 months and three years.
She was accommodated with a seat in the dock, and during
the proceedings covered her face with a handkerchief.
Mr. Cole prosecuted; Mr. Prideaux defended.
This case was, if possible, more melancholy than the last.
The prisoner was the wife of a painter, residing at St.
George's near Bristol, and it appeared principally from her
own statement that on the 2d inst. she had some slight dis-
agreement with her husband. Unlike the preceding case,
the prisoner and her husband lived usually in harmony and
happiness, but on the day in question the prisoner fancied
that her husband treated her less kindly than usual. On the
morning of the 3d she got breakfast as usual for her hus-
band, and appeared to think that he treated her more kindly
than the day before, when the disagreement took place
about the payment of some taxes or some immaterial matter.
After the husband had left to go to his work, nothing was
seen of the prisoner till about two o'clock in the afternoon
of that day, when she was met in Bristol by her father-in-
law, having met her with the two children. Some little
conversation took place between them, during which the
father-in-law observed that she appeared to be in an excited
state, and she went on. About eight o'clock the same even-
ing she went to a small public-house at Clevedon, kept by a
Mrs. Salmon, still having the children with her, where she
had some refreshment and left. Nothing more was seen of
her till about 11 o'clock the next morning, when a police-
man named Francis met her near Nailsea. Neither of the
children was then with her, she had on no bonnet or mantle,
her dress was very wet, and her manner was wild and ex-
cited. She told the policeman that she had drowned her
two children at Clevedon, and that she wished to give her-
self up. She gave her right name and address and detailed
the mode in which she had destroyed her offspring. In con-
\sequence of this statement the inspector went to Clevedon,
and at the rising of the tide the bodies of the two children
were washed up within a few feet of the spot the prisoner
had indicated. The mantle and bonnet were also found at
, the place at which she sated she had left them.
The cross-examination of the father-in-law showed be-
yond all doubt that the prisoner had for many years been
subject to aberrations of intell ct, and that her father,
grandfather, and sisters, were persons of unsound mind.
After hearing the evidence, the learned judge directed an
acquittal, and the unhappy woman was crdered to be de-
li tained during her Majesty's pleasure.
The business of the Somerset assize concluded this day.