The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-06 00:00:00

ante on the defendant upon the 21st, 22d, end 29ih of
December, 1856; and also upon the 20th of the same
month. He would not say that the disease under which the
defendant was labettring precluded the possibility of his
being the father of the child.
Elizabeth Moss, a bold and impudent strumpet, better
known as " Cambridge-heath Bess," said she was a common
prostitute, and recollected being at a ball at the Edinburgh
Castle Tavern, Limehouse. in December, 1856. The com-
plainant and a man named Cohen, a Jew, were there. The
complainant and Cohen left the ball-room in company. The
complainant returned two hours afterwards, and said Cohen
had seduced her.
Rosetta Hart was recalled, and said that the witness
Moss had sworn falsely.
Mr. Yardley made an order upon the defendant to pay
24. Gd. per week for the maintenance of the child, and the
cods.
A burst of applause followed the decision of the magis-
trate.

THE MURDER OF A YOUNG LADY AT
DARLRY.

THE MURDERER'S CONFESSION
Oa Wednesday the prisoner in the above case, James
Atkinson, was taktn before the county magistrates, at
Knaresborough, by Mr. Superintendent Martin, and, after

the examination of several witnesses, was committed for

Dr. Simpson presided, and the following other magis-
trates were also present : Mr. J. B. Favell, Mr. J. James
Harrison, Mr. T. C. Wilkinson, and the Hon. Egremont

Lascelles.

The court was crowded, and the case excited a good deal

of interest.

The prisoner was not defended. On being charged in the
usual way he made the following extraordinary confession :
—The reason I murdered her was because she would not
have me. She told me her parents would not let her have
me. She said she thought she could not be happy, as my
father was also against it. She said, " It's all my mother,
Jim, that's caused this disturbance." She said three times,
" Lerd help me," and I hope the Lord will help her. I told
her I could not be happy without her; I could not rest in
this world. She said it was all false ; that I cared nothing
about her, I had behaved so badly to her. It was all because
she was so queer with me that made me do it. I told her I
should murder her if she would not have me, because I
could not rest. I told her I had not been happy for three
weeks, or more than that. She told me she had not been
happy ; that she baa been far from happy since her parents
were against me and were always calling" me. Her
mother was the worst, she said, and never let her alone, day
in and day out. Her father never said anything to her
about me—he never changed words with her on the subject.
I was in her house on Sunday, at tea time. Her sister and
her mother came in. Her sister and her were in the
"house," and I was in the kitchen. She came out from
her mother and said, " Come, come, go out before my mother
comes in." I did as she wanted me, and we both thought
her mother did not see me. I went to a house on
the contrary side of the road, belonging to my father, but
not where he lives. I perhaps stopped an hour there, wait-
ing of her sister and her coming out to go to chapel. Her
mother and her sister came out before her, and they stood
talking about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. Then
she came out, and I went up to her. They went tip the lane,
and her mother went home. I followed them up the lane,
and overtook them in a lane that takes into Stump-lane,
where I murdered her. Sbe didn't talk to me much, but
her sister did. Ivi ent down to the bottom of Stump-lane
with them. My sweetheart told me to go home and
change my coat; to get my black coat on. I said that I
had on would do for me, and we parted at the bottom of
the lane. I thought to myself I would go to Furness, her
sister's sweetheart, who was coming up. There were some
more people with Furness. I stopped a little bit, and
then walked forward. There were some more people
sitting and standing on some wood below. I went and
sat down and talked a little bit. Furness and some
others came up. I got up after a little bit, and went
against Furness, and asked him if he was going to
Hartwith. He said it was a long road to go, but we
set off down the lane together. We kept moving on
slowly, until we got to the new line (railway), and her
brother then came up to us, and we sat upon the wall and
talked a little bit. I pulled out Is. and a Gd., and asked
them if they could strike the sixpence from under the
shilling and leave the shilling still on the finger. We re-
mained a bit, and then set off to the chapel. The girls had
gone before we set off. When we got to the chapel gate we
went forward to the public-house and each got a glass of ale
a piece. After that we came down to the chapel and saw an
the people come out. We followed after them. I went tonli
sweetheart, but she did not talk much to me never afterwards'
She said she thought we should have to part, as they called
her so. She said they had been calling her after I left the
house, and her mother had nearly gone crazed. We walked
ots together, and left her sister and Furness. We walked 00
until we got to Stump-lane bottom, and when we got a little
way up she took her arm out of mine. I waned her to flit
it in again, and she would not, I told her I could not be
happy until I married her. She thought we could not be
happy; she was sure we could not be happy. She told we
I should behave badly to her. I said if she would morn:
me, I would be content with her; I could not be content
without her. She said we had better part a little bit. I told
her many times I could not part from her, unless I did
something with her. I told her I thought there was solve,
one else she wanted, and I could not bide any one else t°
have her. She said we could both do without one another
a little bit. Then I took hold of her as she was walking bid
the side of she road. She was all the while awkwar
with me, and would not go on quietly. I stopped her
where she was, and told her I would murder her if eh°
did not go on quietly with me. She said " It's all false,
you only want to make me believe so." Then I took her
by the throat and tried to choke her. She cried out whe,',l
I took her by the throat, and I thought some one /1'0;1i
hear. We then got up and walked on a little bit, ane
pulled out my knife, and showed it her. She cried out,
" Let's go home, Jim—let's go home, Jim." Then I seized
her and cut her throat, and she cried out, " It's all el
mother, Jim—it's all my mother that's caused this die-
turbance." She cried out, " The Lord help me" three time,
to the best of my recollection, and then she fainted await
and I left her. I went over the wall, shut the knife, and
put it in my waistcoat pocket. I went into the fields, 07
wandered about, perhaps an hour or an hour and a half.
laid me down and thought I would go and tell her parent,'
bnt I could not go. I then thought I would go to her ageili
and I went back, but when I got a little way up the lane 01
heart failed me and I couldn't go to her. Then I got 01;.c„
the other wall into the field on the other side. I took tu;
knife out of my pocket again and opened it, and I put it in;
wall top, after which I took across the fields home to a Haiti
dam of my father's, to wash the blood off my hands e,
face. I then crossed another field home. When I got bole:.
my father and them were up. I did not go into the house_
I went into the shed where the carts were, and sat me do to
until I thought they had all gone to bed. Then I went in f
the house. I could not eat any supper, sad went to bed-
could not rest all the night. I got up in the morning, n'io
told my brother, as he told you. I have nothing mere
say. bad
The prisoner, when he had done, appeared as if he - .
reeved his mind of a great burthen, and signed his exi;
ordinary confession with as much coolness as if it bad be
the ordinary deposition of a witness.
The Chairman—James Atkinson. as you have made th-lit
confession, there can be no doubt that you are the murder
of Vary Jane Scaife.
The Prisoner—Yes, I am.
The Chairman—lt is our duty, therefore, to send you for
trial at tie next assizes at York.
The PH, over—Very well.
Mr. Superintendent Martin was then bound over to po
sccutc, and the prisoner was removed.

OPENING ()ETRE OYSTER SEASON.—OR IVORlesd°3l
the " opening of the oyster season " by
and in accordance with the chic regulatiens for the centirrre
official authorilloi
of Billingsgate-market, took place at four o'clock. "",i,rt
were from Rochester, Faversham, Whitstable, and 0,1-00
pors, 1G vessels, a larger number than we had 'to repel'
the 4th of August in last year.
ROYAL MATERNITY LYING-IN HospiTAL.
halt.yearly meetirg of thiS institution was held a id
t,tlif.es in Knight Ryder-street yesterilay. The report 0%,
that the number of women delivered during the six
was 1,182, being an increase on the corresponding
months of last year of 73 cases, the average increase %
annum since 1853 being 175 cases. The receipts for the le)
months (without a legacy of £lOO from Mr. John
amounted to £Bl3 Bs. 7d., and the expenditure to Vl' "te
leaving a balance in hand of £92 7s. 7d.; to which !Red,
be added the half-year's dividends subsequently repel tee
amounting together to £2OO Gs. sd. The report 'y
adopted, and a series of complimentary votes passed.

BIRTHS.

...„0 of 0
Hoitur.—On the 21 inst., at Hoddesdon, H ll'
Harts, Mrs. W.
of a son. tie
LATARD.—On the 4th inst., at Wembley Parsonage, Middlese,c,
wit.; of the Rey. C. C. Layard, of a daughter.
LLql7l3.—On the 2d inst., at Boulogne-sur-31cr, the wife e-
f
Lloyd, Esq., of a son. res '
Sntrrie.—On the Sd inst., at 14, Caroline-street, Bedford-el-
the wife of Henry Smith, Esq., F.R.C.S., of a rm. Of II
STONE.—At 3, Elm Villas, Hackney, Mrs. Thomas • Stone,
daughter.