The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-30 00:00:00

THE CASE OF DAVID HUGHES.

The trial of this prisoner, who stands indicted for fraudu
lent bankruptcy, has been postponed until next session.
CHILD MURDER.

Sarah Jane Wiggins was indicted for the murder of a male
child, three-and-a-half years old, by tying it to a bed-post.
Mr. Clark, who appeared for the prosecution, said the
prisoner cohabited with a man, the father of the child, and
that its death was occasioned by the severe punishment in-
flicted upon it by the prisoner, who tied it to the bed-post
horizontally from seven o'clock on Tuesday night until
seven o'clock the next morning. The learned gentleman
then called—

Emma Scott, who said—l am married, and reside at No.
4, Clarence Cottage, Hackney, the same house in which
the prisoner resided. She lived with a man named White,
who left her, three weeks before the child died, with three
children—two girls and one boy. The boy was about 31
years old. I last saw the boy alive on Tuesday, thu 22d of
September. The deceased was under the doctor's hands
for an abscess. On that day I went out about five o'clock
in the afternoon, and when I returned about six o'clock I
found he had been put to bed. Prisoner came home at a
quarter to eight o'clock. She went to that room. I heard
her go upstairs, and then I heard heavy slaps, as though
given with the open hand, but I heard no scream. After
that I saw prisoner come downstairs and go out, taking the
eldest girl with her. She returned in about half an hour, it
being then a quarter to nine. The following morning I saw
the eldest girl come downstairs, and at 20 minutes to 8 o'clock
I heard heavy slaps above. They were repeated five or six
times. I did not hear any scream or cry ? The prisoner was
then upstairs. About half-past 8 o'clock I heard prisoner come
downstairs, and saw her pass my window in a great hurry,
almost running. She came back in a quarter of an hour,
went upstairs, returned directly, and screamed at the top of
the stairs. I went to my door and asked " What is the
matter ?" She replied, " Oh, my little Jemmy has gone."
I said, " Oh, dear me ; not dead ?" and she answered, " Yes ;
go and see." I ran up. and saw the child with its clothes
on lying upon the bed. It was quite still. We both
went downstairs, and the doctor entered as I was going
out for assistance. It was then about a quarter
to 9 o'clock, When the doctor was there she said
she could not account for the bruises. I saw the
bruises then; and after he had gone she told me that the
child had been very weak—relaxed in the inside. I have
often heard heavy slaps, never seen them given. On the
Tuesday the prisoner told me that during the past night
the child had been relaxed in his inside, and made much
mess. On the next day, 'Wednesday, she told me that the
child had made no snore dirt, and she did not think he
would again, as she had punished him. I asked "In what
way did you punish him ?" and she answered, " I took him
upstairs when the other children went to bed, and after he
was undressed and had said his prayers, I tied him to the
bedstead, with his hands fastened down." I said, " Oh,
Lord, you surely did not keop him there all night ?' and
she answered " Yes, I did, until 7 o'clock this morning."
Cross-examined by Mr. Poland—The room I reside in is
a small one. A passage divides the room. I have two
rooms, one up, and the other down stairs. The prisoner
had another child besides besides the three I have men-
tioned living with her. White and the prisoner seemed to
live very comfortably together. I never saw her area'
the little boy Jemmy.

By the Judge—The general conduct of the prisoner to-
wards the children was kind, but she sometimes slapped
thorn. She believed they had food enough.
Fanny White, sister of the deceased, said she was nine
years of age. She remembered her mother, who was dead.
Her father was a gentleman's servant. He left home three
weeks before her brother died. After her mother's death,
Mrs. Wiggins, the prisoner, came to live with them. Her
brother died on a Wednesday. On the evening before Mrs.
Wiggins came home and witness went up stairs to go to
bed, herbrother was in bed. Mrs. Wiggins went up, and hav-
ing found that the boy had been crying for water pulled him
out of bed and tied ihim to the ,bed-post. She made him say
his prayers, and then she got on the bed and held him in
her arms. She then tied him round with a cord. She tied
his hands behind him. She tied him to the long piece of
wood which crosses the bed at the bottom. There were
four posts to the bed. She tied his hands and feet to the
bar, and she also tied a cord round his breast, his head
hanging down. (A. model of the bed was produced. From
the description given by the witness it appeared that the
boy was tied up to the top bar, or cross piece of a four-post
beisteacl, and that he hung on the cords which bound him,
his head hanging down). After she had tied up the boy
the prisoner got into bed. When witness awoke in the
morning little Jamie was still there. She frequently heard
him " winnick" during the night. She went down to light
the fire in the morning, and when she went up again her
brother had been taken down. The prisoner took him up
and shook him, and then put him on the ground. Witness
could not tell whether the boy was living or dead at that
time. The prisoner went out, and the doctor came shortly
afterwards. A policeman came and witness went upstairs
with him. The child was then dead. The prisoner had
before that tied him to the bed-post with only his shift on
for making a dirt, and kept him them all night. On that
occasion, however, he was in a standing position. The pri-
soner often slapped her brother.

Nothing material was elicited by Ur. Poland's exam,
nation.

By the Judge—She saw her brother after he was dead.
He had bruises en his face. She thought they were caused
by the slaps which the prisoner gave him.
Sarah White, a child apparently about six years of age,
confirmed the evidence of the last witness.
Mr. Edward Dennis Hucon, surgeon, of Richmond-road,
Hackney, said—l have attended the deceased child. Un-
questionably its death resulted from violence. I have made
a post mortem examination. I found the stomach perfectly
contracted, an I manifestly without food for some time
past, although it had been well nourished. The immediate
cause of death I believe to have been by an effusion of
blood upon the brain. I found marks of ligature round
the head, hands, and body. The jaws were firmly closed,
only to be opened by great 'violence. The result
of a child being tied to a bed in the way described would
be apoplexy.

James White, the father of the deceased child was called,
and said he left the children in the charge of the prisoner.
She behaved very kindly to the children while at home.
He frequently sent her money.
This was the case for the prosecution.
The jury, after a few minutes' deliberation, found the
prisoner guilty of manslaughter.
The learned Judge said the jury had found a very proper
verdict. It had been the habit of the prisoner to treat the
child with the greatest cruelty, until at last death had re-
sulted from hor unnatural treatment. The case was every
bad one, and the sentence of the Court was that she be kept
in penal servitude for 10 years.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
THE ASSAULT ON THE BRIGHTON AND SOUTII•COAST

RAILWAY.

Mr. Jacob French, watchmaker, surrendered to his bail
to answer a charge of assaulting Maria Astell in a carriage
on the Brighton and South-Coast Railway.
Mr. Robinson appeared for the prosecution, and Mr.