The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-27 00:00:00

NOVEMBER,

Liverpool Autumn 5 I Leamington Hunt
Shrewsbury ll

STEEPLECHASE FIXTURES FOR 1867.

TANUARY.

Manchester.

FEBRUARY.
Carmarthen
Birmingham l2 Derby
Windsor
MARCH.
Liverpool Spring
Grand Military - 21
Chertsey
Malton ..... 13
AP

York
Sevenoaks

RIL.
I Kildare Hunt

LOURS ING.

COURSING MEETINGS TO COME.
DECEMBER.

Name. Judge. Days of Running
Corrio, Lockerbie Mr. Warwick
JANUARY, 1867.
Huntingdon Club Mr. Warwick l, 2,
Lincolnshire, Holbeach Mr. Spafford
Coole, co. Cork (Open)
Third S. Lancashire, (South-
port (Open) Mr. Westropp 9, 10, 11
Spelthorne Club Mr. Warwick 9, 10, 11
Border Union (Longtown)

Cumberland Mr. Warwick l5, 16
Barton-on-Humber, Lincoln. Mr. Spafford
Altcar Club, Lancashire •••••••
Wigtonsh. Club (Stranraer) Mr. Boulton
Little Crosby Mr. Welding
County Louth Club, Ireland Mr. Spafford
Ridgway Club, Lytham - 3O, &c.
FEBRUARY.

Raiford, Lancashire
Cardiff Club Mr. Warwick l4, 15
Waterloo, Lancashire......... -
Taniworth, Staffordshire ... Mr. Warwick 26, &c.

MARCH.
Irish Grand National (Open),
county Louta
Ardrossan, Sharphill
•
South Lancashire (South-
port) Champion Mr. Westropp l4, 15, &c
Leinster (Open) Courtown... Mr. H. Springall l9, '2O
Scottish Open, Lanarkshire - 2 G, &c.
SEPTEMBER.

Brampton, Cumberland
_____ll§r. Warwick

OCTOBER.
Ancaster and Willoughby,
WLincolnshiro Mr. Spofford

Extraordinary Inquest.

At noon yesterday Mr. Richards, deputy coroner,
held an inquiry at the Adam and Eve Tavern,
Lower Homerton, relative to the supposed murder
of the illegitimate female child of Mary Ann Shinn,
a domestic servant.

Mr. Charles Debenham, linendraper, in Upper
Clapton, said that on the sth December Mary Ann
Shinn came into his service. She had been engaged
for him as a domestic servant by his sister at Bury
St. Edmunds. She came from Brandon. Her age was
21 years, and she was.single. On last Friday she
complained of being a little ill. Mrs. Debenham asked
her if she was in the family way ; but she positively
denied that she was so. The next morning witness
observed a great difference in her appearance as she
was going about her usual avocations ; his wife
observed the same, but attributed it to want of her
usual crinoline. Later in the day Mrs. Debenham
had her suspicions aroused, and Dr. Dudley Kings-
ford was sent for.

Mr. Charles Dudley Kingsford, M.R.C.S., said
that he was requested by the wife of the last wit-
ness to examine her servant. He saw Mary Ann
Shinn, who appeared in the best of health, and who
denied that anything was the matter. Ultimately,
however, she said that she had had a miscarriage.
She was then ordered to bed, and after a little time
she confessed that she had had a child, and that the
body was in the chimney. He searched for it and
found a full-timed female child wrapped in a bundle
above the top of the register stove. He made a
post-mortem examination that day, and found a
punctured wound at the right side of the neck divid-
ing the jugular vein. It was a clean deep wound,
the breadth of half an inch, and was very deep.
He believed that it had been inflicted with a pen-
knife. It had been inflicted during life. The child
weighed six pounds, and was of the ordinary size.
The lungs were perfectly healthy. He had no
doubt the child had been born alive, and had a
separate existence from the mother. The body
was generally healthy. The punctured wound in
the neck would produce death. If a surgeon had
inflicted the wound it could not have been done
more accurately or with greater neatness. It was
inflicted in a fold of the neck where it altogether
escaped witness's observation at first. The young
woman told him she had been confined on the
night before he was called in to see her.
Inspector Bywater said that the accused was at
present in custody. She had been removed under
his orders and by the permission of the surgeon, to
the workhouse infirmary. She was not at present,
however, aware that she was in custody ; he took
measures to have her removed as if by order of the
doctor, for he was fearful of the effect upon her if
she were told the fact at once.

Mr. Kingsford said that the young woman seemed
to be in a state of great terror as to what would
become of her if the matter were found out. She
for a long time :stoutly maintained that nothing
whatever was the matter with her.
The Coroner said that before the verdict was
returned it would be only fair to give the accused
the :opportunity of giving any explanation that she
might have to offer. He would, therefore, adjourn
the case until such time as the young woman should
be sufficiently recovered to come before the court.
The proceedings were adjourned accordingly.

RAINE'S CHARITIES.—DRAWING FOR THE £lOO
MARRIAGE PORTION.—The 26th of December in each year
being one of the days appointed for the interesting cere-
mony of "drawing for the marriage portion of £100," in
accordance with the provisions of the will of Mr. Maine, an
eminent Wapping brewer, who died in the early part of
last century, bequeathing a sufficient sum in real property
for the purpose of qualifying 40 girls to become candidates,
under certain restrictions, for the receipt of a marriage
portion of £lOO twice a year, the drawing of the prize fur
bestowment on the Ist of May nest took place yesterday.
There were several well-qualified candidates, and the one
who obtained the prize was, in the next place, to seek a
properly qualified and duly certified young man "of the
parish of Wapping," to become her husband. After most
minute inquiries have been made by the trustees as to the
character and position of the young man chosen by. the
"bride elect," and upon a satisfactory report being made
by the trustees, the marriage of the "happy couple" is
fixed to take place on the ensuing "May-day," in the
presence of the governors and friends of the institution,
who being convened subsequently at the schoolhouse at
dinner, present the £lOO in a purse to the bride and bride-
groom, the ceremony being unique and most interesting to
all parties.