The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-06 00:00:00

WESTMINSTEU.

COMMITTAL FOR WILFUL MURDER.--Emily Norris, aged
23, was charged with concealing the birth of her illegiti-
mate female child.

Mrs. Clara Hyde, of 4, Church-street, Chelsea, said in
September her children were ill and the prisoner WaS
called in to attend to them. She remained two
months, and then her appearance exciting suspicion wit-
ness asked to look in her box, and found in it the body of
a female child dead. Prisoner said it was hers. She gave
information to the police.

Mr. Inspector Prescott said that a coroner's inquest had
been held upon the body of the child, and a verdict of
"Found dead" had been returned.

The prisoner has been in the 'workhouse ever since the
witness Hyde discomered the fact.
Mr. Mansfield said to prisoner—Womar, I shall commit
you for the wilful murder of your child. He then
cautioned her. •

Prisonor was speechless, and was committed to New-
gate.

THAMES.

EXTENSIVE SYSTEM OF RoImERY OF WATER-BORNE
charged with stealing
GOODS ON THE ElVER.—Alfred and George Hall, brothers,
e
pieces of cotton print,
v6woaelrpueieedbc at tuotrtoe X2OO, the cambric,ftohr Mp rpPearteir. dBfgotehe East and West India
Dock Company.
For some time past the robberies of water-borne goods
and the substitution of tarpaulins, old Arid cloth, and rub-
bish in the packages and bales plundered, has been re-
peatedly complained of, and oNt ing to representations of
merchants and exporters, Mr. J. C. Evans, superintendent
of the Thames Police, and Mr. T. H. Sheppy, superin-
tendent of the West India Dock Company's police, were
engaged to discover the thieves, and stop a system of
plunder which has been detrimental to many. Yesterday
eye4ipg the two officers dipeoyered the prisoners on Ward

Early yesterday morning Woodspeen, Speenham -
land, and the town of Newbury were thrown into
great excitement and alarm by a report that a most
deliberate and dreadful murder had been perpe-
trated iu the village of Wcodspeen, which is situ-
ated close to Newbury, Berks. About 9 o'clock
yesterday morning Superintendent Harfield, of the
Berks Constabulary, received information that a
woman had been murdered in Deller's-buildings,
Woodspeen. He immediately informed Dr. Palmer
and Mr. J. Probyn, jun., of the circumstance, and
then repaired to the spot as quickly as possible.
In a small cottage, upstairs in bed, he found a
woman, named Eliza Shaw, a prostitute, murdered,
and a man named Edward Priest almost murdered,
lying on the floor by the side of the bed, undressed.
Dr. Palmer and Mr. J. Probyn, jun., surgeon soon
afterwards arrived, and upon examination discovered
that the woman had been dead for several hours.
Her skull was fractured, and the wound is supposed
to have caused her death. There was no other
wounds upon her except ou her hands, which it is
conjectured must have been knocked about while
she was trying to protect her head. Upon examin-
ing the man, whose name is Edward Priest, they
found that he was not quite dead but most dread-
fully injured. His skull was fractured, and there
were ten other wounds upon his head and face.
The medical men dressed his wounds, and
removed several pieces of bone from his skull ;
but we understand that there is scarcely any
ehance of his recovery. Superintendent Harfield
then made further inquiries and searched the house.
He there found an old-fashioned butcher's iron hook
or cramp, with which it is supposed the murderer
committed the awful deed, and also an old small
table-knife covered with blood, and it is thought that
the wounds on Priest's face and head were done with
it. It required very little trouble to discover who the
murderer was. It appeared that a man named Henry
Martin, a jobbing butcher, had been cohabiting with
Eliza Shaw for some time past. At last Newbury
Michaelmas Fair he knocked a man about, for which
offence he was committed to Reading Gaol for one
month. During that time Shaw got acquainted with
Priest, and when Martin came back from gaol he did
not approve their conduct, and he had been heard to
say that he would murder both of them, and con-
cluded with saying that he should not be hung for it,
Priest, who came from London a short time since, had
been residing at the Eagle publichouse, Bartholomew,
street, Newbury, where all three of the parties had
been drinking together late on the previous night.
Afterwards Priest and Shaw went to the latter's house
to spend the night together, and sometime after Mar-
tin also went to the house. He got in somehow, for
about 5 o'clock yesterday morning the next door neigh-
bours heard a woman say "Oh, God, oh, God !" and ail
if some fighting were going on. They did not take
much notice of it, as they bads° frequently heard simi-
lar noises. Martin left the house about 6 o'clock that
morning, but it is believed that he returned and left
again about 8 o'clock. Superintendent Harfield im-
mediately went in search of Martin, and traced him
to his mother's house, in the Rose and Thistle-yard,
Newbury, where he had left but a short time. Ile
there learnt that Martin had kissed his mother, and
after wishing her good-bye he told her that he would
never see her any more. Superintendent Har-
field then traced him to the Crown publichouse,
West-mills, where Martin had half a pint of beer.
He then heard that a man was in the canal. He
hastened to the spot, and near the locks, in the parish
of Eubourne, he found a pair of shoes on the towing-
path and a man in the water. Drags were procured,
and when the body was taken out of the water it
was discovered to be that of Martin. Martin was a
good swimmer, and so determined was he to drown
himself that he tied his legs together with his hand-
kerchief. The body was then taken to Mr. Nias's
stable, Enbourne, where it awaits a coroner's in-
quest. Shaw and Martin were both natives of New-
bury, and their characters have been of the worst
description. Shaw was a well-known character in
the neighbourhood. She had been cominitte I to
gaol several times for robberies. It is said that the
butcher's cramp with which the murder is supposed
to have been committed had been in Martin's family
for nearly a century.

FEMALE MEDICAL MISSION TO INDIA.—It is
proposed to set on foot a medical mission among
the native women of India, with the double object
of alleviating much physical suffering, and of taking
a knowledge of Christianity to them in their
secluded homes. This is a work which can only be
carried on by a woman, as the native women in
many cases will rather die than be seen by a man
in times of sickness. The first lady will proceed to
Delhi and act under the guidance of the Rev. R. R
Winter, missionary of the Society for the Propaga-
tion of the Gospel in that city. tier work will
be as follows :-1. To attend native ladies in
their zenanas. 2. To set on foot a dispensary
for women only. 3. To train native women
as nurses. There are a great number of respectable
but destitute native women in Delhi for whom
the means of an honest livelihood will thus be pro-
vided. The doctor in charge of the civil station at
Delhi has promised all the co-operation in his power.
In a letter of August 17, 1866, he writes :—" I do
think this proposal most excellent ; it is exactly
what I have long had on my mind, and if you can
succeed in enlisting some goad Samaritan, she shall
have all the assistance it is in my power to give."
The lady, therefore, while she will be working in
connection with the mission of the Propagation
Society in Delhi, will in all matters medical act
when necessary under the advice of the civil surgeon.
One lady has already offered herself, but her con-
stitution is not considered suitable for India, and
ladies are now wanted for this work. It is necessary
the candidates be members of the Church of England,
ladies by birth and education, and that they have a fair
acquaintance with the treatment of ophthalmia, and
the diseases arising from carelessness and ignorance
in confinements. Suitable arrangements will be
made for their being under the protection of married
missionaries, and in association with other ladies
engaged in educational work in India. A sum of
£l4O will be given for outfit and passage, and a
salary of £l2O a year guaranteed for three years.
This project will open up a new sphere of usefulness
for Christian ladies, and may even be looked upon
as an introduction to a class of Indian medical
practice by which large pecuniary returns would
subsequently be secured by ladies of adequate me-
dical knowledge and skill. Further particulars may
be obtained of Dr. Edmunds, honorary secretary
to the Female Medical Society, 4, Fitzroy-square,
who will put suitable applicants into communica-
tion with the Rev. R. K. Winter.

TIIE CATTLE PLAGUE.—The cattle plague has
reappeared under very singular and mysterious circum-
stances in the Amounderness Hundred of North Lanca-
shire. A few days ago Mr. Thomas Aspinall, of Salisbury-
hall Farm, Elston, in the hundred named, had a bullock
which showed signs of illness. On Sunday it was visited
by the local inspector, but the.case was then not sufficiently
determined ; afterwards the bullock got worse, clear
symptoms of the plague were manifested, and on Monday
it was killed and buried. Three bullocks and a heifer,
which had been in contact with the diseased animal, have
since been killed. How the plague has got upon Aspinall's
farm is a complete mystery. Five months ago the plague
prevailed upon all the contiguous farms, but Aspinall's re-
mained clear. Now, however, when all the other neigh-
bouring farms are free, the plague has come upon it. For
a considerable time there has been no change of stock, and
for five months no manure has been removed from any of
the farms adjoining. A footpath runs through the field
wherein the bullock which has caught the plague had been
pasturing. Up to the present case the Hundred of Amoun-
derness had been free from the plague entirely for five or
six weeks,

NOTES
;FROM
TRAINING DISTRICTS

(THIS DAY).