The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-07 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

MIDLAND CIRCUIT.—LEICESTER, March 6.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Crompton.)
Elizabeth Goddard, aged 45, described as a mid-
wife, was charged with the wilful murder of Sarah
Kellam.

The deceased, a woman of about 40, who had been
married for about 20 years, and had been the mother
of nine children, was, at the time of her death,
cohabiting with a man named Harrison. The hus-
band and two grown up daughters of the deceased,
who were examined as witnesses for the prosecu-
tion, were apparently persons of respectability,
and the man Harrison, who was also examined
as a witness, seemed to occupy a very
respectable position. In the year 1859 the
deceased, accompanied by her daughters Sophia and
Mary, had visited the prisoner. The object of the
visit was that the deceased might have "her fortune
told" by the prisoner. During the interview the
prisoner told the deceased that if ever she was in
trouble she (the prisoner) would get her out of it.
There was no evidence of any further communica-
tion between the deceased and the prisoner until
Dec. 26 last, on which day the deceased and her
daughter Sophia (a young woman of about 18 years
of age) went to the prisoner's house in Wharf-street.
The deceased then, in the presence of her daughter,
told the prisoner that she (deceased) was in the
family way. "Never mind," was the prisoner's reply,
"I'll make it all right ;" and, on being asked by
the deceased whether there was anything to take,
the prisoner replied "Nothing," adding that the
charge would be £l, and that she had had £5 from
many people. After being cautioned by the prisoner
against mentioning the matter, the deceased and her
daughter left. About 7 o'clock on the evening of the
Friday after Christmas-day Sophia Kellam, her
mother (the deceased) and Harrison went out to-
gether, and, parting with Sophia, the two latter
went in the direction of the prisoner's house. On
the next day (Saturday) Harrison and the deceased
were out together from about 7 to 8 in the evening,
and the deceased was again traced to the direction
of the prisoner's house. On her return home the
deceased seemed ill, and when in bed was attacked
with a fit of shivering. On the next day (Sunday)
she took to her bed, which she never afterwards
quitted. The symptoms becoming more alarming,
medical assistance was sought ; and on Thursday,
Jan. 3, Mr. Crossley, the surgeon who was sent for
to the deceased woman in Fullmoon-yard, where
she was living with Harrison, found
.her suffering
from peritonitis. On the morning of Friday,
January 4, Mr. Crossley found her worse, and
told her first that she would not, and afterwards
that she could not, get better. On Saturday,
January 5, at about 11 a.m., Mr. Crossley found
her much worse. She asked him whether he
could alter the unfavourable opinion which he
had expressed on the previous day. He told her that
he could not, " for," said he, " you are dying." She
seemed shocked, and afterwards told her daughter
Sophia of the opinion which Mr. Crossley had
given. Some discussion having taken place on the
point, the learned judge decided upon receiving
evidence of the dying declarations made by the
deceased subsequent to the comnlunication made to
her by Mr. Crossley. Sophia Kellam then proved
that her mother said that the prisoner had killed
her, and that the prisoner had done it all, and that
her mother repeated this statement from time to
time up to the time of her death, which took place
on the same day. During the Friday and Saturday
the deceased was delirious at intervals, but less so
on the day of her death than on the preceding day.
It was also stated by Sophia that on the Tuesday
she saw traces of blood in her mother's bed and
elsewhere in the room. On the ensuing day (Sun-
day) Mr. Crossley, assisted by Mr. Sibley, another
surgeon, made a post-mortem examination of the
deceased's body, and found the omentum consider-
ably inflamed. Besides inflammation of the peri-
toneum (chiefly on the right side) the surgeons
observed that the upper part of the womb was
inflamed, and on removing it there was found a clot
of blood in the centre, inflammation of its substance,
and a spongy mass adhering to its upper part. They
also found three small wounds in the posterior wall
of the womb, the largest of which was a third of
an inch in length. The lower third of the womb,
especially near these wounds, was of a dark colour
and injected, The lower part was, in fact, almost
gangrenous. Both gentlemen attributed death to
peritonitis, arising from inflammation of the womb.
They stated that the inflammation of the womb was
caused by the wounds already mentioned.
Some instruments which were found in the pri-
soner's house were produced in court. It was sug-
gested that the wounds were produced by one of
them, which resembled a skewer.

Mr. O'Brien having commented on the disre-
putable conduct of the witnesses, the discrepancies
in their testimony, and the want of evidence to show
connection between the prisoner and the criminal
act which caused the deceased's death,
The learned Judge snmmed up the evidence, and
The jury, after an absence of half-an-hour, re-
turned a verdict of guilty.
Mr. Justice Crompton then put on the black cap,
and, after expressing his fears that the prisoner had
for some time been carrying on the fearful trade,
the pursuit of which had led her into her present
position, said that, although the prisoner had no
intention of killing the deceased, yet death having
ensued from her felonious act, she was guilty of
murder. The learned judge added that he trusted
the result of this trial would be to deter others from
pursuing so fearful a calling. His lordship then
passed sentence of death in the usual form.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.—OXFORD, March 6.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Blackburn.)
CHARGE OF STARVING A SERVANT GIRL.
Robert Durno Mitchell, a retired navy surgeon,
was charged with feloniously killing and slaying
Henrietta Clarke, at Henley-on-Thames, on the
9th of January last. The defendant, who :is
upwards of 60 years of age and of gentlemanly
appearance, pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Cripps and Mr. Rowden conducted the
prosecution ; Mr. Huddleston and Mr. Griffits
appeared for the defendant. The trial commenced
at nine o'clock, and the court was crowded to
excess. Mr. Cripps briefly opened the case by nar-
rating the facts given in the following evidence :
Elizabeth Clarke, widow, of Reading—Knew
Henrietta Clarke. She was my niece, and lived
with me 15 years. She left me four years ago. She
would have been 25 next May. She was a very
cheerful, healthy girl. She had no illness of any
importance while she lived with me. When she
left me she went into the service of Mr. Sharp, of
Reading, and lived there a year. She then went
to her father's. She could read a letter, but not
write. I put her to school, but they said they could
not make her learn. After she left Mr. Sharpe's I
only saw her once, and that was about three years
ago. She looked very well, and said she was
very well.

Martha Clarke—l am stepmother to the deceased.
She came beck to me after she left Mr. Sharp's.
She was very weak in her inside, and very unwell
after she left Mr. Sharp's service. She used to eat
sharp, and always appeared hungry. She had a fit
once, but I do not know what it was. She re-
quired two or three persons to hold her. She used
to put bits of bread in her pocket. She wanted to
go to service ; but I wished her to bide at home. I
did not see her while she was at Mr. Mitchell's. I
received some letters from Mr. Ilitchell before the
girl died.

Ann Godley, wife of Wm. Godley—l live at West
Hill, Henley. I carry letters every morning from
the post-office to Bolingcourt ; I also take milk to
Mr. Mitchell's every morning. His house is close
to the road side, with a wall in front with a door in
it. I do not know the height of the wall, but I
could reach to the top of it with my hand. Hen-
rietta Clarke used tom, take the milk of me over the
wall, as the door was locked. I have bought penny
loaves for her five times. The first time was about

three months before she left Mr. Mitchell's. She
asked me to buy the loaves for her. The last time
was Friday morning after Christmas when I saw
her, for the door had been left unlocked the previ-
ous night. She appeared in a very bad state and
very thin. That was the last time I ever saw her.
By the Judge—The girl gave me the money to
pay for the loaves.

Arthur D'Oyley Brooks—l am a surgeon, and
on the 4th of January when to Mr. Mitchell's to see
Henrietta Clarke. She was in bed, and I was struck
with her ghastly appearance. I went into her
room with Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell. Her eyes were
sunk, her cheek bones prominent, and generally
speaking she was very much emaciated. Mr. Mit-
chell told me she had had fits. 1 remarked a peculia-
rity in the shape of her head. I afterwards asked
him if she was half-witted. I did so in consequence
of her childish manner. He said they had to drum
the work into her. I examined more particularly,
and found her very feeble and emaciated. but could
find no disease upon her. She was suffering from
exhaustion. I asked her if she had any com-
plaint to make. She said "No ; but suffered from
weakness." I felt her pulse, and remarked to her
that her hands were cold. I asked her if she felt
the cold. She said " No." I asked her if she had
warm covering on her bed. She said she had. I
asked her if she could eat, or had any appetite. She
said " she could have plenty to eat of anything
she liked, but could not take it." I told Mr. Mitchell
she appeared to have been exposed to severe wea-
ther, and had not had enough to eat. He said he
should like to have her moved to the workhouse if
she was in a fit state. He said she wanted beef-tea
and stimulants. I knew at that time that the pri-
soner was a medical man. I was one of the per-
sons who examined the body after death. Hen-
rietta Clarke died on Jan. 9, and the post mortem
examination took place on the 11th. I have been
in practice about three years with my father at
Henley. I was not able from the post mortem
examination to find any disease which would
account for the death of the deceased. The other
surgeons who examined the body were Mr. Jeston
and Mr. Brown. Mr. Jeston is a surgeon of long
standing. The appearances of the body after death
were general emaciation, the absence of fat on the
surface of the body and in the abdomen, thinness
and transparency of the intestines, and the right
lung was adhering to the walls of the chest. I
attribute death to wasting away, but I cannot speak
positively as to the cause of it. I know from read-
ing what would be the ordinary appearance after
death from starvation, and the appearance in this
case was consistent s ith that account, and led me
to think it arose from that cause.
Samuel Mortlock, master of the Henley Union
workhouse for upwards of two years—l have been
master of workhouses for about 27 years, and am
well acquainted with the appearances of idiots.
The deceased was brought to the workhouse on
Jan. 4. The next day Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell came
to the workhouse. Mrs. Mitchell was in a very ex-
cited state. Mrs. Mitchell met me at the door and
told me Mrs. Mortlock, the matron, had made some
observations respecting the state of the girl which
she thought were very unjust, and was very much
hurt about it. I asked Mr. Mitchell how long the
deceased had been in his service, and he said four or
five months. I asked him what wages she received,
and his answer was about £4 or £5 per year. I then
went upstairs and saw the deceased for the first
time. Mrs. Mitchell was standing by the side of
the bed, and as soon as I entered the room Mrs.
Mitchell said, " Now, Jane, dear, this is the master
of the workhouse; they say you have been starved,
now tell him all about it. Have you not always had
plenty of food ?" The girl's answer was, " Oh, yes,
plenty of food--meat, wine, arrowroot, plenty of
wine and everything I liked." I was struck by the
shocking appearance of the girl's face ; it was very
much emaciated, and had a very vacant appearance.
I took hold of her hand, asked her what was the
matter with her, and how long she hid been ill.
She replied, " Since Sunday," when she had e. fit.
I said, " You have been ill much longer than that,
and you are ill now. Are you in pain ?" She said,
" I am in no pain now, and slim' be better to-mor-
row ; lam only ill from a fit." I examined her
and found her in an extremely emaciated state.
Her fingers had the appearance of having been
washed in a strong solution of soda and water. The
girl was five feet high, and 48 hours after death the
body weighed only 50lbs.
Kate Norman—l am one of the nurses at the
Henley Union, and have been so two years. I re-
member the deceased being brought to the work-
house in a fly. She looked very emaciated, but I
did not think she was in a dangerous state. She was
carried into the house. She said she hoped her papa
would be allowed to see her. I asked her if she was
the daughter of Mr. Mitchell, and she said " No,
she was his servant." She was put to bed on her
arrival at the workhouse, and had hot water for her
feet. She had tea and bread-and-butter given her.
She partook of it very heartily. On the following
morning, about half-past seven, she had tea and
bread-and-butter for breakfast, and ate very hear-
tily. After breakfast I washed her ; from that
time to her death I saw her at every meal. She ate
them all with great zest. She had a glass of wine at
11 o'clock, and mutton broth and bread at dinner.
On Tuesday, the day before she died, she ate her
dinner and tea very heartily, and afterwards be-
came delirious, and continued so until her death.
Mr. Jeston, surgeon and medical officer to the
Henley Union, detailed the nature of the post-
mortem examination, and gave it as his opinion
that, from the appearance of the body, the girl's
statement that she had had sufficient food was not
true. The body did not present any appearance
of want of assimilation of food. He, Mr. Brooks,
and Mr. Brown formed their opinion that the de-
ceased died from a want of food from the result
of the post-mortem examination. They found no
traces which could lead them to attribute death to
any other cause.

By the Judge—Had he known nothing of the
previous circumstances of the deceased, the body
itself would have created an impression that death
arose from want of food.
George Brown, surgeon at Henley, said that on
Friday, the 11th January, he assisted Mr. Jeston
and Mr. Brooks in making a post-mortem exami-
nation of the body of Henrietta Clarke. Mr. Brown
corroborated the testimony of the two previous
medical witnesses.
This was the case for the prosPtution.
Mr. Huddleston then addressed the jury on
behalf of the prisoner, and, having called several
witnesses for the ddence,
Mr. Cripps replied on the whole case.
The Judge then summed up, and read through
the greater part of the evidence, commenting on it
as he proceeded, but had not concluded when our
parcel left at nine o'clock.

POLICB INTELLIGENCE:: March 6.

MANSION-HOUSE. STRANGE AFFAIR. --
Sarah Rose Terrey, a young woman of about 30
years of age, was brought before Mr. Alderman
Rose, charged with feloniously attempting to
destroy herself.
The prisoner appeared to be very weak and faint,
and was allowed to sit in the dock during the pro-
ceedings.

The following evidence was adduced :
Mrs. Mary Ann Hall said,---I keep the Union
Coffee-house, No. 2, Bishopsgate. On Wednesday
night, between ten and eleven o'clock, the prisoner
came to my house with a soldier, who asked if they
could be accommodated with a bed. I told them
yes, and they sat together in the coffee-room for
about half an hour before they Nc, ent upstairs. I asked
the soldier if the prisoner was his wife, and he an-
swered, in a very abrupt manner, " Most un-
doubtedly she is." I said she seems rather lame.
I would rather she would not go upstairs. I do not
think you will ever be able to get her up four pair
of stairs ; and he replied, " Oh yes I can," and took
hold of her hand and took her upstairs. He paid for
the bed before going upstairs. I met the prisoner
on the next morning, about eleven o'clock as she
was coming downstairs, and asked her how her
ankle was. She replied, " It is very bad, but not
equal to a broken heart." They both bad break-
fast together in the coffee-room; but before that
the soldier asked me if I would buy some Jewellery
of him, and I declined. He asked me if I could tell
him where he could part with it, and I directed him
to a jeweller's in Bishopsgate-street. He said he
only wanted money to carry him over that day, and
to return home by the train the next morning, He
left apparently to sell them. He returned shortly
and took breakfast with the prisoner, which he paid
for. After breakfast they both went out, and
returned between six and seven in the evening.
They had no refreshment, but sat in the coffee-room
until ten, when they went to bed in the same room
they had occupied the night before. The soldier
, paid for the bed. The next morning (Friday,
March 1) I saw the soldier at about eleven o'clock
and asked him how bis wife's ankle was, and he
replied that it was worse of the two, and her head
was very bad. He asked for a pipe, which was
given to him, and he went upstairs smoking it. In
about twenty minutes he came down and asked me
to prepare a chop for breakfast. I said would his
good lady take her breakfast upstairs, and he said
yes, she would not get up that day. He went out,
and returned in about a quarter of an hour with a
bottle in bis hand. I believe it was one that he had
borrowed the previous night from one of the ser-
vants. I think it was a little larger than the one
produced. I told him the breakfast was sent up-
stairs, and he said he was givinl me a great deal
of trouble, and paid me 114 d. for the breakfast, and
Went upstairs. At about two o'clock I sent up for
the tray, and the waiter came down and said
the prisoner had told him to fetch a policeman.

I I said I supposed they had been quarrelling, so I
did not send for one then. Shortly after that she
came down and asked me to go upstairs, I asked
her what for, and she said, " Come up and see."
She then went up, and I followed shortly after.
The man was then lying on the bed, on his left
side. The prisoner was sitting opposite the man.
I said, " What do you want with me ?" and she
said, " You see that man lying there," and I replied
" Yes." She said, " He's dead." I said, " What !"
and she said, "He is dead. We have both taken
poison, and each au equal dose." She said he was
her brother. I asked her if she knew what she
was saying, and she said, "Yes, perfectly well ;
he is my brother. Poor Tom! I want to be beside
him." She said she had vomited, and supposed
she was not to die. I asked her if she meant to
say that she had slept in that bed with her own
brother, and she said, " Yes, it is too true." She
then pointed to a penknife, the one produced, and
said, "Do you see that knife ?" I replied that I
did, and she said, " That has been three times in
my side." ',There were marks of blood on the
knife. I went to the man and laid my hand on
his face, and found that he was dead. I then sent
for a policeman. I went upstairs again with the
officer, and he called for some salt and water for
the prisoner, but I sent for some brandy, which
was given to her. She appeared to be in great
agony at the time. A doctor came, and gave her
an emetic and strapped up the wounds, and she
was taken to the hospital.
John Nash, waiter, and Anne Percival, waitress
at the Union Coffeehouse, having given confirmatory.
evidence
Mr. Leonard Lewis Hackman said—l am s
chemist, and reside at 41, Union-street, Bishops-
gate. On Friday, the Ist of March, about one
o'clock, a soldier, in the uniform of the 7th Regi-
ment of the line, came to my shop and asked for two
pennyworth of opium. I asked him if it was for
himself, and if he was in the habit of taking it." He
said "Yes, he was obliged to take it now and then."
Having sold it to other soldiers who had been abroad,
I served him. I gave him half a drachm,- and he
asked me how many doses I had given him. I then
asked him if he knew how many grains he usually
took. He replied that he did not know the weight,
but that it was generally a piece about the size of
a small pea. I told him he might take that, but
not more, and there were several doses there.
Mr. Robert Fowler, surgeon, Bishopsgate-street
—About half-past three on Friday, the Isi March,
on returning to my shop I saw my assistant going
in, and he said he had been called to a case of poi-
soning, and had returned for the remedies. He
had a bottle with him, which smelt of prussic acid.
I took the remedies myself, and went to the Union
Coffee-house. I found the man dead, and the pri-
soner in the custody of the officer. The room smelt
strongly of prussic acid, and on smelling the man's
mouth I found the same smell proceeding from it.
I also found some liquid in a cup, which proved to
be prussic acid. I examined the body, and found
great lividity upon certain portions of it, and it is
my opinion that he died from prussic acid.
The prisoner was remanded, in order to procure
the attendance of the corporal of the deceased's
regiment.

GUILDHALL.—CAUTION TO PRINTER'S BOYS.
—Alfred Rogers, a lad about 16 years of age, was
placed at the bar before Alderman Dakin charged.
with wilfully damaging a form of type belonging
to his employers, under the following circumstances :
Mr. George Levey, a printer, of Great New-
street, Fetter-lane, said the prisoner was in his
employ as a machine-feeder. About four o'clock
on Tuesday afternoon the prisoner was at work at
the machine as usual, when it appeared he took
the paper cap from his head and passed it
through the machine, but as it followed the sheet
of paper it came in contact only with the blank
part of the cylinder, and caused not the slightest
injury, but on his passing his cap a second time
through the machine, it came in contact with the
type, and entirely destroyed the face of nearly
the whole of the form. He felt bound to press the
case against the prisoner. In one house in the trade
s boy battered the face of the type so as to stop the
working of the machine, simply for the purpose of
getting a holiday. In his own establishment, the
repairs to machinery alone had cost £2OO in twelve
months, and he had not the slightest doubt that
more than half of that was for wilful, damage by
boys in his own employ. The type only was
damaged to the extent of 55., but the machine might
have been strained, and thereby injured to the
amount of about £5O.
The prisoner here said he did not know that the
cap would have injured the type or the machine..
At the same time he had no particular reason for
doing it;

Ar':l. erman Dakin fined the prisoner ss. for the
''Lamage, or in default seven days' imprisonment.
The prisoner was sent to prison in default.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

—MARCH 6.
a, but late rates were for the
qualities. A moderate show
i doing.
Barley, grinding 32s to 35e
Oats, old, .. 32s to 37s
New do 231 to 29s
Beans. 56s to 583
Beans, new 38s to 433
40s to 50s.