The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-07 00:00:00

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PTUCIL 41 STAMPED SD•

THE MURDER OF • CHILDREN IN LAMBETH.

Y4sterday Mrs. Martha Bacon, the unfortunate woman
charOd with the wilful murder of her two children—
namely, Edwin Fullerßacon, aged two years and a half,
and 'Sarah Ann Bacon, aged 11 mouths—was, brought
up from ITereemonger-lane Gaol for further examination
befois MA-. Elliott, at the Lambeth Police Court.
The prisoner, whose general health seemed somewhat
improved since her last'examination, was accommodated
with a
seat at the end of the solici'.ore' table, and front-
ingthebeaub. While the witnesses were giving their
evidence, she kept 'her eyes 'steadily fixed on them, but
di n'ot utter a word, and even when the horrible scene
which het house exhibited when the murders were dis.
'co e.red, and the shrieking state in which the poor little
children were found-T.-were being described, she did not
evince the, slightest emotion, Her husband, who was
seated near to her, on., the contrary, secured deeply
affected, particularly at some portions of the evidence.
Mr. Woodward, of the firm or Messrs. Taylor, Collin-
son, and Woodward, solicitors, of jolinstreet, Bedford.
ro et, attended, and 'said he was present to watch the
case at the request of the friends 'of Mr: Bacon, who
were respectable persons at Stamford, in Lincolnshire.
Since the last examination of the prisoner the case has
astiurned a very serious as well as a tragic character—in
the first place, from the fact of Mr. Bacon, the prisoner's
husband's assertion that between the time of hi 4 leaving
home, at a very early hour on the morning of Monday,
to prnceod to'Reigate, and returning to his house on the
Wednesday morning, it had been rubbed of a suit of
clotheq, a watch, and 71. in clash ; and in the next fr om
circumstances that, have occurred at Stamford, and from
which it appears that the poor children who have unfor-
tueately become victims to the insanity of their unhappy
mother have bad a narrow escape from destruction in
another way--7---Thahrtveirg-burnt to death. The Stant-
fOrd Mercury of last week, commenting on the report of
tie former examination of the prisoner at the Police
court, rays ,
" The above melancholy ease will be read with painful
iotereet•in Stamford. The untortUnate woman is the wife
of Thos. Fuller Bacon, formee.ly a whieestnith in this
town. It will be remembered that some months ago
Bacon's'houseion Peter's-hill was burnt in the night time,
and that the poor children who have met midi an awful
death were then removed from the burning premi.es by
a feinale_servant, who was, with the father, apprehended
on a charge of arson, but afterwards liberated, Bacon
himself having been tried at the Lincoln assizes and
acquitted. Mrs. Bacon was at that time in a lunatic
asylnao, where she remained a considerable period."
The witness. Harriett Payne, examined on the former
day, was recalled, and her former deposition having been
read over to her, she was further examined by the magic
trite as to the expressions made use of by the prisoner
when she first saw her on the Tuesday morning and sub-
Hequently on her way to the station-house and to this
court, but she could not recollect anything beyond her
:saying that it was not she that did it, ; ut that a, man
had entered the house by a back window, who had mur-
dered both her children, and endeavoured to cut her
throat. The witness further said that the prisoner had
.not enjoyed good health sine(' the birth of her youngest
child, •and in June last she was sent up from Stamford
to St. Luke's Hospital, and she , (witness) accompanied
her there. She also frequently visited her while at St.
Luke's, and on each occasion she used to inquire most
affectionately for her children. She (the prisoner) was
in the hospital from June to the 27th of October last,
when she left, and after leaving accompanied her hus-
band into Lincolnshire, and brought her children to
town. Her husband and herself at that time went to live
in the neighbourhood of Covent-garden, and subse-
quently at Kennington.
Mr. Elliott—You say the prisoner always anxiously
inquired about and evinced great love for her children
Witness—Yes, Sir ; she always did.
Mr. Weeodward declined putting any question to this
witness.

, Police-constable W. H. Cook was next called, and, in
addition to his former evidence, said that he took away
two of the three knives he found on the breakfast table
in the back parlour, where the eldest child was found.
There were three knives on the table, but he only took
two, as those were closest to the body of the child. The
eldest child when found was sitting in an easy chair, a
table placed close up to him, and his bead was resting on
his arms on the table. There were some toys or play-
things on the table at the time, and more on the ground.
In reply .to the questions of the magistrate this wit-
ness further said he had carefully examined the garden
and hack part of the house, and could not trace the
slightest marks of footsteps. He also examined the back
windows, and found them so secure that no person could
have entered the house by them. Of this fact the wit-
ness was the more certain from there being a quantity of
dust on the window sills which had not been disturbed
for a considerable time, and which must hare been re-
moved had anybody gut in.
Mr. John Bushell, surgeon, of Kennington-lane, was
next called, and the evidence he had given on the Tues-
day before read over to him. In addition to it he said
that since the last examination he had examined the two
knives produced by the constable with a powerful micro-
scope, and on one of them he could clearly discern
globules of human blood, while the other Was perfectly
free from any such stains.

Mr. Ell4)6—Did the knife marked with these globules
appear Sharp ?

Mr. Bushell—lt was sharp, and it appeared to me as
;f it had been recently sharpened on a steel, or some-
thing of that kind. Mr. lushell further said that on
examining the b Atom part of the nightdress belonging
to the prisoner, and found in her bed in her room, he
found it deeply stained with arterial and not venous
blood, and it appeared to him as impelled on the part in
a spirt, or jet, and not dropped there.
Mr. Elliott—ls it your opinion, Mr. Bushell, that
the prisoner inflicted the wounds on her throat herself,
or that they were done by somebody else ?
Mr. Bn•hell—lt is my decided opinion that they were
done by herself, for bad they been done by another her
exertions to protect nerself and prevent them would have
caused them to he much more severe. Besides, she
would have used her hands as her natural defence, and,
if so, they would have been injureo. ; but on examining
them I cannot discover a scratch. On Tuesday last, on
examining her hands, I clearly saw the marks of blood
about them, particularly on the left band and its finger
nails, though the hands had been washed.
Mr. Eiriott—Was the knife you have described such
an instrument as the injuries inflicted on the deceased
children, and which caused their death, might have in-
flicted with ?

Mr. Bushell—Oh, certainly. Indeed, the prisoner her-
self said the injuries upon her were done with a knife.
Mr. Woodward—l understand, Mr. Bushell, you
avoided putting any questions to the prisoner.
The case was then adjourned to a future day.