The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-23 00:00:00

THE SUN,

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY).
OLD COURT.
(B T,ro Mr. Baron PLATT.)
CHARGE OF MURDER.

Mary Rook, aged 39, and described as a married
woman, was put to the bar, charged with the wilful mur-
der of Elizabeth
The prisoner was a masculine-lcoking woman, and
when placed at the bar appeared somewhat indifferent to
the position in which she stood. When called upon to
plead she said " Not guilty" in a firm voice.
Mr. Parry defended the prisoner.
Mr. CLARKSON stated the case for the prosecution, the
circumstances of which will be found in the following
evidence called to support it.
Catherine Wallis called—ls no relation to the de-
ceased child, Elizabeth Wallis. Lives at the Grove,
Ealing. The prisoner and her husband also live there.
Keows the prisoner. Knew the deceased Elizabeth Wal-
lis; she was a daughter of the prisoner by the first
husband. The deceased was about 17 years of age. The
prisoner Lad six children by the second husband. The
prisoner has get her living by taking in washing. The
dece .s d died on Thursday night, the Bth August instant.
\Vas present at her death. Have been her ill treated by
the pris ,nor, within six months of her death. At her
death observed marks of bruises on her person. The
deceased was ill about five weeks before her death. She
was ;attended by the medical man of the parish. Have
seen the deceased struck at the top of the stairs by the
prisoner and knocked down stairs. That was about six
months before her death. After she had fallen down
stairs the prisoner followed her down stairs and beat her
again. The stairs have about ten steps. The
mother beat her with her hand down stairs.
The child cried out. She beat her perhaps
about a minute. The deceased was perfectly
healthy about that time. Have not seen her beaten
much at any ether time—not more than is usual with
mothers, Have seen her beaten across the shoulders,
about twelve months ago, by her mother. Have seen
the family of the second husband at meals. The de-
ceased was not fed like them when witness had seen

them at dinner. Have seen her (the deceased) have a
piece of dry bread, and a piece of bread thrown at
her by the mother, while the other children would be
having bread and meat to dinner. The deceased did not
sit at the same table with the rest of the family. The

girl never complained to witness until the day before
she died. Witness thought and told the deceased she
was dying, and urged her to prepare for

death by -Praying to— God to pardOn the sins
she had committed in this world. She said
she would pray to be forgiven. Knew that the
deceased had committed some sins, and urged her to

make a confession of tEem before she died: in which

case she would not be likely to have so much to answer
fee in the next world. The deceased said she would
pray to be forgiven those sins, and then she repeated
the Lord's Prayer and part of the Creed in presence
of witness. Asked deceased if she really felt she would
die, and she replied sbe did. She complained that she
was hungry. Witness then took a mutton-chop, which
deceased said was in the prisoner's house, and cooked it
along with some potatoes, and took them upstairs to the
deceased. She complained of her ear aching very much.
Remember the inquest being held. It was on the
Saturday. The body of the girl at that time was
in her mother's house. During the progress of the
inquest, heard the mother say, if she got her
liberty, she would go home and throw the b— out,
(meaning the body of the deceased), box and all. The
prisoner was then in custody at that time in the tap-
room of the public-house where the inquest was being
held. The prisoner went to the station-house along
with her husband and witness; and on the road she
charged her husband not to follow the body of the de-
ceased to the grave, and that if he did she (the prisoner)
would remember it when she came out of prison. She
told her husband not to bury the deceased, but to let the
parish doctor do it.
Cross examined by Mr. PARRY—Am the wife of a
chimney sweep, and take in needlework. I also let
ponies and donkeys for hire. Have children of my own;
six, all living. Have had occasion to beat my own
children, with my hand and with a strap also, when they
have been disobedient. May have beat them with
the stick I drive the donkeys with, but not
to injure them. I have daughters. I know the pri-
soner had been drinking at the time of the inquest, and
was, in fact, very much excited when she made the ex-
pressions I have related, at the time of the inquest. The
prisoner is a laundress, and her husband is a labouring
man. She has always worked very well for her Tamil} ;
but she does net toil from morning to night for their
support. The deceased used to wash also; she like-
wise went out to wash occasionally. I believe the de-
ceased was the only child of the prisoner's first mar-
riage. I believe the prisoner was pregnant when her
first husband died. I was not on very friendly terms
with the prisoner. I have, however, been in the habit
of going to her house, and she has come to my house
occasionally. The prisoner has a mangle, and I have had
my clothes mangled there. The prisoner and the family
had meat generally to dinner; but Ido not think I
have ever seen the deceased have meat to her dinner, or
sit down to dinner. I have known the family for six
years, and may have seen them sit down ten times to
dinner. I have had words with the prisoner, but not
recently. I have often had words with her respecting
the deceased, when the prisoner has ill-treated her. I
have cautioned her about beating the deceased, and have
told her some day or other she would give her an un-
lucky blow which would cause her death.
Wm. Brooks, a hay-binder at Ealing, said he knew the
deceased. Had seen her ill-used by her mother. Saw
he r so ill-used a month ago yesterday, when the mother
entered the outer door of their house, and struck the de-
ceased on the head with her fist. The deceased was ill at
that time. She tumbled on the stairs from the blow ;
th,-, mother saying at the same time to the deceased,
" D—n your -- eyes•." The deceased was about
seventeen. On another occasion the deceased was bang-
ing out clothes in her mother's garden, when the pole
which supported the clothes fell down, and the mother
came oto, and, taking her by the hair of her head, teat
her for some minutes and swore at her. Witness occa-
sionally cut the neighbours' hair. About twelvemonths
ago cut the deceased's hair, when he found three bruises
on her bead; her left ear was also cut and covered with
matter. Heard the mother say after that she would be
her (the deceased's) -- butcher or murder her.
Cross-examined by Mr. PARRY—I believe my wife has
quarrelled with the deceased, but I have had no quarrel
myself with her. I have not he en in the prisoner's house
since I cut the deceased's hair. The quarrel between my
wife and the prisoner wee very bitter on both sides. She
said she would be my wife's b— butcher, and wash her
hands in her blood. I did ' not hear the pi ironer use
that expression, but my wife told me she used it. I
don't know that the prisoner has been in the habit of
drinking. I have not seen her drunk to my knowledge.
Mary Turner said—l live in Ealing-grove, ❑ext door
to the prisoner. I knew the deceased. I have seen her
ill-used very often by the prisoner. My garden adjoins
hers. lam a laundress. I have seen the-prisoner peat
the deceased about five or six weeks before she died; she
beat her with her clenched fist about the head or any
part of her body that came first. I have heard
her being beaten in the garden, and the girl cry
out. I have also heard her driven into the mangling-
house and beaten by her mother. When the girl came
out on those occasions she was sometimes all over blood
about the nose and mouth. That might be about three
months before she died. That beating used to go on
every day while the mother was at home. I have seen
the mother heat her with a birch-broom, but I don't
know on what part of her person, for I did not like to
see her, and I would run away. I have seen the deceased
rather stagger under the weight of the aet linen, and
whilst her mother was wringing it out. That was about
a week before her death. Tnat was after the parish
doctor had been to attend her.
-

Cross-examined by Mr. PARRY—Fridays and Satur-
days were wry busy days, and the prisoner seemed more
in a hurry and more irritated to get her work done, and
on those days she was more in the habit of beating the
deceased. I have always seen the prisoner work very
hard while she was at her work.
Mrs. Wallis recalled—The deceased was in the habit
of thieving; but I did not know she had b?en taken into
custody once. I knew acts of theft which the mother
did not know of. Her mother has told me that table
cloths were missing, and that she had to supply articles
to her customers which she suspected the deceased bad
stolen.

Mary Massey—l live in a cottage in Ealing-grove,
opposite the prisoner's. I went on the 24th of last July
to work at Mrs. Payne's, which is a short distance irons
the prisoner's hence. I saw the deceased at Mrs. Payne's,
sitting by the breakfast table. She appeared very ill
indeed. She was unable to do her work. I bought a
half-pint of beer, and gave it to the deceased with a
piece of bread. She was not better after taking the beer
and bread, and was unable to wash.
Cross-examined—l know nothing of the deceased's
habit of thieving. She never took anything from me;
but I have heard very bad accounts of her. She was in
the station of.ce.
Louisa Cutting—l am a married woman, and live in
Ealing-grove, about three doors from the prisoner. Have
known the prisoner for four years. Have seen her
throw the flat-iron at the deceased's legs, but I don't
know that it hit hor. That was about twelve months
ago. I have seen the prisoner beat the deceased with a
mangle rope severely over her back. I have also seen
her beat her across the head with a copper-stick, which
is a little thicker than a broom-handle. These beatings
were about twelve months ago.
Cross-examined—l have heard the deceased was in
the habit of thieving, but I don't know it of my own
knowledge. The prisoner, more than twelve months
ago accused me of stealing some diaper from her. I
have worked for her since.
Wm. Henry Turner corroborated the testimony. of his
wife
Mr. Wm. Jonce, one of the relieving officers of the
Brentford Union, said on the 11th of July the deceased
came to me and applied for an order for the district sur-
geon, as she was iil at that time. I gave her an order
on Mr. Goudchild, the surgeon. I went to the house
where the deceased lived on the Saturday before she
died; I found her in bed, and I wished to have her taken
to the workhouse, but she refused. She wanted t go
to an heave' and I gut her taken there. The mother
said she had an or& r from the vicar for her admission
into the hospital. I got a cart to take her there; but I
don't know that she ever went there. The mother ap-
plied on the Wednesday, the day before her death, to
the board of guardians to hare her taken into the
workhouse, as they had refused to admit her into fbe
hospital. An order was obtained to take her to the
workhouse, bat she could not be removed. She, how-
ever, had meat and eine from the workhouse.
Cross-examined—l have seen the prisoner very bard
at work, and believe her to be a very hard-working
woman. She has applied to me occasionally for relief on
§coeuut of A ccoplgo; oho has had is her legs put