The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-07 00:00:00

NORFOLK ClRCUlT.—lpswich, A .ug. 5.
CHARGE OF MURDER AT REDLINGFIEET I —The trial
of the pri loner, Mary Robinson, a singl e woman, 24
,
years of :age, charged with the murder,,
of her child
John Rotfinson, of the age of 15 months. by administer-
ing to it a certain deadly poison callsd " Sir William Burnett's Disinfecting Fluid," excited a rather unusual
degree of interest, in consequence of her trial having been
postponed at a former assize, from the fact of her then
being with child, and of her having been confined a few
months since,
,the child being now alive and in good
he alth.
Mr. POWER, in stating the case to the jury, said that
on the 27th of April, 1848, the child which the prisoner
stood charged with having murdered, was born. At this
time Ithe prisoner lived with her parent!, who were in
humble life; and who, after the prisoner was delivered
of hear child, frequently told her that they were too poor
to Ice ep them both. In consequence of her parents ex-
press ing their inability, and their repugnance at the mis-
conduct of the young women, she left her father's roof
on th.e 14th of August, saying she had got a place at a
farm-ar's named Crouch. This representation, on in-
quiry, turned out to ho quite untrue. Two days
&fur she partook of breakfast in her father's
house, with her sisters, Sophia, Harriett. and Sarah,
wi.:ll the irvant that was alleged to have been murdered.
A'iter these parties had breakfasted the prisoner was
left alone with the child for about ten minutes. A girl
r.amed Harriett, sister to the prisoner, had been unwell,
which caused her to return to her mother's house
sooner than she otherwise would have done. Then it
was perceived that the prisoner's child had been vomiting,
The grandmother discovered also, on examining the
that its lips were blist.red. The old woman's sus-
picious were afoused, from the fact that upon the mantel-
piece in the room stood at the time a bottle contaiuieg
some of " Bureett's Disinfecting Fluid," which had been
used fer sprinkling about the room, in consequence of
fever having boon in the house. The child was taken
away from the prisoner, and the parish surgeon was
sent for, to whom was shown the food which had been
vomited by the child. At seven in the evening the child
died. In 24 hours alter, a post mortem examination was
made. Three grains and two-tenths of oxide of zinc
was found in the stomach. The conduct of the pri-
soner during the child's sudden illness appeared
marked and strange, for she could not be induced to em-
brace her infant more than once during its illness. Dr.
Letheby, who had tested the effects of this poison on
animals, found that it would produce symptoms similar
to those exhibited by the child of the prisoner. The
question then was, did the prisoner poison her child, as
laid in the indictment? or did the prisoner administer
the fluid wilfully, or did she do so being ignorant at
the time of its deadly qualities. All the inmates of the
house where the prisoner resided could neither read nor
write. But it was alleged that they all knew the poison-
ous properties of the fluid; and more than that, one !of
them had her fingers injured by ignorantly bathing them
with it. The only motive that could be assigned for the
prisoner committing such an unnatural crime was in
consequence of her father and mother telling her they
could not afford to support her and her child. However
that might be, he trusted the jury would return a verdict
in accordance with their consciences and the evidence to
be adduced.

Witnesses in support of the above statements were
;hen called.
The jury ultimately returned a verdict of Not Guilty.

SUMMER TIME IN TOWN AND COUNTRY.
(From Eliza Cook's Journal)
Charles Lamb was a man of intense London tastes;
he was born and bred in its smoke, and grew to like it
and all its stir and life so much, that he would not ex-
change it for the finest country scenery you could offer
him. "I don't care," said he, once writing to Words-
worth in his cottage home in Westmoreland, "I don's
care if I never see a mountain in my life. I have pateied
all my days in London, until I have formed as many and
intense local attachments as any of you mountaineers
can have done with dead nature. The lighted shops of
the Strand and Fleet-street, the innumerable trades,
tradesmen and customers, coaches, waggons, play-houses.
of
rre haewintigke d,nallt
ianll
Fholeuerst_s o
Fleet-street;
e theet
;
all the bustle round about Covent-garden, the watchmen,
night; the
life
awak awake, if
improbability you
the crowds, the very dirt and mud, the sun shining upon
houses and pavements, the print-shops, the old book-
stalls, parsons cheapening books, coffee-houses, steams
of soups from kitchens, the pantomimes—London itself
a pantomime and masquerade; all these things work
themselves into my mind, and feed me without a power
of satiating me. The wonder of these sights impels me
into night-walks about her crowded streets; and I often
shed tears in the motley Strand, from fulness of joy at
so much life."
Theatres are always a joy in London; and now the
evening sun peeps through the gallery-windows at full
price, and the "gods" cannot help feeling that it is
rather out of place. So, by this time, an adjournment
takes place to out of doors; and Vauxhall. Cremorne,
and Rosherville, blaze in all their glory under the meri-
dian of midnight. Beneath the summer air of England,
we can thus realize scenes surpassed only by the won-
ders of the " Arabian Nights." What crowds of happy
faces! What intense enjoyment of life! Look at them
as they enter the golden gate! Are they not beaming
with anticipation of joy and enchantment? " Give me,"
said Lamb, "a score of honest, happy, anticipatory
faces, waiting for the opening of the pit-door, or the
garden-gate; such a sight is worth all your pastoral sheep
and lambs in creation!"
But the Londoner loves the country too, and that
right heartily. How proud is he of his parka! they_here are
his lungs, his promenades, his pleasurelToLinda! There
is nothing like them; there are few parks, even in the
country, more beautiful than they. True, he cannot
boast of a garden at his door. He may have a geranium
or fuchsia in his window, thanks to the graceful taste
and care of his wife; and he way sedulously cultivate
the six paces of earth before or behind his door; but
the waterbutt is not ornamental, and the dust is rattier
choking; nevertheless, such as it is, be rejoices in his
garden produce. He would like the companionship of
purling
brook; but alas, there is only a sluggish ditch.
He would have no objection to the songsters of the
wood; but, instead of these, ho recognises only a few
chirping sparrows, as black as little svveeps. So, the
first fine day, he is off to the country to see she real
living grass and trees, inLale the pure air, and bask in
the sunshine.

FOREIGN CATTLE.—The vessel Magnet, arrived
from Amsterdam, has brought, besides 33 oxen and cows, 17
pigs, 414 sheep, nearly 26,000 cheeses, and a large general
cargo of provisions, 142 calves, which is one of the largest
importations that has taken place of this description of live
stock, the produce of Holland.

PILOTS" FUND.—The receipts of the Pilots' Fund
of Trinity-house, Deptford-atrond, during the year ending
December 31, 1849, amounted to 8,412/. 105, 10d., and the

snatched up the gay tmd pointed it towards the prose-
cutor, and discharidi it, and the shots took effeet in the
hinder part of hia person—fortunately,: however, with•
out doing him any serious injury.
Mr. PARRY addressed the jury at some length for the
defence, and endeavoured to argue that the affair was
the result of accident, and also contended that the evi-
dence did not support the charge of the prisoner's having
wilfully shot at the prosecutor with intent to do him
bodily harm.
The Learned Counsel called two witnesses, and after
the first had been examined it appeared that his state-
ment did not materially alter the facts as verified by the
witnesses for the prosecution.
The Learned JUDGE suggested that it would be unne-
cessary to occupy the time of the Court by examining
any more witnesses, as he did not think the charge of
fe;ony could be supported, but, at the same time, it ap-
peared to him impossible fur the prisoner to escape a
conviction for an assault.
Mr. PARRY, however, said he must persist in laying
the evidence before the jury. Thu second witness was
accordingly sworn, and Mr. Parry endeavoured to elicit
from .him that the gun was snatched up in a sudden
manner, and that it went off by accident, and was not
pointed at the prosecutor. The witness, however, while
ho stated that the gun was snatched up hastily, at the
same time described the motion of the prisoner, and it
appeared very much as though the weapon had been
aimed at the prosecutor when the prisoner discharged it,
Mr. Justice ERLE having summed up, the jury fotind
the prisoner Guilty of an assault.
The Learned JUDGE, in passing sentence, said be could
not help remarking, i❑ the presence of Mr. Parry and
the other gentlemen of the bar, that it appeared to him
that when an attempt was made to prevent the true facts
of a case being laid before the Court, it had a tendency
to distract the mind of the judge from the real circum-
stances, and to hinder the due course of justice. In the
present instance he thought no one could doubt for
a moment that the prisoner bad actually presented the
gun at the prosecutor before he discharged it, rind
although, in all probability, ho did not intend to do him
any serious mischief, yet the act undoubtedly amounted
to an assault, and he thought it would have been better
if the witnesses for the defence had not been called. He
then sentenced the prisoner to fourteen days' further
confinement.
CIVIL SlDE.—(Before the LOAD CHIEF 134m0ti.)
CORBETT (A PAUPER) V. HUDSON.
When this case was called on, Mrs. Cobbett, the wife
of the plaintiff, who appeared in court provided with 4
brief and other papers, was about to address the jury and
to conduct the case on behalf of her husband—.
The CHIEF BARON inquired of Mrs. Cobbett if she had
any precedent for such a course of proceeding?
Mrs. Cobbett replied, that she appeared for her hue-. band, who was the plaintiff in the action, and as in lair
a man and his wife were considered to be as one, she
thought she had a legal right to conduct the case.
The CHIEF BARON again inquired if she had any pre-
cedent to produce for such a proceeding?
Mrs. Cobbett said, she had appeared in the Court of
Chancery, and she had also moved the full Court for st,
habeas.
The CHIEF BARON said, that might be, but the pre.
sent was a very different matter. If she could show him
any authority for allowing such a proceeding he woul•l
willingly listen to it.
Mrs. Cobbett said there was no precedent against it ,
The CHIEF BARON said, there could be no preced eat
for a step which was totally unprecedented and unus•,tal.
Ile would, however, consult his brother Erle, and }tear
his opinion on the subject.
1118 LORDSHIP accordingly sent a communication to
Mr. Justice Erie in the other court, and shortly saft.er-
wards he again addressed Mrs. Cobbett, and said that
Learned Judge agreed with him that the course she
proposed to adopt was altogether unusual and unp rece.
dented. He 'could, however, give the matte: some
further consicbtration, and the trial should sta c d over
until the follo wing morning, and in the meanti we she
would have an opportunity to retain counr,r;l if also
thought fit to. do so.