The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-21 00:00:00

PRESENTMENT OF THE GRAND JURY.

" We hare further to present that it is the unanimous
opinion of the grand jury, that the present winter assize
was uncalled for in this county, inasmuch as a large
majority of the prisoners in the calendar would have
been tried at the next quarter sessions, within a fortnight
from this time.

" EDMUND WODEHOUSE, J. GORDON
Foreman JOHN MOTT
GEORGE KETT B. BLAKE
ROBERT MARSHAM ALBEMALE CATOR
HENRY DOVER R. GILBERT
JOHN STRACEY JOSEPH SCOTT
WILLIAM WINDHAM WILLIAM COLLIER
11. S. PARTRIDGE W. B. DOUN."
WILLIAM GWYNN

OXFORD ClRCUlT.—Stafford, Dec. 19.
Tits WOLVERHAMPTON CASE.—The trial of this long-
expected case came on this morning, when the Court was
densely crowded, but the curiosity of the " ladies" was
most wofully disappointed, as the nature of a portion of
the evidence rendered their exclusion necessary.
Jane Railton, 30, a very interesting-looking and lady-
like person, John Sherriff, 26, and James Hildreth, 38,
both of highly respectable appearanee, were arraigned
on an indictment charging them with concealing the
birth of the child of the female prisoner, at Wolver-
hampton, on the 21st of October.
Mr. Beadon, with Mr. Woolrych, conducted the prose-
cution, the prisoners being defended by Mr. Yardley,
Mr. Allen, and Mr. Iluddlestone.
The prisoners severally pleaded Not Guilty.
Mr. Haley, surveyor, produced a plan of the premises
of Mr. Quinton, surgeon, of Wolverhampton, in whose
privy the child was found, and to whom Sheriff was an
assistant.

Joseph Titley, servant to Mr. Quinton, proved the
finding of the child.

Timothy Casey, police-officer, of Wolverhampton,
said—l told Mr. Sherrill- there was a child found, and
he said, "Is there ?" lie took the fork and pressed on
the body. I said, " Don't rupture it, it seems fresh,
and has not been long in." I took the body to a public-
house, and sent to the Coroner. Mr. Foulke, the sur-
geon, saw it. It was the same child that was taken out
of the privy.
Cross-examined—lt was partly from the pressure of
the fork that I judged how long it had been in. I took
Sherriff into custody at the second sitting, in the jury-
room, by direction of Colonel liogg, the deputy chief
constable. I had no warrant.

By Mr. HUDDLESTONE—Miss Railton was taken into
custody on the 12th of November. She was brought to
my house about eleven at night. She was crying and
very agitated indeed, suffering under much anguish.
Miss Railton was at my house eleven days. She was
very much affected ; the whole time she suffered greatly.
My wife was with her, and paid her every attention. I
ordered her to do so, as Miss Railton was constantly
crying. My wife remained in the room one night at
Miss Railton's request.

Thomas H. Foulke—l am a surgeon at Wolverhamp-
ton. I attended an inquest on the 30th October at the
Greyhound, Bell-street, on the body of a female child,
which appeared to have been born at or near its full
time. The external body was green. I should suppose
it had been born about five or six days. I could not
perceive any sign of food in the stomach of the child,
and do not think it had received any. I found meconium
on the body. There was a marked appearance of it.
My opinion is that the child was born with the head
presented. The meconium may have been discharged
by pressure after death. The witness then detailed par-
ticulars of the examination made of Miss Railton. I
have no doubt Miss Railton had given birth to a child,
within ten or eleven days I should think.
Colonel Gilbert Hogg, deputy chief constable of the
county—On the 9th November, from information I re-
ceived, I went to Mr. Quinton's, and saw Mr. Sherriff.
I asked him if he knew Miss Railton,i the sister in-law
of Mr. Darby, the postmaster, and if he had not attended
her professionally ? He said he had not. He admitted
having given Mr. Hildreth medicine for a female in his
house, who he supposed was in the family way. I asked
him again if he had slot done so ? He said he did not
know Miss Railton, and he had not attended her. On
the 11th November I had another interview with him at
Mr. Quinton's. I told him I had still reason to believe
he attended the party in her confinement, particularly so
from information I had received that he applied to Mr.
Omberlow for that purpose. He said he did so, but the
person for whom he applied was the late cook of Mr. De
Hane, a surgeon in Queen-street. He again repeated
that he did not know Miss Railton. I attended the ad-
journed inquest on the 12th of November, and in con-
sequence of what I heard I arrested him, telling him
that from the evidence given before the Coroner by
the surgeon, I thought it my duty to detain him.
On the 9th I went to Mr. Hildreth, who is a printer,
and asked him if his sister-in-law, Miss Railton, was
staying with him. He replied " No, she has left the
town since the races, but returned yesterday, and is now
with her brother-in-law, at the: post-office." I said I
had reason to suppose she had been confined in his
house ; to which he replied, " It is false ; whoever says
so shal be punished for injuring the character of a re-
spectable female." I asked if he had ever applied to
Mr. Sherriff for medicine or advice, and he said he had
not. I went to his house again on the 15th November,
and arrested Mrs. Hildreth. He said to me, " You are
going too far with this business ; you had better let it
drop a good deal." This was after I apprehended Mr.
Sherriff and Miss Railton, both of whom I had arrested
without a warrant, on suspicion of felony. After the
inquest on the 12th I went to the post-office, where I
found Miss Railton. Mr. Foulke and Mr. Casey were
with me. Mr. Darby, the postmaster, married Miss
Railton's sister, who is now dead. Before Mr. Foulke
examined her, I told her I had reason to believe she had
lately been confined, and the child destroyed. She said
"It is a mistake, and not at all the case." Mr. Foulke
then went up stairs to Miss Railton, by my direction.
After he came down I went up, and saw her. I said the
surgeon had told me she had lately been confined, and I
was sorry she had told me a falsehood.
Mr. HUDDLESTONE here objected that this remark of
Colonel Hogg was an inducement to Miss Railton, and
therefore her statement was inadmissible as evidence