The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-29 00:00:00

BENNETT, THE MURDERER.

GLOUCESTER, SATURDAY.—Few occurrences have
excited a more painful interest in this quarter than
the investigation which terminated in the committal
of Frances Bennett from Ruardean, in the Fo.,:est of
Dean, to the County Gaol in this city, to await her
trial at the assizes. The circumstances have been
stated, and are shortly these :—Frances :Bennett,
after the death of her husband, by whom she had
several children, lived with a man named Yapp, a
hauler, the children by marriage having gone to live
elsewhere. About a month ago Bennett, =der the
apprehension that she was about to die, made a dis-
closure to a clergyman, in the presence of several per-
sons, to the effect that she had had six children by
Yapp, but none of them had been allowed to live, she
having suffocated them immediately after birth. She
told where the remains of the bodies would be found.
The latest murder, according to the confession of the
woman, was perpetrated about Christmas last year, and
the spot which she indicated as containing the remains
was found on examination to conceal the most perfect
skeleton of any. The truth of this horrid confession
having in this way been placed beyond a doubt,
information was sent to John Cooke, Esq., one of
the County Coroners, who instantly proceeded from
Gloucester to Ruardean to institute an investigation.
The witnesses examined on the inquest consisted
chiefly of the persons to whom the woman had made
the confession, including the clergyman who had com-
municated with the Magistrate on the subject, and the
persons who had found the remains of the bodies. Int
course of the examination of the clergyman by the
Coroner, it came out that he had had a second inter-
view with the wretched woman, none being present
but themselves, and that she had made some addi-
tional disclosures. The rev, gentleman, however, on
the ground that what he was told upon this occasion
was mixed up with his "spiritual" duties, refused to
communicate any particulars, although pressed to do
so by the Coroner. The woman, moreover, began to
deny that she had made any sneh ,confession
Sivorn to by -the witnesses ; but enough had. ),oen
proved to justify the Jury in returning a ict of
wilful murder against Bennett and her -paramour
Yapp. The latter was instantly removed 'to Glouces-
ter, but the state of Bennett's health vas such as to
induce the Coroner to delay the order for her removal
till it could be effected without danrdthe 17th instant,•er.
On the afternoon of Thursda-i,
the miserable woman arrived 9
.t the county gaol in a
fly, attended by Mr. Bird, a medical man. She was
carried up stairs to the hor,pital, and on being placed
on the bed, she said, " 31-i ow I will die happy." She
died early on Friday morning. This day (Saturday)
an inquest was held on the body, before John Cooke,
Esq., the Coroner., who conducted the investigation
at Ruardean. bisease had reduced the body to a
perfect skeletor., but the appearance of the features
was more plefAsing than otherwise. Mr. Cooke, who
saw the deceased alive about three weeks ago, re-
marked that her face had undergone little change.
The first witness examined was Eliza Gansmore,
one of the nurses attached to the gaol, who stated that
she was directed to wait upon deceased shortly after
her arrival. Deceased often thanked God that she
had been removed, and said that she was much hap-
pier in gaol than at home.

The CoaoNER here stated that a rumour was abroad
that the deceased sties in the family way, and he asked
the witness if she could speak to the point?—The
witness stated that she asked the question of deceased,
and she stated that she was not. Deceased said that
she was only 38 years of age.
Maria Nuttal, another nurse, was next examined.
She said that she was present when the deceased died
on Friday morning, and was with her for some days
previous. She asked witness to read and pray to her.
Sometimes when she was reading the deceased would
say, " Stop ; wait till rm better," and when she re-
covered she would ask her to go on. As her death
approached she seemed to feel contented. She was
sensible to the last. She said that she had been ill for
about twelve months.
Mr. Illekes, the surgeon, stated that the complaint
of which the deceased fled was pulmonary consump-
tion, and, in his opinion, the removal from Ruardean
had neither injured nor benefited her. She seemed
to be aware that she could survive only for a few days.
She mentioned to him and to others that she had been
sent to gaol charged with the murder of her children.
The Jury returned a verdict of " Died from natural
causes."

Yapp, on being told of the death of Bennett, wept
bitterly. The body was buried by the relatives of
the deceased.

As to worldly means, the murderers were comfort-
able. Indeed it is alleged that the only index to their
brutal conduct is to be found in the circumstance that
Bennetis husband settled his property upon her, but
wit'd the restriction that should she marry again the
property was to go to his children. It was the desire
to retain the property which probably prevented her
marriage with Yapp, and every body knows how one
crime leads to another.

COLBU RN'S NE W MONTHLY MAGAZIN E pOg DE.
C EMBER, EDITED BY THOMAS HOOD, ESQ•-"ThiS
source of
Magazine, as usual, distances all its competitors, as a
amusement to the general reader. The
Editor's own contributions this month are, " More
News from China," and some clever bits of poetry in
his jocular vein. Mks. Trollope continues to develope
such powers of diplomacy in Mrs. Barnaby as throw
Machiavelli into die shade. " The Fashionable Phy-
sician," so ably hit off by the author of the " Hot
Water Cure," cannot fail of being recognised. The
11GI:dniiucsal”
aSntdudmenrt.
Poole,finishews
with
sh
eqculaelvearbilltSyt,odryoesotfhea
same for our Sheer Industry acquaintance " Phineas
Quiddy." The author of " Peter Priggins " gives
another of his full-length portraits from clerical life,
under the title of " The Sub-Vicar of Ditchingly."
The Hon. C. S. Saville furnishes one of his eastern
reminiscences, with the name of ." The Persian Ban-
dit." To Laman Blanchard the reader is not only in-
debted for some graphic sketches of " Persons who
joke at their own Expense," and " Persons who don't
know what to do," but for a remarkably pleasant
"Tour in Search of the Picturesque." The popular
Diary and Correspondence of Madame D'Arblay
affords an excellent paper. Added to which a well-
known writer gives an estimate no less able than
amusing, of " School Friendships ;" and Horace Smith
is as apothegmatic as ever in his admirable " Short
Rides in an Author's Omnibus."
WooDcocKs.—There were killed last week, in the
cove-cts round Skibo 'Castle, by Mr. Dempster him-
self, lir. Hay Mackenzie, and 'other friends, about 60
of those winter visiters, along with roe-deer, phea-
sants, and other game. This is a much smaller num-
ber, however, than was killed in the corresponding
week of last year at the same place, when 67 wood-
cocks were bagged in three days, and when Easter
Ross also produced extraordinary numbers of these
birds.—lnveraess Courier.
Such has been the abundance of cod-fishduring the
past week, that on Friday last veryfine fresh fish were
to be bought at the rate of 2d. a lb.—Bath paper.