The Sun.
London, England, 1827-01-15 00:00:00

SURREY SESSIONS, JAN. 13.

Sarah Batts, a female about 30 years of age, and of very re-
spectable appearance, was indicted for feloniously stealing a shirt
and other articles, the property of James Keatch, farmer, of Gar-
ret, near Wandsworth.

There was another indictment against the prisoner, for unlaw-
fully carrying away the dead body of a female infant child of the
said James Keatch, from the coffin in which it was deposited for
interment.

The prisoner, who is respectably connected, seemed to be deeply
affected. Her case excited considerable interest.

James Keatch knew the prisoner ; he resides at Garrett, near
Wandsworth. On the 11th October last the prisoner called at
witness's house, when his wife intrusted her with a child which
bad recently died, for the purpose of carrying it to the sexton for
interment. Witness having his suspicions that the prisoner had
not buried the child, made inqu►ries at the sexton's, and
~caused
the grave to be opened, when the coffin was discovered to contain
nothing but dirt. He immediately procured a warrant against
the prisoner, and proceeded to her house, when he found her in
bed, and a dead child, resembling in every respect the one she
took away for interment, was in the room. A shirt which was
on the deceased child belonging to witness, and other articles
which:the child had on when it was carried away, were in
the room. Witness swore positively that the child was his, and
also the shirt. All the things in which the child was dressed in
the coffin, with the exception of a flannel, were found in the
room.

G. Foster is sexton of the parish of Wandsworth. On 9th Oct.
last, application was made at his house about the burial of a still-
born child, and on the 11th October, a young woman came to
him and requested him to bury a still-born child, for Mrs.
Keatch. He directed her to bring the child on' the following
day, at half-past one o'clock, with a note from the doctor and
the midwife to show that the child was born dead, and not bap-
tised. At ten minutes past one, he saw the prisoner and a little
girl on the bridge—the prisoner having something under her cloak.
He asked her if she had the child ; she said yes. He prepared
the grave, and the prisoner handed the coffin to him, when it
tilted over ; he said at the time, " It is very light, it must be a
small child." The prisoner replied, that " the mother had not
gone her time." Witness said, "It is the lightest 1 ever felt."—
He covered it over, when Mrs. Batts said to the little girl by her
side, " Now, you have seen the last of your dear sister," on
which they left the place. The girl went through the gate,
and the prisoner proceeded to a shed, where she had left a basket,
when he saw her put her hands inside in a cautious manner, as if
Ito avoid notice. She then followed the girl with the basket. On
Friday evening the father of the child called on witness, and re-
quested him to open the grave, as he suspected the child was not
in the coffin. Witness got permission of the vicar, end he opened
Ithe grave, when the coffin contained nothing but dirt.
Isaac Collins, constable of Wandsworth, stated that Mr. Keatch
came to him on the 13th of October, with a warrant against the
prisoner, which he executed at her house. She was in bed. She
said that the night before she had been delivered of a child. He
remained in the room all night. The following morning Mr.
Keatch entered the room, and on removing a cloth that lay on a
, box, they discovered the body of a child. He exclaimed, " That
is my child;" the prisoner contradicted him and said, " it was
her's ; that she had been delivered of it the preceding night." It
was dressed ready for interment in the usual way.
Mr. Chapman, surgeon, of Wandsworth, on a Saturday in
October, attended on the prisoner by order of the Magistrates
of Wandsworth. He examined her ; she had no appearance of
having been recently delivered. She appeared to be confined by
illness.

Cross-examined—She had not been delivered within a week or
a fortnight.
Mr. JRUMIT, on the part of the prisoner, called

Mrs. English, a midwife, who attended the prisoner on the 12th
of October, and delivered her of a child still-born. Her baby
linen was all ready.

John English stated, that the prisoner bore a good character in
the neighbourhood.

The prisoner being called upon for her defence, said, "All that
I have to say is, that I was taken suddenly ill, and delivered of
the child, which was mine, and all the clothes." She protested
her innocence.
The misdemeanor was not entered into.
The CHAIR3IAN summed up, and the Jury returned a verdict
of 1444 Guilty.—The prisoner was immediately discharged.

DEVON SESSIONS.

CASTLE OF EXETER, JAN. 12.

Major Bacon of the l'ith Lancers, appeared to answer an in-
dictment, charging him with having on the 28th of July assaulted
Richard Chudleigh.
Richard Chudleigh—l was in the employ of Mr. R. Davy, of
Wear, on the 28th of July ; in the evening of that day I was rid-
ing on my cart with two horses; Northbrook-bridge is about
20 feet wide, and horses can pass through the water on one side.
When I was at the top of the hill, I saw Major Bacon's carriage
on one end of the bridge; there were others on the carriage be-
sides Major Bacon, and some by the side of the carriage, as if do-
ing something. My horses were going slowly on the proper side
of the road ; I was in the direction for going through the water,
to the left of the bridge; when I was about three or four land-
yards off, one of the soldiers left the carriage, and ran towards
me ; he asked my name and my master's; he then caught hold of
my fore-horse, on the right side of the head ; I jumped off, and
ik.ked why he did so ; he gave me a very heavy blow with his fist
upon the cheek, and I was obliged to hold the horse on one side ;
then I had two soldiers on me, who beat •me very much, cut my
lip, and ma's any nose bleed. Major Bacon was on the carriage,
and lashed my horses with his whip ; the soldiers beat me so, I
did not hear Major Bacon say any thing.
John Bass, of Lyrnpstone, ship-owner, on the evening of the
98th July, was mar Northbrook-bridge ; saw a carriage or break
coming down the hill with four horses, the leaders appeared to be
restive ; four soldiers were tan the break, and a groom sitting on
the box with Major Bacon. Cluidleigh's cart was coming down
by Rooke's, and, as he came towards the bridge, be kept nearer
the hedge on his proper side; when he came abreast the break,
two soldiers came off, one took hold of the head of the forehorse,
and the other demanded Cbudleigh's name and his master's name.
Chudleigh came off the cart. Witness heard Major Bacon call
out, "Pug him," or "Thrash him," he would not be certain
which ; thinks it was pug him, and they did so until the blood
began to fly. Two soldiers were upon him. Major Bacon called
out; Take and drag hint in the river, and that will silence him."
Major Bacon was sitting on the box; saw him frequently strike
the harass in the cart with his whip.
The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty, and the bench having
consulted about 15 minutes, the Chairman addressed Major
Bacon. It was painful at all times to pass a sentence, and he al-
• ways felt regret in doing so, but he could remark, that whatever
took place in that Court, would not affect his (Major Bacon's)
situation in life, as a gentleman or as an officer highly distinguish-
ed in his Majesty's service. It was the opinion of himself and
his brother magistrates, that justice would be abundantly satisfied
with a reference to all the circumaanees of the
case, by a fine
of twenty pounds, and defendant to
stand committed until the
same be paid.

A true bill was this day found by :the Grand Jury against
Major Bacon, of the 17th Lancers, for an assault upon John
Long, of Honiton, on the 25th of December.

A notice from kr. MicheJena, the Colombian Consul, that the
dividend due on the 15th will not be paid, has neither created
any surprise, nor produced. any depression in the bonds, it being
sufficiently evident beforehand that no funds are forthcoming. This
is the second divi4And .unpaid Oh the loan of 1824. Mr. Miche-
lena's engagementto'give the public, through the daily journals,
the earliest infOralation on the subject, is correct and just, and
will no doubt be adhered to, but he has given no explanation why
he has updeitaken the important functions which used formerly
to amertairk to, and were discharged in so satisfitc tory a man-
ner by, the Colombian Ambassador, Mr. Hurtado.—Teener.