The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-19 00:00:00

UNION-HALL

On Saturday last, three decent-looking, clean-
dressed, country labourers, being a deputation of be-
tween twenty and thirty other individuals of the
same class, from Otford, in Kent, made an applica-
tion to Mr. Hone, the sitting magistrate at this office,
for his advice and assistance under the following
circumstances :—They stated that they, and the
other individuals' whose names were attached to the
paper presented to the magistrate, having of late
been unable to obtain employment in their respec-
tive avocations, had been under the necessity of
making application for relief to the parish authoritiei
of Orford, who had employed them in breaking
stones for the public rouds, with an allowance of
9d. toa single man, Is. to a man with a wife, and
Is. 4d. per diem to a man with a wife aid two
children. This pittance, small as it was, was, never-
theless, subject to serious deductions, because every
day of wet weather went for nothing, and every day
of Intermittent showers was only eakulated as half
a day, and paid for accordingly—casualties over
which the poor men had no controul, but which, at
this inclement season of the year, were of so fre-
quent occurrence as to leave them generally, at the
expiry of the week, upon the very brink of starva-
tion, and their cold hearth-stones but melancholy
illustrations of

" The cottage fires of England, how cheerfully they horn."
It may be presumed, however, that Mrs. Hermits
never saw either the men or their fire-sides; re-sides ; but a
country magistrate, who may have seen both for any
thing we know to the contrary, and to whom they
applied for advice, recommended them to make an
application to the overseers for a small pecuniary
loan from the parish funds, which, if complied with,
as the worthy administrator of justice somewhat
facetiously observed, would only subject them to
imprisonment if not repaid during the summer
months. A Mr. Espinasse also had advised them
(for advice is cheaper than quattern loaves at Ot-
ford) to mike an application to the Magistrates at
Union-hall for relief—an advice which Mr. Hone
iraid he regretted exceedingly they had adopted, as
the case was altogether beyond his jurisdiction.
Mr. Staples, the chief clerk, gave each of the ap-
plicants Is. from the poor-box, upon which the poor
fellows retired, if not altogether satisfied with the
result of their inquiries, tight glad at least to have
it in their power. to procure themselres a comfort-
able breakfast after their morning's walk of twenty-
one miles.

INFANTICIDE AND ATTEMPTED

SUICIDE.

On Saturday last, Aldermanbury was the scene
of as distressin an occurrence as has for some time
past wounded the better feeling 4 of humanity. Be-

twcen twelve and one o'clock on that day a rumour,
which created a horrifying sensation, of an infanticide
being. perpetrated, and suicide attempted, in the
house of Mr. Imeson, a respectable tradesman in
Fore-street, was circulated in the neighbourhood.—
'1 he rumour at first obtained but little credence ; it
however, turned out to be too trite. The following
are the particulars :—About six years since Mrs.
'meson, the wife of a tobacco-manufacturer it► Fore-
street, and now the wretched mother of the unfor-

tunate deceased, prior to her marriage, though not
positively insane, had been afflicted with a mental
malady. This was hut of temporary duration, and
she married Mr. 'meson, by whom the had four
children, the eldest of whom, the deceased, was her
favourite. During this period, though frequently
complaining of an affection and heaviness in the
head, yet no symptoms of alienation of- intellect
displayed themselves until after her last confinement
(about 12 months since), when the puerperal fever
was extremely severe, and tin increase of the lurking
I middy became so evident in her manner arid ex-
pressions, as to mnke it necessary to place her un-
der the care, first of a keeper at home, and after-
wards in the riejluir. of Mr. Sutherland at Islington.
There she remained until within the last six weeks,
when, being declared perfectly wane, and in full pos-
seseion of her faculties, she returned to the enjoyment
of her home and family. Her children were then
ell absent with her friends, but about three weeks
pant, becoming low in spirits and lethargic in her ha-
bite, Mr. Imeson thought it would act as a stimu-
lant towards her recovery to bring* home his eldest
child, a beautiful little infant of five years of -age, on
whom site affectionately clouted. While with her,
she could scarce bear her out of her sight, and if
but a short time removed from her presence, ex-
pressed a yearning solicitude. Nothing even tip to
her committal of the deplorable act, the hapless
survivor of which she now lives, was evinced from
which it could be concladed that her deplorable
malady had returned. On the morning of Saturday,
Mr. 'meson got up and dressed himself, leaving her
in bed after him ; through some unfortueate remiss-
mess he neglected, according to his usual practice,
putting away his shaving apparatus, and scarce had
he left the room when she secured his razors, which
she secreted in the bed-clothes. At 12 o'clock
Mrs. Imeeon, having dressed herself, went down
stairs, and seeing the servent maid, desired her to
send her little daughter to her bed-room, where she
would clean and dress her, and afterwards take her
out to walk. The child was sent up as desired,
and a short interval having passed, the maid having
some occasion to go to the apartment, discovered,
to her horror, the infant lying on the bed in the ex-
tremity of dissolution, with her head nearly ampu-
tated, and in a deluge of gore, and tire mother
stretched near her with a deep incision in her throat,
from whence the blood was flowing profusely. Al_ I
most powerless four the shock, the frightened
girl gave an Alarm, and surgical assistance was imme-
diately sent for. Surgeon Langstaff, of New Basing-
hall-street, was instantly in attendance, but ere his ar-
rival the child had breathed its last, but its ill-fated
mother still survived, and from the attention paid to
her a confident hope is entertained of her recovery.
Front the formation of her neck, which is short,
thick, and what le termed apoplectic, the wound,
though deep, and severing many of the minor arte-
ries, did not reach those on the injury of which
mortality is almost certain. The effusion of blood
quite restored the poor woman's senses, and as con-
sciousness returned, she gave, whilst labouring un-
der the moat pitiable distress, at intervals the follow-
ing account of the melancholy catastrophe :—She
said that on her husband leaving the bed-chamber she
saw the razors lying on the dressing-table. Scarce
had site peen them, when an anxiety or an inspiration
RS she herself calls it, seized her to send for her
darling, and release her front the troubles of life. I
With this intention, and her delusion still coatine-
ing, site sent for her; the poor little victim came up,
and having washed and combed her, and kissed her
affectionately, site pieced her en the bed, and drew
the razor across her throat. Hardly had she done
so, and perceiving the blood flowing", when the de-
lusion passed sm./Iy, and she became sensible of
having deprived her child of life. Remorse imme-
diately followed, and not able to endure even die re-
flection of a moment, she attempted by self-destruc-
tion to annihilate the bitterness of her feeling. These
are the facts of this melancholy occurrence. They
have been derived from an authentic source, and to
correct the 1111Uit'Vellti reports that will neceaserily
get into circulation, peins have been taken to asete-
min their veracity. The Coroner's implest sits th's
day.