Star.
London, England, 1822-08-28 00:00:00

CHARGE OF MURDER.

An Inquest was held on Monde/ night, and by ad-
journment till last night, before THOMAS STIRLING,
Esq. Coroner, at the Lion and Lamb Tavern, Somers
of an infant child, said to have
beenT o Town n
n, ounrdtet b°dl:tyyits mother and her paramour, the
supposed father of t. child, who had for some time
cohabited with her, and who assisted her at her delivery.
Elisabeth Burr sworn.—l saw Mrs. Jones, the mo-
ther of the deceased, who resided at No. 7, Drum-
mond-street, Somers Town, at ten o clock on Wed-
nesday last; she is a laundress, and I work for her;
she appeared very poorly at twelve, and at one o'clock
the same day I went to her room, and found her in
great pain ; I heard the cry of a child, and went down
*airs for assistance ; a man, named Morrison, who
lodged in the house, went up to Mrs.Jcules ; she sent
down word that I need not come up, as I was not
wanted, nor had I occasion to send for any assistance;
half an hour afterwards I went into the room, and saw
Mrs. Jones en the bed, but I saw no child, I had no
knowledge of Mrs. Jones being in a state of pregnancy.
Catherine Richards.—The last:witness, on Wed-
nesday last, told me that there was a person at N 0.7,
Drummond-street, very ill, but she did not know if
it was a miscarriage or not. Last witness went up
stairs with me to clean the room ; it was very much
stained. I saw a child wrapped in a piece of dirty
cloth ; it appeared dead. Mrs. Jones was in bed;—
she said the child was still-born. I went for Mr.
Wakefield, a surgeon, but Mrs. Jones did not wish me
to go for any medical assistance. Mr. Wakefield re-
turned with me to the house.
Mr. George WakOeld.—l was called in on Wed-
nesday to visit a person at No. 7, Drummond-street.
I saw Mrs. Jones ; she was in bed ; she told me that
she had been suddenly taken ill, and delivered of a
child, and that it was dead. The child was lying on
a floor-cloth, and Mrs. Jones pointed out the place
where it lay. The child was dead, and nearly cold.
I asked Mrs. Jones why she had not sent for medical
assistance before? She replied, that she was taken
ill suddenly, and was not aware of her situation till
the child was born.—(Here the surgeon entered into
"a detail of facts which went to shew that no care was
taken to preserve the life of the child after it was born:i
and that the infant might have bled so death).--The
child was a full grown healthy child; it was at its
full time ; it appeared to have been born alive.
Emma Jones.—l am the daughter of Mrs. Jones,
the mother 'of the deceased child. My mother is a
widow. I did not know of my mother keeping com-
pany with any man, nor has she told me who is the
father of the child ; my mother was taken ill on Wed-
nesday morning; about two o'clock on Wednesday
my mother sent to see me; I went to her room, and
Mr. Morrison came out; he had not been in the room
ten minutes afterwards ; my mother sent me for Mr.
Morrison—she wanted to see him directly ; he had
lodged in the same house a week, but had been ac-
quainted with my mother fur several years. When
Mr. Morrison went into the room, he desired Eliza-
beth Burr not to go for medical assistance; while I
and Elizabeth Burr stood on the outside of my mo-
ther's door, I heard my mother scream, but I am sure
that I heard no child cry. Mr. Morrison told me
that he had delivered my mother of a child, and my
mother also told me the same thing; I do not know
of Mr. Morrison attending midwifery before the pre-
sent occasion. It was after the Doctor had been that
Mr. Morrison told me the child was dead : I have not
heard who the father of the child was.
John Morrison.—l have known Mrs. Jones three or
four years. I was brought up to the trade of shoe
and boot-making. I sleep in an adjoining apartment
to Mrs. Jones, and I did so when she lived in Moor-
street, Soho. Mrs. Jones had been indisposed since
June last. I have practised physic for these last two
years, and at my request she went to Dr. Prout to
take his advice. She communicated her complaint
to me after she had been to Dr. Prout. I suspected
that she was pregnant. I have administered physic
to Mrs. Jones's family for above two years, when any
of them needed it. Mrs. Jones did not communicate
her pregnancy to me till two weeks after her visit to
Dr. Prout. I saw Mrs. Jones on Tuesday last, in the
morning ; she was very unwell. Between one and
two on Wednesday I was called by Emma Jones;
she came to me and said her mother was very ill,
and said I was wanted in her mother's room. She
was standing, and was dressed. I laid her on the
bed, and afterwards saw the child with its head and
shoulders in the chamber utensil.—(Here the witness
entered into a minute description of the situation of
the child, &c. by which it appeared he professed to
have a knowledge of midwifery.)— When he saw the
child, the navel string had been divided, and he be-
lieved it was severed by the edge of the utensil be-
fore-mentioned. Witness continued—l took off my
apron and wrapped the child in it, and left it en the
floor. The child was quite inanimate when I took
hold of it. While I was moving, the child, I called
Emma Jones, and told her to call Mrs. Burr; she
came immediately, and went for a female midwife,
who she said lived in the same court as herself. She
went for Mr. Wakefield, the doctor, who came in a
short time, brit I was not then in drs. Jones's room.

The Coroner and Jury agreed to adjourn the In-
guest to last night, for further evidence, when they re-
assembled and took the following additional evidence:
Elizabeth Wyatt.—l am house-maid at the Crown
and Anchor Tavern, Strand ; have lived there three
months; I knew Mrs. Jones when she lived in War-
dour-street; and other places ; I don't know Morri-
son; I have seen a young man at her house; I have seen
him twice with her; ithink only twice (witness was
agitated) ; I lived in the same house with Mrs. Jones ;
I knew Morrison also lived in the same house ; I be-
lieve I must have seen him more than twice; he has
not called upon me to give evidence iir favour of
Mrs. Jones since last night ; I engaged with Mrs.
Jones, when she told me she was pregnant, to nurse
her, and I engaged at the Crown and Anchor oft
taking the place to leave there when I should be
called for by Mrs. Jones. I did not know how long
it was likely to be before the delivery; I gave my
mistress warning about a fortnight ago, but have not
yet brought away my things. Emma Jones came
for me last night ; she brought a note from her mo-
ther, stating that she was ilk I have received no
communication from Morrison that my evidence in
favour of Mrs. Jones was necessary. I did not know
Morrison was ,a doctor or man-midwife. I was to
nurse the child as well as Mrs. Jones ; I never nursed
a person in such a situation ; I am not 3 midwife, I

know Morrison lived with Mt* Jones in Mocie•
street. Since I iient to the Crowti and Anchor, I
have never heard from Mrs. Jones at ;-I have re-
ceived no information from her that my services were
likely to be soon wanted. I never heard Mrs. Jones
talk about any baby-linen. I do not know who was
to be Mrs. Jottes's medical attendant, nor can I say
if she had spoken to an accorcheur.
Mr. G. Waketeld, surgeon, re-examined.—l am
satisfied that the navel-string was not cut by the edge
of the utensil produced.
Comm.:Ea.—The child was heard to cry by one of
the witnesses. You say it was a fine healthy child,
and the witnesses all say the floor was covered with
blood. Might not the child have bled to death as it
lay on the floor ?
Surgeon.—lt might t a child would bleed to death
if the navel-string was not tied, however healthy it
might be when born.
The CORONER addressed the Jury, who retired for
about half an hour, and returned a verdict of Wilful
Murder against Elizabeth Jones and James Morrison.
He was taken into custody by the beadle, but Mrs-
Jones was found to have left home. On her return
the Coroner issued his warrant to convey her to New-
gate with Morrison.