The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-08-23 00:00:00

THURSDAY,

CHILD MURDER AT LISIDIEDOL.—Mary Ann Hock,
kinson, aged 35, was charged with the wilful murder of
her infant child at Liverpool; on. the 4th instant. Tile
prisoner pleaded not guilty, and during her trial appeared
perfectly calm and collected. The facts of the case have
already been published im our columns. The husband of
the prisoner was a brewer, and lived with his family in
Rigby-street. On the night previous to the morning of
the occurrence, (Thursday, the 4th instant,) the child was
sleeping with its father• and mother, and in the middle of
the night the prisoner called her husband up, and com-
plained of being ill, saying she was dying. A. woman,
named Kenyon, who lodged in the house, was, called to
the prisoner's assistance, when she (prisoner) repeated
that she was dying, and that the baby was lying dead
beside her. That was, however, a delusion, the baby being
at the time in bed, perfectly well. Mrs. Kenyon repre-
sented to the prisoner the absurdity of the notion which
possessed her mind, and administered to her a little
brandy, after which she seemed better. On being again
put to bed, the prisoner slept the greater part of the
night, and in the morning her husband got up and left
I her. Shortly afterwards Mrs. Kenyon was alarmed by
the cries of the prisoner's children, and immediately rushed
up stairs, when she saw the prisoner with a knife in her
hand. She said, " I have done it ; the child will be no
more hungered." The deceased had a large gash in the
throat, and appeared to be dead. Mrs. Kenyon got hold
of the prisoner, and restrained her from further violence
until assistance arrived, and she was then secured, and
given into custody. She again repeated that she had done
it ; that Mrs. Kenyon and some others instigated her to
the act, and that one of them had sharpened the knife for
her. The prisoner was taken to the Northern Hospital,
when a surgeon belonging to the establishment pronounced
her to be of unsound mind. She had previously been
attacked in a similar way on the birth of one of her chil-
dren, and was for some time out of her mind. Several
witnesses bore out the statements. Mr. Thorburn, sur-
geon, who examined the prisoner immediately after the
occurrence, expressed his confident opinion that she was
in an unsound state of mind; he added, that one of her
relatives committed suicide under similar circumstances
some time ago. The Judge briefly recapitulated the facts
of the case, observing that the occurrence was a painful
one ; but the only question for the jury would be whether,
when the prisoner committed the act, she was in such a
state of mind as to be accountable for her conduct. The
jury immediately acquitted the prisoner, on the ground of
insanity. She was detained in custody, to be disposed of
according to her Majesty's pleasure.
MURDERING A SAILOR AT LIVERPOOL.—Susan Camp-
bell, aged 22, was indicted for the murder of Wm. Good-
fen, a sailor, at Liverpool, on the 12th of July last. The
deceased was a sailor, and on the night of the occurrence
he went to a- spirit-vaults in Pall Mall. He was in com-
pany with two other men, all being at the time sober.
After remaining about an hour, the prisoner came into the
house, she being in a state of intoxication. She came up to
where the deceased was, and asked him for a glass of ale,
which he refused to give, saying he did not wish to have
anything to do with her. The prisoner behaved in a vio-
lent manner, used ill language, upon which the deceased
gave her a slight slap in the face with the back of his
hand. Nothing further took place at that time, and eht
prisoner did not resent the deceased's conduct, Shortly