The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-01-15 00:00:00

The Sessions Sessions for this City and County commenced
on Tneaday last. The Recorder presided.
Tete KIN° r. SARAN POWZLL-The defendant, a
school-mistress, at Lakenham, was indicted for an as-
aaitlt, committed on the 17th of November last, on
Mary Ann Phillips, a child six years of age, the
slaughter of Mr. T. H. Phillips, a brewer, at Thorpe.
he case having excited considerably more interest
in this city than is usually attached to those broyglit
before the Sessions, we are induced to give as full a
detail of the circumstances as our limits will admit,
although, from their extreme length, (the trial lasted
upwards of four hours) we are necessarily obliged to
compress them.
Mr. Phillips, the father of the child, stated, that
he sent his child to board at Miss Powell's school, at
Midsummer last. In consequence of information he
had received that the child was ill-treated, he went
on Sunday, the 19th of November last, about eleven
'in the morning, to take his child away : he knocked
at the door several times but could not gain ailmittauce
—he remained there nearly an hour and then went for a
constable; but previous to his going he set persons
round the house to watch that no one went in or out.
About a quarter of an hour afterwards he returned
with a constable, when they both knocked very loudly
at the door, but no one answered : he then desired the
Persons to keep watch anal went to Alderman Brown,
who granted him a warrant to apprehend Miss Pow-
ell ; be returned to the house, awl after knocking fur
entrance, without effect, burst open the door, went up
stairs, and found the child flitting on a form, about a
yard frout!the fire, with Miss Powell standing near her---
he immediately snatched up the child, and said—" How
roald you he so cruel and use a child in this manner ?"
Bet without waiting for an answer ran down stairs
with the child, who appeared lifeless; she spoke to
;Jim hot in so low and weak a tune that in his agita-
tion lie knew not what she said. lie then took her to
Mr. Brown's, where she was undressed by Mrs. B.
and the nursery-maid. who declared she was in such a
state that they could not dress her again. He went
home with the child, when she was undressed by his
wife and servant, in his presence—that she was beaten
and braised all over from the fingere ends up to the
arms, the back of the neck appeared as if it had been
:lobbed with a nail, and was bloody; the breast beaten
Most dreadfully ; thighs and legs quite a jelly, and
the toes appeared as if they hail been trod on, and so
sure that her shots could not he put on for three weeks
afterwards, and them sl conlil only shuffle about the
house, and wen'. as if her bark was broke ; she used
to lay for live or six :lights after-he took her home,
and as she turned over in bed would groan and say,
" Oh, dear, bow sore lam !" The last time he heard
of the ill-treatment was an hear before he took the
child away, he heard of it several times before; he
, went about a month before and eme_the child, he
naited her if she should like to go or stay ? She said
"she would rather stay than go heneht, .fur she liked
her tioverneas ;" the bruises at that time were ac-
counted for by Miss Powell, by sayitiir that the child
had fallen down stairs, and lie was eatistied with the
explanation. •
Mrs. Phillips, the mother of the child, corroborated
the last witness's statement as to the state of the child
when taken home; she also stated that she tick it to
Mr. Carter, the surgeon, who ordered it some physic,
lint did not say what soh; no embritiovion was used,
roe any thing else to the bruises, and that Mr. Carter
called once or twice to know how the child dial ; she
bait • heard of the ill-treatment, and went about a
month before to see the child, when Miss Powell said
she was gone out to take a ride with her mother.
Witness said to her, " I am sorry to hear you have
nth-used my child," when she said it was false ; the
child hail certainly sonic bruises on it, but that they
were occasioned by a fall, and it hail a black eye
from the knock of a door ; the child did not return,
and she went away without seeing it ; about a fort-
night afterwards she went again ; it was on a Sunday,
and rained hard ; she knocked loudly at the door two
or three times, but could gain no admittance, though
sire had reason to suspect that Miss Powell was at
Lome, from her having called on Miss P.'s tnother
jest before, who said her 4:lug-liter was at home, and
s:.e again returned home without seeing the child.
Elizabeth Clay, servant to Mr. Alderman Brown,
was then called ; who stated the child was taken to
Air. B.'s by the father, where it was examined by
!lira: II: and herself; they did not strip it, only
to-tied the frock and turned. up the clothes, when they
found that its arms, legs, back, and body were all
over quite a jelly, and that the hack of the neck ap-
peared in many places as if it hail been jobbed with
a stick or nail; she was quite sure that such bruises
could nut have happened by a fall or a quarrel with
Cs school fellows.
. Mary Aim Harrison stated, that sale lived next
'door to Miss Pouch ; that she bad frequently made
&nervations on her treantient to the child ; she was
present one morning about a fortnight before the
child was taken away, anal saw Miss P. beat her
very violently with her hand ; when the child said,
don't beat me any more, for tell my mamma ;"
she then slapped her violently on her neck and face,
and sent her up stairs, where she cried very much.
l',ittires toll Miss Powell she was very severe with
the child, when she replied the child was a great story
teller ; in the afternoon the child went to witness's
to borrow something, when witness perceived the
marks of Angers on the temples and back of the neck.
Ito the 17th November, a little after twelve o'clock at
night, as she and her husband were in bed, she heard
Miss Powell conic home, and soon after beard the
screw*, of the child and the slaps given to her, and
also lteard the child say, " pray don't heat tne any
uteirr you'll kill me," and shortly afterwards the
child craved to cry. The next morning the child went
twlrianess'a to borrow some salt and unions ; she did
noystop the child, but perceived its eyes swelled with
eryinge One evening, a short time before, Miss Powell
evert ant about live o'clock, and left the child Lt
wianess's house under her care; she observed the child
to luolevety low and weak, and that it bad oeve:ul
sane on the back of the neck, as large as a
•criwn,Pieee, and three on the right arm, whieb she
exiled two of her neighhonrs he to look at. Miss
Pelted:. returned how.. about eleven, when *wit:

'