The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-04-02 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

'Two or three weeks ago,.appeared a dreadful statement,
vapecting a lady in the South of Ireland, having admin-
istered laudanum to her own child, and thereby occa-
sioned his death. The following letter relative to the
caw, is addressed to the proprietors of the Limerick CAro-
cic, by the lady herself.
UENTLIMEN.—From your willingness at all times to
give publicity through your paper, to any thing which
array tend to the public good, I am induced to request
/ant insertion cf the following statement, as well for the
information of those who, through ignorance of the real
facts, 'may be led away by the ungenerous reports now
abroad against me, as to free an injured character from a
charge revolting to human nature. Painful as it is to
revert to the recent loss of a beloved and darling child, I
cannot in justice avoid doing so, as it may be the means
.of rescuieg znysrlf from imputations resulting, as they
do, from misconception and misstatement. I shall now
•eastravour to account, in as concise a manner as the na-
Lire of the charge against me will allow, for administer-
kg a portion of iaudanum to my child, which formed
the grourid-work of the late proceeding% against me.
From the earliest period of my tbildren's lives, they
%etre occasionally more or less subject to worm cow-
plain's, which, with a natural delicacy of constitution,
o ca4iuned great debility and frequent convulsive at-)
The child, %show apparent sudden demise made
it n.,ersary, in the opinion of the Coroner, to have an
Iraiutst held, had been seriously indispowd for more
than fifteen days previously, of which hit uncle, John
Hatetaan, Esq. of At avilia, had been informed, and who
Ltd exptessed his intention of calling to see him. aileg-
ing at the sante time, that lie supposed hisindi,po.it'on
proceeded from amine. The Apothecary of llirweastl,
w.s also au are of the situation of the child—that he ha,:
beau frequently seized with convulsive fits—and at his
in:aancr, and under his advice, I was in the custom of
giving him medicine at duff, rent times. The night on
which my dear boy died, be was taken with ore of th
its before alluded to, and when nearly reduced to the
w,r,st ebb, and having co medical adviser immediately
reai me, I drterosined on administering a few drops o,
I tudannin, from a strong conviction on my mind that it
v as the only thing which could alleviateliis sufferings a•
e mow/A—and allow me here to declare, in the per-
sence,of Almighty tiod, (to whom I appeal for the truth
of Inv assertion,) that the entire given did not, at the a -
most, exceed ten drops, and that the same quantity ha,
hew more the once taken with effect by others of my
children, when the nature of the case required it. T.
form any opinion on the probable effect which such
quantity might have had on a child of his tender age,
would be most presumptuous in me; but to Him wh,
can alone search the hearts of all people, 1 look with
confidence for an acquittal from any criminal intention
towards him. Married at a very early petiod of life, it
pleased Providence to bless me with those children, on,
of whom has become the unfortunate subject of the pre-
emie statement. The maternal solicitude evinced by mu
for them, and my constant attention, as well to their
education as moral habits, induced ins, departed Inteb.nd
to appoint me, by his will, sole guardian over their per-
sons and fortunes. And, Gracious God! Gentlemen,
can it be seppowd that a fess• short manths could work
so total a change in use, as to induce me to be the author
of an act, thr very name of which is as hateful, as its
perpctrattun would be diabolical ?
I have the honour to remain, Gentlemen,
Your obedient humble Servant,
MILDA BATEMAN

The amount of the petitions for burnings, and other
destenction of property, delivered in to the Clerk •f
the Peace yesterday, was 10,5361. 4s. 10d. Of this
sum, 9,612/. 17s. 94. falls on the county at large, peti
times to that amount being over 1001. each.—(Southers,
Reporter.)
Dv the last census taken of Scotland, it appears that
the most populous parish is oue of the city parishes cu.
Clasgow; and that the !cart populous is the parish of
Frgandenny, in-Kinross-shire, where them are only six
maoles and five females, making together eleven human
beings.
Mary Durrsnt, charged on the oath of Elizshrth Dis
ney, needhatn, spinster, with having, on the 27th o
February last, on the King's highway, at Haddisrue, as
saulted her, and s'olyn from her person various ar
ie., her property, pleaded Ouilty —Death, but re
pries ed.
Friday evening there arrived at Sheerness 25 convicts
from Newrate, all under sentenve of transportation, corn
for 14 years, and some for HP, While on board the
lanai+, to be i onreyed to the receiving. ship, a fell ,w
of the name of Griffiths. although donble-ironed, jumped
overboard. and swam upwarns of 150 yards before be ma:
retaken. The noted Bill Soames was one of the arty.