Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-10-16
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EXTRAORDINARY CRIMINAL CASE
A STORY IN HIGH LIFE.

caee ever TcOtueu; " possesses all the ele-
ments of first class sensation novel, and is
rich in material for melodrama, with an abund-
ance of villainous figuring ii every scene The
substance Of the case is this:
Richard Guinness Hill, nephew of the ceebrat-
ed banker of Dublin, when at Brussels became
acquainted with Miss Amy Georgiana Burdets,
grand daughter Of Sir Francis Burdett The
young lady had been adopted by Miss Burdett
Coutts, who took a lively interest in her vel.
fare, and was, with her mother, Lady Burdett,
making q temporary visit ID Brussels. Among
the numberless suitors fOr her hand was Mr..
Hill, who was ultimately accepted. After the
marriage they lived together happily for sever,
al years, passing considerable portion of their
time in travelling. 1t is necessary here to state
that a life interest on the lsdy's fortune, which
was very considerable, with the exception of a
small portion which was placed nc her disposal,
was settled on her husband at the marriage, and
subsequently che made will devisiDg the
whole OF her property, including, it is under
stood, valuable estate, absolutely 10 him in
the event of no issue surviving her decease. In
the beginning of 1859, Mrs.. Hill, then residing
in St. Stephens Green, Dublin, and expecting
daily to be confined, and being desiroua that the
accouehment should take place in London, leit
Ireland with this view. While on her Journey,
accompanied by her husband, she was taken
unwell, and was unable to proceed beyond Rug.
by. There che was taken from the carriage and
conveyed to the nearest place where accommo.
dation could be afforded, small beer-house
called the Globe, about half mile from the
station, and where she was delivered, within
two hours, of the child involved in the present
inquiry. A few days afterHard her husband
adopted course to destroy the identity of the
child, with the presumed object of possessing
himself of the property devised by the will.
Hill went to the Register, Mr.. Herbert,
eince deceased, aud registered tho child as
"Robert Hill, son of Mary Hill and Robert
Hill; maiden name SEYMOUR" the true de
scription being, go for as the parents were con-
cerned, "Richard GuinessHill Amy Georgiana
Hill; maiden name Bnrdett."
A week after the birth of the child, Hill in
duced his wife to put the child out to nurse,
and went to London for the purpose of making
the necessary arrangements. The day following
his arrival in town, he informed bis wife that
he had made arrangements that would be satis-
factory to her, and requested her to forward the
child to London by a train which be indicated
This train was not due in London till nearly
midnight. Nhe mother, believing her husbands
representations intrusted her child, then only
ten days old. to Catharine Parsons, girl only
fourteen years of age, the daughter of tho we
man who was then nursing her, and they left
by the train mentioned by the prisoner. The
child was wrapped in shawl priced for psrtc
uar reasons by the mother, ss well ss q box
containing baby linen, which was also sent with
the child ........ -.-...t q.
Catharine Parsons states that on arriving at
the Euston Square station she was met by the
nriannnr Ha tnnk har N a nal f0 ~ ac
the metropolis, with which, of course, as a
country girl, she was unacquainted, and having
deposited the box, returned with her and the
child to the vicinity of Euston Station, where
they were met by two women, one Of whom she
describes as black woman. and both of them
as being drunk. BY Mr.. Hills direction she
handed the child to one Of these women, who
asked If it was alive and clean, to which Par
sons replied that she hoped it would be taken
good care of and kept as clean as it had been at
Rugby. Parsons had received ctipjunctons
from Mrs. Hill to bring back the shawl in which
the child was enveloped, but when she endeav-
ored to do so, the woman replied that if she
took the child, she would take the shawl and
all with 1t, and accordingly retained possession
Of that article. Mr.. Hill then took the girl to
the Queens Dining Rooms, in Great Portland
street, Oxford street, kept by Mr. Manning,
where che remained, he also occupying room
in the same house. On the following day Hill
aud the girl returned to Rugby, where she init.
mated to her mistress that the child had been
placed in improper hands, He, however, com.
bated this assumption By assuring his wife that
the girl was entirely mistaken. From time to
time Mrs. Hill expressed the greatest anxiety
regarding the welfare of her child, but her hus-
band always ssseverated that it was in proper
hands and was progressing most satisfactorily.
This state of things continued for about two
years, and at length Mrs. Hill told her husband
that she insisted upon seeing the child. He re-
fused to comply with her request, serious al
tercation took place, and he ultimately subject
ed her to gross i'll usage. Upon this separa-
tion took place, but short time subsequently
he made overtures to his wife to live with him
again. She Indignantly repelled his offer for a
time, but at length promised TO consider them
favorably, providing he satisfied her as to what
had become of her infant. g..
Hill prevaricated, and finally his wife placed
the matter in the hands OF q solicitor, and In.
spector Hamilton, of the London Detective Po
lice, was intrusted with the search of the child
A reward Of E20 was offered for any informa.
ton that would lead to the discovery of the in.
fant, the handbills setting forth such facts as
were known, with description of Hill, the
WOmuu WUU EcCcNCu tuO CIllUl anu ln1 Shawl
in which it had been wrapped.
A woman named Mackay, living in st. Giles
saw the offer of the reward, aud sought an in.
terview with Hamilton. q.
She stated that about eighteen months pre.
viously, when lodging in house in the Seven
Dials, woman who occupied room on the
same floor, and who had no children of her own
one or two nights coneecutively had child In
her room, which Mackay knew by hearing Il
cry. She spoke to the woman about 1t, asking
her to whom the child belonged. Her fellow
lodger replied that she had received 1t from a
woman, who had obtained it from o woman
named Andrews, who had informed her that
che had received 1t from gentleman at rail
way station. Mackay added that the woman
in question left the house few days after
ward, and she since knew nothing about her.
Slight ss this clue appeared, Brett worked up-
on it, and by dint of perseverance, he ulti.
mately discovered that the child his inform.
ant had heard cry was the one eagerly sought
after. This, however, was not accomplished
without great labor and como danger. The be.
lief at fret was that the child had been ,sdrop
ped" upon some door step, and had perished
and that it had been rescued from death only 4
become the inmate of o Uwofkhouse. Brett'l
primary inquiries were directed to that poipt
but he soon found it to be erroneous. He ther
directed his attention to the woman indicated
by Mackay. He travelled from Court to Cour
throughout ST. Giles's, and at length went 10 /
filthy alley, called Lincoln's Conit, in DrurI
Lane. In one Of the houses in this place b,
discovered the woman Andrews, and he alst
traced the child into her possession. Aftel
searching the various rooms, Brett proceeded I;
a small apartment on hesecond floor, In ont
corner lay man, nearly naked, apparently in 8
dying state, and squatting all aoyer the Aool
were several women in q most ragged and mis-
cradle condition, The whole place Nis IN I