, 1872-10-23
A FEMALE P0iS0NER.

A FEMALE P0is0NER.
AR Extraordinary Story of Crime.
An almost incredible story is told in the Man
chester Guardian Of Oct 4. It is in the form OF
an official report as to the antecedents of the
woman Cotton; who is in custody in Durham
jail, charged With poisoning. Tho report had
been forwarded By Police Superintendent Hem
dcrson to the Homo Secretary, to support the
application Tor an order for further exhumations.
It says: .
"lIary Ann Cotton was born in the year 1882,
Mt Nurton Oolliery, neer Seaham Harbor. Size
became acquainted with a man named William
Mowbray, S laborer residing at 9Iurton Colliery,
but 6 native of Peterborough. They were short
II afterward married at st. Andrews Church,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, and left the neighborhood
and vent to reside at Plymouth, and aftorward
and thea returned to South Hetton, after an
absence Of five years from that part Of the
country. On their return the prisoner stated
that she had four children while away, but they
had a child died, named Mary Ann, four years
OF age. Mr. Broadbent, surgeon at South Het-
ton, says she died Of gastric fever. Shortly
after this Mowbray and the prisoner, with their
September, 1864, q son, named John Robert VIII
liam, about one year old, died, and on the I'd OF
May, 1866, 8 daughter, named Mary Jane, died.
The two last-named were attended in their IL
n6S8 DY 4I. ddu4QlAE6, SuIEGO19 Cul1uGElauur
and he states that they both died Of gastric
fever. The deceased William Mowbray and his
family we're nn insured in the British and
Prudential Insurance Office, and on the
death cs4 Of her husband, the prisoner
On the death OF the children. She then obtained
situation in the old infrmary at Sunderland,
and there remained about SIX months, when sue
became acquainted with an inmate named George
Ward. He married her, and they went to reside
r,,C Crar efraat E1rHarfpn6 1rhera ha dfp1 nm,
the 21st OF October, 1866, aged SO. Mr. GAM
mage attended him, and, although he was an
ailing man, he considered that he dropped of
very suddenly. The prisoner then obtained a
stuation as housekeeper to James Robinson, .
foreman in a ship-building yard at Pallion.
In june 1867, he married her, and they con-
tinued to reside together at Palion. When
Robinson married the prisoner he WAS
one little girl about 9 years OF age. She lived
with Robinson until the latter part Of December,
1867, and during that time there died in ha
house John Robinson, 10 months old the 4th OF
7th Of April, 1867 Elizabeth Robinson, 8 years
old the 18th of April, 1857; Elizabeth MoWbray;
years old the I'd of May, 1867 and Margaret
Robinson, 8 years old in December, 1867. Mr.
Gammage attended e. Mowbray, and he states
abe died OF gastric fever. Mr. Shaw, surgeon,
Deptford, attended the Robinsons, and he states
they died Of gastric fever. It is stated above
thet the prisoner lived with Robinson until the
LATTER part of December, 1867. About this time
he had found out that she had involved him in
about EGO debt, besides pledging his clothes and
dispoBing of his household linen and goods. She
had also charge of his bank book and building
eociety book, and he also found that she had
wasted upward of ESQ, and entered Gums in the
building society book which she never paid III.
Robinson'6 sisters also began to talk about the
deaths OF the children, and told him they had
been poisoned. Robinson taxed her with her
dishonesty, and said what he had heard about
IT,; fhc 4c 1,a
After Robinson left the house that day, she
dressed herself, and took one of her children,
about IS months Old, and went out, and be has
never seen her since. She left the child IN the
but she never returned, and Robinson did not re-
cover Ills child for some time, when he found it
in wretched state. He states that he now feels
convinced that his children wero poisoned. He
mind to dwell on the subject. They were
healthy and strong, and only i'll few days be-
fore they died. He noticed whenever she gave
them anything they. ronited, and we're
sick and .purgod: His sisters have talked
deaths Of the children. On reading the West
Auckland poisoning case in the papers, they
have stated to him that That was the way his
children went. One Of them handed paper to
been doing that, little Thinking at the time that
The person accused OF the West Auckland pois-
ouings was the very woman they were talking
about. Robinson said she often wanted him to
get his life and the lives of the remaining chill
dren insured, and ono day ho found her at
Ill Office trying to effect an insur-
ance. He forbade her doing SO, and
said he would not pay o penny. The
aroused his suspicion about the chlldron who
had died, and he determined not to have his life
insured. After the prisoners fathers death,
her mother was married to man named ifobert
Stott, who is now living at Seaton Colliory. Mrs:
Stott, the prisoners mother, died the 9th Of
June, 1866 aged 81 years, and was buried at Old
6eaham. She died very suddenly after tho
prisoner came. The prisoner, after absconttlng
from the house of her husband: ls found wan-
dering about Sunderland, Seaham Harbor, Tyne
mont, and Newcastle, until July Z, 1870,
when she obtained q situation as house.
keeper to Frederick Cotton, 3 pitman re-
siding at Walbott1o, Northumberland.
In October of the Same year, he married her at
st. Andrews Church, Newcastle, in the name Of
Mary Ann Mowbray. When sl1o was residing at
Walbottle, number of fat pigs died, and, for
some reason OF other, she was suspected, and tho
place became SO hot they were obliged to leave
It, and they came to reside at West Auckland
At that time the family consisted Of herself
Frederick Cotton, her husband, Frederick Cot
ton, step-son, years; Charles Edward Cotton
step-son, years; Robert Robson Cotton, sou
IA months, who have all died, as well as lodger
named Joseph Nattrasg. The prisoner herself
states that, while abe was III the south Of Eng
land. she had four children by Mowbray, all Of
whom had died"
The Face Of a Dead Woman Eaten
= Away by Norway Rats.