The Blackpool Herald. — 1877-02-09 (Blackpool, Lancashire, England)

STRANGE DISCOVERY OF DEAD BODIES. Elizabeth Mary Louise Kirkbride, the woman in whose box, at her lodgings in Tuebrook, Liverpool, were recently found the dead bodies of three children, was brought up on Saturday, at the County Magistrates' Court, Liverpool, charged with concealing the bodies of the children. Inspector Walsh, in stating the case against the prisoner, said that on the 28th ult. the Liverpool county police received from Superintendent Fowler, of Penrith, a warrant for the apprehension of the prisoner, charged with concealing the birth of two children. That warrant was entrusted to Sergeant Robinson at Tuebrook, who went to 21, Sutton-street, and knocked at the door, which was opened by the prisoner. He read the warrant, and she said, "There must be some mistake about the date." She was then taken to the Old Swan Police Station. It happened that the landlady of the house where the prisoner lodged, Mrs. M'Bertie, had missed several articles of wearing apparel, and she acquainted the prisoner's son with the loss, believing that the prisoner had taken them. The son thereupon broke open a box on the landing near the prisoner's bedroom door, but found nothing beyond some old linen. He went to his business, and during his absence the landlady looked in the box herself. Finding there was a lytd smell from it, she took it down into the yard, and took out some of the contents, and from what she saw she sent to the police station, and Sergeant Sheppard was despatched to the. house. The sergeant found one body and part of another body of children, and took the box to the Green Lane mortuary, where it was further examined by Dr. Pitts. He found the body of a full-grown, newlyborn child; the trunk of another, and afterwards its arms and legs at the bottom of the box among some dirty rags, and the skeleton of a third child. ...Inspector Walsh added that he thereupon went to the prisoner and told her that, in addition to being charged with concealing two bodies at Penrith, she would be charged with a similar offence with reference to the bodies then found. She replied that the children were her own, and that she had neglected them, but she denied having murdered them. He (the inspector) had said nothing to her about murder. She went on, "I want to tell you the father of all the children Tam here about. His name is Thomas Moss; he is a tea and bacon seller ,at Askham, near Penrith. He always promised to make me his wife. I think it is right he should be exposed. He is the only man I have had to do with, and it is entirely of his own persuasion that lam here." Inspector Walsh added that the prisoner had been traced as having arrived at Aintree station from the /North on the 4th June last. She left four boxes and a basket at the station, and redeemed them on the 29th July, when she paid 18s. 4d. the amount of the railway company's charges for the deposit of the boxes, and toek them to her lodgings at Tuebrook. These were the facts, and he had all the witnesses ready and was prepared to go into the case, but Supt. Fowler was present from Penrith, and wished to have the case removed there. On Thursday last another body wee found at Penrith, in a garden, making six bodies altogether. It was thought the case could be better tried at Penrith, and the prisoner was remanded thither accordingly. The prisoner arrived at Penrith by train at six six o'clock on Monday morning, in custody of Mr. Supt. Fowler. The crowd at the railway station was large, but not nearly so great as it would have been, from the fact that the arrival was three hours earlier than was expected. Very little if any, demonstration was observable. Throughout the journey she was rigidly silent, only once observing to her custodian that she felt very cold. Mr. Fowler gave the prisoner his rug. When at the station she looked sullen and downcast, and indifferent to the curiosity which was exhibited. The Erisoner was brought before Mr. William Harrison in the course of the forenoon, and remanded until Saturday. Respecting the man Moss, who, as alleged by the accused, is the father of the murdered children, it may not be out of place to mention that on his bill-heads—he is a shopkeeper residing at Askhare, a small hamlet distant about four miles from Penrith—are printed, in conspicuous letters, the words "Be just and fear not."  ••••• • ' ou•a ro'