Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1875-07-24 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

LAN ERC OST (B HAMPTON .) CHARGE OF WILFUL MURDER AT LANERCOST.—At the Cumberland Assizes, on Thurseay, Elizabeth Armstrong (20, servant, imperfectly instructed) was charged with the wilful murder of her new born female child, at Lanercost, on the 20th of March last. —Mr Henry, in opening the ease, said the prisoner was charged with the crime of murder, and the jury would no doubt give the case all the attention in their power. The two issues the jury would have to determine were whether the prisoner had murdered her child, or, if she had not committed the more serious °Ramos, whether she was not guilty of concealing the birth of the child.—Mary Ewart was the first witness called, and deposed that she was the wife of George Ewart, of Hardest, and a servant of Thomas Hogg, with whom the prisoner was also a servant. On the 20th of March last, the prisoner complained to witness of being unwell, and wanted to go home. Her master gave the prisoner a sovereign and she went away, but returned to her service on the Tuesday following.—Walter Little deposed that he was an innkeeper at Kirkcambeck. Knew the prisoner. On the 20th of March last saw a woman, about a quarter past six o'clock in the evening, sitting on the roadside near to Kircambeck. She got up and turned down a lane towards a cottage in which a man named Creight.sa lived. The woman met Creighton's daughter, a little girl, in the lane, which leads to a beck over which there is a footbridge. Mary Armstrong, an aunt of the prisoner's, lived in the locality.—William Hiddleston deposed that he was a police-constable stationed at Walton, near Brampton. In conseqsenee of something he heard, he went to Kirkcamback, on the 2nd of April last, and made a search near a wooden bridge there. Found the after-birth of a child in the river Cambeck. Saw the prisoner the same day in Mr Hogg's house at Hardest. Asked her if it was correct that she had given birth to a child. She replied : "No; who told you that ?" He took her into custody, and after being duly cautioned, the prisoner said she had had a child which was born between Koorran Bridge and Kirkcambeck. The child, she added, was born dead in a field near to the house of Mary Armstrong her aunt. Witness went with Superintendent Carson, and found the body of the child in the field indicated, near to an old well. The child was wrapped up in an apron, and lying, covered with clay and leaves, near to an ash tree.—Alexander Thom deposed that he was a surgeon, and resided at Brampton. Remembered receiving the body of a new-born female child from Superintendent Carson on the 3rd of April last. It was wrapped up in an apron, the strings of which were tied tightly round its neck twice. Witness and Dr Wotherspoon made an examination 01 the body. The left side of the skull war extensively fractured, and the whole surface of the brain was covered with blood; there was also blood in the ventricles or natural cavities of the brain. An examination showed that the lungs were well, although not completely, expanded with air. They floated in water buoyantly, they floated with the heart, and were orepitant throughout. They also floated when they were cut in pieces, and theee facts pmved that the child had breathed fully after birth. The cause of death, la witnesa'a opinion was the injury to the head. If death had been calmed by strangulation the appearances would have been the same.—The jury found tee prisoner guilty of concealment of birch, and his Lordship sentenced her to twelve monthh' imprisonment with hard labour.  to be 'proud. We are given to understand the collections wet% in excess of last year which is very essential. We suppose had the weather been finer no doubt but the numbers would have been much greater.—