The Sun. — 1834-01-28 (London, England)

INFANTICIDE.  On Thursday, the 16th inst., whilst some masons were at work at Loders, and were in the act of removing a stone which covers a well, commonly called the cellar-stone, for the purpose of placing it on a well near to it, which they were about repairina, one of the men observed something in the hole of the stone which at first he thought to be either a dead dog or cat ; fearing the smell of putrid matter would interrupt their work, he called to some other man to help him remove it; on taking away the filth and straw with which it was covered, what was their surpri,e to find it to be a (lead child ! An alarm was given to the neighbourhood, and the parish authorities soon assembled at the place which is a farm-barton, belonging to Mr. Marsh, of Loders. No time was lost in communicating it to Mr. Tucker, who immediately issued his precept for the summoning of a jury to investigate this mysterious occurrence. At two o'clock the same afternoon, the Coronet's Court was opened at the Loders Arms Inn, in Loders. The first witness examined was David Lathy, the man that first found the body under the stone; he spoke of its situation, appearances, &c Samuel S. Cory, and William Sweeting, Esqrs., surgeons, of 13ridport, being sworn, deposed that they had attentively examined the body of a dead male child, given over to them by the above witners; that it was a full grown child, measuring in length twenty-two inches, and weighed seven pounds and a half ; the nails, hair, and general appearance, such as a child born at its natural period would present; on examining the cheat and abdomen, and making various experiments on the lungs, circulation of blood, and using other anatomical tests, they were decidedly of opinion the child was born alive, and at its full maturity. Suspicion having alighted on Hannah Crann, a young woman lately come to reside in the dwelling-house of John Brown, at Loders, whose back premises bound the farm-barton, and to which there was a direct access by a hole in the wall, and she having been long observed to be pregnant, was apprehended by the constable on her road to Beam.nster. On being charged with being the mother of the child, she at first positively denied having given birth to any child ; but the two medical gentlemen, after an examination in a private room, deposed to her having been recently delivered of a child, corresponding to the time that the after evidence went to prove she was delivered. The inmates of the house where the transaction took place were John Brown, labourer, and Anne his wife, their daughter Sarah Brown (the mother of an illegitimate child about six months), the bedfellow of the said Hannah Crann, Matthew Brown, the brother of Sarah Brown, and two younger brothers. The house is a miserab!e hovel in the middle of the village of Loders, containing two bed rooms above, connecting with each other, and two below, one of which opens to the barton. It appeared that several months ago the parish officers of Bridport removed Hannah Crann from the town to Netherbury parish, her home, in consequence of her being pregnant. Ann Case, the landlady with whom she lodged, charged her with having gone six months; this was three months before Christmas. Crann did not deny it. Matthew Brown, the reputed father, afterwards came to Case's house during her stay there; she shortly left Netherbury and went to Loders, where the bans were published in the parish church between her and Matthew Brown, but no marriage teok place. Various witnesses proved her size and their belief of the time she was likely to be delivered.—The Jury returned a verdict of 'Wilful Murder against Hannah Crann, Ann Brown, and Sarah Brown, who have been committed to gaol to take their trial.—Sherborne Mercury.