The Sun. — 1855-12-13 (London, England)

TER CARLTON MURDER. Johanna Dutton, aged 33, described as a dressmaker, married, and well educated, was indicted for the wiiful murder of her daughter, aged about three years and a half, at Gedlieg, near Nottingham, on Sept. 24, 1855. Mr. Boden, with whom was Mr. Bittleston, conducted the case for the prosecution. Mr. O'Brien was retained for the defence.  From the opening statement of the learned counsel for the prosecution, and the evidence of the witnesses, it appeared that the deceased was the child of the prisoner by a former husband, and had been for a long time treated with frequent and gross ill-usage by the prisoner. The child did not sleep with the other children in a room, but was put in a passage on a bit of straw and sacking. The prisoner often wished it was dead, called it "dirty," and beat it very cruelly. On the 24th of Sept. deceased (according to the evidence given by Ann Parey, prisoner's servant) was down stairs alone with the defendant, Mr. Bunton being absent from home, and the other children in the garret with witness. Prisoner had that morning been beating deceased i❑ a most cruel manner, and, while Parey was making the beds, she heard prisoner call to George, one of the other children, to look after little Polly, who had gone out with her bonnet, Witness went down stairs, and in a few minutes heard George say, " Mother, I can't find Polly ; she went out with you up to the gate." Prisoner told him if he said that again she would give him a good biding. He said, " You did, mother, for I saw you out of the garret window, and yon was close alongside her." She said a second time she would beat him if he didn't hold his noise. Mrs. Dutton called witness down stairs and told her to go and find Polly. Witness said, "The child must be in some place about, misses." Witness looked about the place and could not find her. Came back, and told the prisoner that it was very strange she could not find her. Prisoner said, "Do you think she has been near the pond, and fallen in ? " Witness answered, " No, I never saw the children in that part." The child was subsequently found in a pond near prisoner's house. Some suspicions were entertained, and after the inquest the witness Parey returned to Mrs. Dutton, who was in bed, and appeared very frightened and nervous. Mr. Dutton was also there. Between nine and ten o'clock witness was i❑ her bedroom settling the children. The door of her room was about four yards from theirs. Heard Mr. Dutton saying something like "Did you do it I" or "What made you do it ? Witness went to listen at the door, which was partly open, and heard the prisoner admit th 4 she had thrown the child into the pond, and that after doing so she (prisoner) regretted it, and tried to get it out, but it turned right over. Mr. Dutton caught witness li,tening, and fiuding that she had heard the whole conversation, tried t• bribe her to suppress her knowledge of the matter, and asked her if she was going to leave him a widow and his children orphans. He also said an oath was nothing. In cross-examination it appeared that Parey was given to drink, and was sometimes intoxicated. She had not mentioned the alleged conversation between prisoner and her husband before the coroner because she was " bullied."  The defames was that, apart freai the evidence of one dissolute woman, there was nothing inconsittent with the hypothesis that deceased might have gone out of the house with the prisoner, unseen by her, and fallen into the pond. The learned Judge, in summing up, said it was extremely improbable that a woman would confess to her husband she had murdered her own child. The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.