The Sun. — 1854-09-22 (London, England)

OLD COURT.  Jane Barrington, 2G, was indictod for the wilfa murder of her male infant.  Mr. Ribton prosecuted ; Mr. Duncan was counsel for the defence.  It appeared that the prisoner and her husband were in humble circumstances, and occupied one room in a house in Arrow-street, Southwark. The child in question was about a fortnizht old at the time of its death, and it appeared that within five days of the prisoner's delivery she had left her bed, and was engaged in washing, and there appeared to be very little doubt that this premature exertion had excited her and affected her brain. On the sth of September she was in a very wild state, and she made use of several incoherent expressions relating► to her child, and she at length exclaimed that she bad done for it by giving it laudanum. The child appeared to be very ill, and upea its being taken to a surgeon named Rendell, he expressed an opinion that it was suffering from the administration of some narcotic poison, and it was removed to the workhouse, where it died two days afterwards. It appeared that the prisoner had admitted that she had purchased a pennyworth of laudanum, and that she gave some to the child, but there was no trace of that ingredient in the stomach, and Mr. Rendell said, in cross-examination, that he should have thought the child had died of natural causes if he had not been aware of the previous circumstances of the case. •  Mr. Duncan made a very feeling address to the jury on behalf of the prisoner, and he called Mr. Evans, the surgeon of the -parish, as a witness, and he stated, that even supposing laudanum had been administered to the child, he was opinion that it had entirely recovered from its effects, and that it died from natural causes.  His lordship, upon this evidence, stopped the case, and the jury at once returned a verdict of not guilty. Jane Colbert, 33, was indicted for the manslaughter of William Colbert.  Mr. Robinson presented ; Mr, Lilley was counse for the prisoner.  The facts of this case will be fresh in the recollection of the public. The deceased was the husband of the prisoner, and it appeared that he was constantly in the habit of getting drunk and ill-using her. On the occasion in question he had knocked her down and struck her several times, and in a sudden fury she seized a knife and threw it at him, and the blade entered his body, an,d pierced the lung and caused his death. The jury found the prisoner guilty, but strongly recommended her to mercy. She was sentenced to be imprisoned for one week.  parish clerk, the sexton, and gravedigger, for opening the ground in the churchyard, and burying cholera subjects therein, contrary to the provisions of the 15th a::d Nth of Victoria, chap. 58, as well as an order in Council, and by which act they are by law guilty of a misdemeanour.  Mr. Bradley stated that for upwards of 12 months, indeed since the promulgation of the order in council, prohibiting the burial of bodies in the churchyard, himself and his family had been freed from the unpleasant smell caused by the exhalations from the burial-ground ; but. since the spread of the cholera the sexton recommenced opening the ground, and the consequence was, that close to the wall of his house the body of a young man who died from cholera was buried. Since this had been done, the unpleasant smell increased to such an extent that his family were afraid to open the back windows so as to admit athorough air, and the circumstance was altogether not only exceedingly disagreeable to himself and family, but likely seriously to affect their health.  Mr. Elliott—ls this done by the order of the churchwardens ?  Mr. Bradley—l think not, sir. It is done by Brook, the sexton, merely for the purpose of gain, while I have no doubt he represents to the parish authorities that the graves opened are family graves. I shall be able to prove by witnesses that the grave opened for the interment, on the 4th instant, of the body of a young man who died of cholera, was not a family grave, but had merely been opened on the payment of a fee of five shillings. Indeed Brook, the sexton, makes no secret of the matter, but says he will bury anybody for a fee of from one shilling upwards. Mr. Elliott—You may take your summons.