The Sun. — 1857-12-11 (London, England)

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.  M.— The and county were UtlhTis.—toLwinNooLN, Dec. 10. opened yesterday before Mr. G. Boden, barristerat-law, orate of the commissioners of assize and gaol delivery for the present Winter Circuit, who afterwards a.tended Divine service in the Cathedral, Mr. Justice Crompton having been detained at Nottingham. In the city gaol there is only one prisoner for trial, charged wi.h child murder. The county calendar contains the names of 13 prisoners, charged with the following offences : Child murder, 1 ; attempt to drown, 1 ; rape, 2 ; unnatural 1 ; felonious wounding, 3 ; arson, ; night-poaching, 4 ; housebreaking, 2 ; possession of and uttering counterfeit coin, 4 ; highway robbery, 4 ; embezzlement, 1 ; At 9 o'clock this morning 2 ; burglary, offe n ce, 2 fowl stt wing 3 ; larceny, 1. Mr. Justice Crompton proceeded to charge the grand jury of the city, and immediately afterwards tried the following case :-CHARGE OF munnan. At the city winter assizes this morning, Mansfield Woolfit, 46, wife of Thomas Woolfit, cork cutter, was indicted for the wilful murder of Mary Woolfit, on the 16th August last. In a second count she was charged upon the coroner's inquest with a like offence. Mr. Flowers was for the prosecution ; and Mr. Stevens defended the prisoner. From the evidence it appe tied that Eliza Melton was called on the day iu gnostic, by the prisoner to go into her house, for the prisoner said, " I have nearly cut my dear child's head off." Mrs. Melton went into the house, with a person named Singleton, and found the child, with its head nearly severed from its body lying upon a piece of matting with a knife lyin— g beside it. The prisoner was kneeling over the child, and exclaiming "My dear child." The father of the deceased came in, and said to the prisoner, " Good God, what have you done l" to which she made no reply. Shortly afterwards the prisoner was taken away by police constablo Clay. MP. Melton thought, by the conversation of the prisoner, a' variou4 time?, that, she was not of sound mind. She thought this long before she committed this ace. She had on more than ono occasion Expressed her belief that she should end her days in an asylum , and she had also told Mrs. Melton that she had some thoughts of drowning herself and her child, ' cc for her troublt s were almost too much for her to bear." The prisoner had also frequently complained that her husband was not kind to her, and that he was in the habit of drinking. To the police officer the prisoner said that her husband's treatment had caused her to do it, for he was always comphiining about the children. On the way to the lock up, the policeman met her husband, and the bificer asked him to assist in taking her to the stationhouse, but the prisoner refused to allow bim to  touch her. On her way 13 h e said that "Jim (her husband) was the cause of this, but I have this consolation, that the child is gone to Heaven." Several- witnesses were called who spoke to the extraordinary behaviour of the prisoner since lv-r confinement last Christmas.  Mr. • Septimus Low (surgeon), gave it as his pginion that at the time he saw her, which was soon after she committed the offence, the prisoner was' not in a sound state of mind. Mr. Stevens, for the prisoner, commented upon the evidence, particularly that cf the surgeon, who so strongly expressed his belief that the prisoner was insanf.  The learned Judge summed up, laying down the law with reference to insane persons, explaining, the difference between a person labouring under insanity and suffering from sudden impulse. After a consultation of a few minutes, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, on the ground of insanity.