The Sun. — 1859-05-18 (London, England)

MARYLEBONE. THE LATE CHARGE OF CHILD MURDER. Harriet Perry was brought before Mr. Broughton, on remand, charged with the murder of her female infant, as far back as December, 1857. _ . . _  The particulars of what previously transpired have already appeared, and it will be remembered that about Christmas in the year above named, the prisoner, who had lived as servant at the Blvk Lion, Kilburn' left there, and lodged for a short time at the house of Mrs. Richardson, 22, St. George's-terrace, Hampstead. She brought a box with her, and in the course of a week she went away, alleging that she was going into the country. She subsequently returned, and was told that she could not be allowed to be in the place any longer, as so strong and offensive a smell proceeded from the box. She quitted the place, and the said box was removed to the second floor landing. Shortly before last Christmas Mrs, Richardson opened it, and on pulling therefrom a bundle, a quantity of maggots dropped out. The bundle wag so tightly fastened that she was obliged to use a poker to force it open. She then saw the leg of a child drop from the bundle. She saw nothing more of the prisoner until the 9th inst., when she called for the box, and on being told of the discovery which had been made, she denied knowing anything about it, further than that a young woman had asked her to put the bundle into her box, and had written to her to know whether it was all right, as she wanted it. The body of an infant, around whose neck was tied tightly a stocking, was found in the box, and removed to the deadhouse at Hampstead Workhouse. An inquest was held, and. a verdict returned of wilful murder against some person unknown." The prisoner, who was suspected to have committed the crime, was taken into custody when she called for the box as above stated.  Mr. Keene attended as before for the prisoner. Some additional witnesses were brought forward, one of whom was Mr. Joseph Winter, surgeon, of Hampstead. On the 10th or 11th December, upon being sent for, he went to the dead-house, and there saw the (lead body of a female infant. it was dried up like a mummy. By Mr. Keene—l will not undertake to say that in the state in which I saw it it might not have been dead for ten years, or perhaps more. It was further shown by the evidence of Inspector Sheehy, and other officers of the S division, that inquiries had been made at Kingston-on-Thames, from which the female was said to have sent the bundle as alleged to prisoner to take care of, but she could not be met with at either of the places which the prisoner had mentioned, viz. 4, Cliftonplace, and 4, Portland-place, Kingston-on-Thames. Mr. Keene, on behalfof his client, submitted that from the evidence adduced nothing had been shown to justify the magistrate in further detaining the prisoner. There was no proof whatever that she had given birth to a child, and her statement made as-to the parcel found in the box was no doubt true ; that she had taken care of the bundie for a young woman who requested her to do so, and that she knew not what was in it. Mr. Broughton considered it to be his duty to send the case for the consideration of a jury. Mr. Tate, the clerk, read over the whole of the evidence, and the prisoner was committed for trial for the murder.