Star. — 1817-04-03 (London, England)

KINGSTON. A 1,341. i. CIIIMUSES or iiIILD hit ItDICIt.  Mary E.. au was indicted for the murder of her bastard child, by drowohig. The prisoner, in this case; lived AS servant at Mortlake, in this parish ; and her appearance creating a suspicion of pregnancy, her mistress taxed her with the fact, which, however, she denied, and conducted herself so impertinently that she was dismilsed from her service. She then went to lodge at a cottage in the neighbourhood, when her pr.-i,.,nalley was Os) visible. It was apparent, that J.L bad been delivered at the latter end of November last ; atvd o.re woman. who lcdg,ed in the house with the prisoner at the bar, said that she tlionght he beard a child cry in her room one night ; bat there was lAA prod f her actual delivery. A day or two afterwards a child was found wrapped in a coloured apron in a pond in a Meadow at Mortlake. Suspicion immediately attached to the prisoner, and site was apprehended.— Upon an examination of her by an experienced matron, she had every appearance of having recently been delivered of a child.  The medical man who examined the body of the child, said it had a contusion on the bsck of the head ; and tram the inflammation about the alvioncl, he was of opinion that the child had been born Ace, but it might have got the would in delivery, and he did riot make further experiments. The Learned Judge explained to the Jury the present law oh this subject, which was relaxed from the  ancient severity, b 7 which concealment of the birth  was made evidence of the murder of a bastard child; but, as the law now stood, if a Jury were ni.t satisfied that the evidence proved the murder .4 the clOiJ, they ,might find the concealment of the birth, which subjected the offender to a minor punishment. The Jury found the prisoner Guilty of concealing the birth of the child, and she was sentenced to two years imprisonment.  Sarah MiteAell, charged with a similar ()Rentz., was also found Guilty of concealing the birth of the child, and was sentenced to lY months imprisonment. Anglia, a Negro wom.in, was charged on the Co. roner's inquest with the murder of her bastard child at Newington, on the 10th of December last. Mrs. A. Umpleby said, that the prisoner was her servant, and was born in her family. title brought her from the Ms' Indies in July last. Shortly atter their arrival in this country she thought the prisoner was with child, and asked her the question ; the prisoner said she was not. In December Wit the prisoner was again taken -very ill, and the witness sent her into her own room, when, going shortly afterwards, she found that she had been 'delivered of a child ; she reproached her with deceiving her as to her state, as she had no occasion for so doing. The prisoner replied she did not know it Was a child. On cross-examination, she said the initialer was born on their estate in the West ladies ; that she had lived with. her as a house servant all her life ; that she was married, and had a husb:tud at home, and by her own request accompanied the witness to England ; that she had one child, and was a most affectionate mother ; that she h,ad no reason whatever to conceal her pregnancy, its the witness would have taken care of her and- tho child ; it would have been both her inclination and interest to have done so. She addtd, that there was lately a young Lady in their family who bad unjustly been suspected of pregnancy, who died of an internal complaint which gave ' her that appearance, which so much affected the poor Negro girl at the bar, that sht was always exclaim-. ing that she bad Miss James's dis4ae, and she should die like her, and the witness beliived that the prisoner thought so. The Learned Judge observed, that in this case the Jury must acquit the prisoner, as it appeared the prisoner had a husband, whom she had not left long enough to presume the child a bastard ; but even without this, he presumed the Jury would not think this a case for conviction. Verdict—Not Guilty.