The Sun. — 1827-05-14 (London, England)

INQUEST. Saturday afternoon an inquest was held at Whitechapel workhouse, before Mr. Unwin, the Coroner, on the body of the infant, William Henry Sheen, who was murdered by its father. The body was placed in a shell. The head was completely severed, and the mark of the murderer's fingers were on the face, where he had held it whilst he cut off the head. The first witness was Sarah Pomeroy, of 2, Caroline-court, Lambeth-street. She said that she kept the house where the unfortunate affair happened. On Thursday evening, about halfpast 7 o'clock, she was sitting in her own apartment, when the mother of the murdered infant came to her and said, " Mrs. Pomeroy, come and see what lily Bill has done; come up stairs for he has cut the child's head off, and it's lying on dee table!" I went up stairs immediately, and the mother followed me, and when I entered the room I saw the head of the child lying on a table, with the face looking towards the door ; I was so alarmed that $ hurried out of the room as speedily as possible, and procured the assistance of Dalton, an officer ; I again 1;e, tup stairs with the officer—the mother followed, and drew the attention of the persons in the room to the marks on the side of the child's head, where the father had struck it with his knuckles, on Sunday 4lorning,— Before I came down I saw the body of the child  lying on the bed, with a blue bed-gown.on; I did not hear Sheen come down stairs after ae murder.  Ebenezer Dalton, the officer, said, that in consequence of the alarm raised by the last wtness, he went up into the room where the murder lad been committed, anti found the head on the table, and the body on the bed, covered over with a counter. pane. He made a search then and since, but found no instrument with which the act had been perpetrated. Witness, however, is satisfied it liras done with a razor. The mother of the child said, that Bill, meaning her husband, had cut the child's head off.  Coroner—Have you any reason to believe that she was accessary to the murder ? Dalton—l think not. The facts were co; tumlicated to the Magistrates ; and Davis, an odic tr, was sent after Sheen, with instructions to. pursue him into Wales, where it is supposed he is gone. In answer to some questions put by the Jury, Dalton said that he thought the child was placed on the table and then murdered. There was a. considerable quantity of blood on the table, and alo on the floor.  Letitia Sheen, the mother of the child, war next examined. She is a young woman, about 26 years of age, and seemed greatly afflicted. She said that on Thursday last, in the early part of the day, her husband and herself, were very comfortable togs ether, and had no words; about two o'clock in the idlernoon she went out to visit her mother, and todilt: the child with her, and returned about five o'clock ; she then went to a public house, where her husband was playing at skittles with some other men; he lent his companions, and came home with her ; the child. was with her ; ho sat with her in the apartment till a bout eight o'clock, and then he said he wished to have some tea; she went out to procure some, and left him and the child on the bed; she was out about a quarter of an hour, and on her return saw the child's head lying on the table; her husband was not in the room ; she was greatly- alarmed, hastened •dcrwn stairs, and informed the people in the house, rind the officers, of the ircumstance; she told the officers 'togo to her husband's mother, in White's-yard, Rasemary-lane, as he might be there; she has not seen her husband &mit the time she left him in the room.