The Dewsbury Chronicle, and West Riding Advertiser. — 1894-05-12 (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England)

BARON POLLOCKI THE SHIPLEY MANSLAUGHTER.  Ruth Ann Oddy (23), a married woman, and I Mead Middleton Newell (4S), a charwoman, were indicted for the wilful murder of the first-named prisoner's male child, at Shipley. on the 20th March. The prosecution was conducted by Mr. Waugh and Mr. Edmanson ; Mr. J. J. Wright appeared for the prisoner Oddy; and Newell was defended by Mr, W. Beverley.—Mr. Waugh said that Oddy was a married woman living apart from from her husband, and, as the result of an intimacy with a young man, was delivered of a child on March 20th. That night, at the request of Mrs. Newell, Afinie Danes went to Oddy's home in Murgatroyd-street, Shipley, and was present at the birth, which Newell said was a boy. it was wrapped in a blanket by Newell, who put it in a clothes basket, and then put it into a cold and damp coal ceder. The baby cried, and Oddy said, "1 can't do with it there, it will have to go away." To this Newell replied, "I can't do anything with it," and Oddy then said "Bring it here, and ill do it." Newell placed the child in the basket on the bed where Oddy lay, and she began to push the bedclothes into its mouth while the child was crying. Newell said, "Don't do that," and Danes said, " Let it live or you'll get picked out." Oddy, in answer to this, said. "1 don't care, it will have to go away from here." On the 21st. March, Newell was seen at Shipley with a bundle, and later in the day was seen at Saltaire, where she booked for Bingley. On the 4th April the dead body of a child was found in the canal at Bingley, and a post mortem examination revealed that it had had a separate existence, and that death was due to suffocation. inquiries resulted in the arrest of the two prisoners, Mr. Waugh reminded the jury that it was immaterial which hand did the deed, if they were both acting together they were equally guilty.—The reputed father of the child in cross-examination said that when he saw Oddy on the night of the confinement she "didn't seem right," but very weak. Annie Danes corroborated counsel's opening statement. Beyond telling the prisoner not to put the clothes in the child's mouth, Mrs. Newell did not interfere.—By Mr. Uright : She herself did not do anything to prevent Oddy putting the clothes in the child's mouth, heyond telling her not to do it. —The prisoner Oddy was very weak, wasn't she ?—Well, ehe was sitting up in bed choking it. Mrs. Newell did nothing? Not while I was thole,— The jury, after an absence of over an hour, returned a verdict of manslaughter,—On Monday the two women were again %placed in the dock. Evidence as to character being given by Inspector Garnett, his Lordship, referring to the two officers who had been in charge of the case, Sergeants .Bates and Lee, said they had acted industriously in the matter and with great discretion, which was quite as desirable as activity. He intimated that he should still further consider the case, and deferred sentence again,—The case was disposed of ,on Tuesday, when his Lordship remarked that he quite c_inLided with the merciful view taken of the case by the jury ; the .prisoners ought to be thankful they were not standing in the dock under the more stringent verdict of wilful murder. Their offence was one of the most cruel, unnatural, and mischievous that a woman could commit, and he was bound to take a serious view of it. He sentenced each prisoner to eight years' penal servitude.