The Sun. — 1863-12-24 (London, England)

SOUTMWALES CIRCUIT.—CARDIPF, Dec. 21.  (Before Mr. Justice Crompton.)  Sarah Lancastell was indicted for the wilful murder of her child at Llandaff.  Mr. Thomas Allen appeared for the prosecution; the prisoner was undefended.  There was no doubt from the depositions that this unfortunate woman was not in a sound state of mind at the time of the murder, and in consequence of what Mr. Payne, the surgeon of the gaol, said, a jury was empannelled to try whether she was in a fit state of mind.  In answer to the questions put to him by the Court, Mr. Payne said that she was, in his opinion, in such a state as to render her unable to give an answer to any questions put to her, and that he was afraid it was not a temporary but a lasting case of insanity. - ' The unfortunate woman, it appears, met with some great domestic affliction about a year ago, and when the child whose death was the subject of the present charge was born she had a very bad confinement, and in a fit of insanity, described by the doctor as puerperal mania, she forced her hand down the child's throat—labouring under the impression, as she said, that there was a fire inside it—causing almost immediate death. The jury at once found that the prisoner was not in a fit state to plead, his Lordship remarking that the effect would be that she would be placed in an asylum, and that the circumstances of this sad case were such that in the event of her recovery he would give a certificate, if applied to, to render it necessary that she should undergo the formality of a trial. William Williams was charged with maliciously setting fire to a stack of hay, the property of Lewis Lewis, of Lanvaboll.  Mr. T. Allen appeared for the prosecution. The prisimer was seen in the neighbourhood just before the fire, and soon after he went to the police-station and gave himself up, saying at the time that ho was induced to do i 4 because he could not get work and was " hard up." The jury having found him guilty, he was sentenced to six years' penal servitude, his Lordship remarking at the time upon the enormity of the offence and the necessity of passing a severe sentence, as it was a crime much on the increase, he having sentenced no less than 11 persons for the same offence last week at Welshpool, is Montgomeryshire.  Thomas Phillips was charged on the coroner's warrant with feloniously killing and slaying one Griffith Phillips. Mr. Bowen appeared for the prosecution ; the prisoner, who was very much affected, was not defended. The circumstances of this case were very sad, and were shortly these :—The prisoner, who was a,hardworking, industrious man, and bore the best possible character as an affectionate husband and father, went home to his dinner one day, when, unfortunately, a somewhat angry discussion took place between him and his wife about the children not having sufficient meat for dinner, upon which she left the room, the prisoner taking up a small piece of iron and throwing it over his shoulder after her. The deceased, who was one of their children, aged nine years, was unfortunately behind him, and the piece of iron struck him on the forehead. A witness who called at prisoner's house soon after saw both him and his wife treating the child with the greatest care. A doctor was subsequently called in, and found a small wound on the forehead, and attended the child until his death, which took place in about a week, A post mortal.; examination being made, a fracture of the skull was found immediately underneath the wound, causing inflammation of the brain, which was the cause of death. His Lordship, in summing up, impressed upon the jury the necessity of finding the prisoner guilty if the death was caused by any illegal act of the prisoner, whether directed against the deceased or another, or by any wilful and cal• pable negligence; but that if they thought it was possibly the effect of an accident they would be warranted in acquitting him.  The jury immediately found a verdict of not guilty.