The Sun. — 1828-08-18 (London, England)

SUMMER ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.  WELLS, Auc. 16.  Sarah Mitchell was indicted for the, wilful tnurder of Joseph Mitchell, her infant male child, at Shepten Mallet, on the 16th May last. Sarah Wilkins was in Shepton gaol on the day in question, and saw the prisoner when first brought in ; the prisoner, who had then her ehild in her• arms, was put into a receiving cell by the matron ;# witness went to the cell, afterwards, and when she approached the door, the prisoner said, "Man, open the door;" witness told her that the matron would be there presently, and that she would then be taken out and cleaned ; the prisoner then said she had just been put to bed, and had a very pretty child, and that it was dressed and all; the prisoner was unable to open the door, and witness opened • it, and when she dig so, she saw the bed taken off the bedstead, and lying upon the floor with the child upon it; blood was running out of the child's ear ; the prisoner was nearly naked; she was -sitting near the child; witness said, "the woman has murdered the child ;" the prisoner said she had not; witness took up the child, and carried it into the kitchen; just before that time witness saw the child sucking at its mother'S breast; witness asked the prisoner how she came to murder the child, and prisoner answered " that is nut your business ;" the prisoner then said she had better kill her child than kill herself, and site afterWtsids said it was not the first bad thing she had done, and that there was not one who had not been " doing some fault." She also declared that she had killed a female child 16 years ago. Witness had heard the prisener call her own child Joseph Mitchell. Prisoner told witness she had taken it by its heels and dashed its head against the bedstead. • . Cross-examined—The prisoner Was sick when put into the cell; she was sick from having drank some beer.  Mary Brown was in Shepton gaol on the 16th of May; in consequence of something she had heard she gent to the prisoner's cell, and met the last witness, with the dead child in her arms; the blood was gushing out of its ear. Prisoner asked witness for a pinch of snuff, and witness said she had none ; prisoner said, if witness would give her a pinch of snuff she would take witness to the cell, and show ker how it was done.  John Bird 'the master of the workhouse, at Frome, stated, that in April last the prisoner had been brought. there in a state of such violent derimgement, that they were obliged to put her on a straight waistcoat.  Other evidence Was given to the same effect, and the Jury immediately acquitted the prisoner, on the ground of insanity.- She N 1 as then ordered to be  conqiied till his. Majesty's pleasure regarding her shOtild be known. iltomas Baker was indicted for having received a a stolen horse, the property of Wm. Smallpiece, knowing the horse to have been stolen.—Acquitted. 7Viwnes Broome, aged 24, was charged with the manslaughter of John, Burnell, on the 17th of July last.4.—The Jury found the prisoner. Guilty of the ManSlaughter.' • Mr. Justice PARK said, that although thepractice iof baiting. had received the sanction of high judicial authority, yet he (Mr. Justice Park) would never cease to consider it as illegal as brutal. , The Conduct of the prtsoner had been, however, much mitigated by the violent provocation which he had received from the deceased. He was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment and hard labour.  GLOUCESTER, Auci. 16. _