Northern Times. — 1859-08-17 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

LIVERPOOL POLICE COURT.-TUESDAY.  [BEFORE MR. 3. AIKIN.]  THE CHARGE OF MURDER  The little girl, Mary Ann Gibbons, was again brought up this morning on the charge of wilfully murdering a little boy, named John Thompson, son of John Thompson, a police-officer. As on the previous day, Mr. Cobb appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Bluck for the defence of the prisoner.  Detective-officer Wilson was the first witness called, and deposed that he measured the distance from Mr Thompson's house in Conway-street to Bankhall-bridge, and found it to be 1 mile 4 furlongs and 210 yards  From .the house to where the child was found, vas 1 mile 4 furlongs and 160 yards. From the house to Doncaster-street, where Mrs. Jones said she met the prisoner, was 3 furlongs exactly. From the house to Athol-street bridge was 5 fwiongs and 170 yards. From where the child was found to where the the boy John Fox, was 380 yards  prisoner met  22nd July, and on that day he was instructed by Mr. Clough to make enquiries respecting Mrs. Leatham. He took the prisoner clown to the Polieo-office, and in the presence of Mr. Clough she stated that she had never seen the woman in her life: Mrs.. Leatham then made a statement as to where sho had been, and he enquired and found it to be csrrect. The little girl distinctly told me that she had never seen Mrs. Leatham in her life till that day. He heard a little boy at the coroner's court say that he saw Mrs. Leatham take the child down Great Homer-street. He first made that statement-at the police court on the 22nd of July, and then at the inquest on the 23rd, which was Saturday.  POlice:officer 731 stated that, from inforniation he received, he arrested Mrs. Leatham on the charge of having murdered the child. The little boy said to him, when he was taking the prisoner to bridewell, and  without being asked; that that was the woman who  Mr. Cobb said he had ahost of witnesses, if he could call them, who would prove that Mrs. Leatham could not have been a party. . .  first took Mrs. Lea tham into custody. Mr. Cobb said it was quite rig account for Mrs. Leatham's whercf  o'clock on that evening to eleven at night. John Thompson, father of deceased, said he never knew Mrs. Leatham, nor was he aware that any of his family knew her, before the death of his child. Police-officer Thomas Barkley, 6, stated that, on the 21st July, he was present when the child was brought into the dead-house. Ife saw the policemen and the prisoner there at that time. When the little girl was asked what she was, she stated that she was a servant  She was then asked  what she was  child; and when she got into the Netherfield:road a boy told her that he saw a woman take a child along Netherfield-road. She was asked what directions she  her mistress, an(  to go to bridewell and tell- the child's father. She said she did not go ; and when asked why, she said 1-..ecause the boy told her that the woman took the child that way. _ She was asked if she had seen the woman, and  he was again asked why she went to the  she answerer  at a man tol  woman went that way ; and when she went to the canal bridge, she saw the body of the child floating on the  John Carroll, the flatman who had been examined on Monday, said he knew the canal bridge, and a person standing on that bridge could not have seen the  Dr. Ayrton was called, and proved that he made a post7mortenz.examination of the body, and found that  Leath ha  been causec  waft  of air, and, in  opinion, by drownin  This chised the case for the prosecution. Mr. Bluck, for the defence, said : I will not occupy your time at any length, for I am afraid that, taking