Blandford Weekly News. — 1886-01-23 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

MALPRACTICES' OF A SURGEON. William Turnbull, 60, surgeon, and Mary Nottage. 40, midwife, have been tried at the Central Criminal Court, before Mr. Justice Denman, charged with the wilful murder of Charlotte Louisa Clifford ; the male prisoner was also charged on another count with the wilful minder of Mary Ann Burton; a third count charged the male prisoner with using certain means to procure the miscarriage of Charlotte Louisa Clifford ; and on a fourth count he was charged with a similar offence in regard to Mary Ann Burton.— From the opening etatement of Mr. Poland, it appeared that the deceased woman Clifford, who was about 18 or 19 years of age, had been a barmaid at Holloway. After being there for eight months she left on the 2nd November, after giving a week's notice. She went then to her auut's at Acton, and stayed there one night, and left saying she was going to leir father's at Norwood. That, however, she never did, but on the contrary she went to the house of a Mrs. Burton, at Hampstead-road, where she took up her residence, and was visited by Dr. Turnbull and Mrs. Nottags. Neither her employer at the hotel nor her aunt, knew anything of the deceased being pregnant. There was no doubt, however, that she was, and that she was treated by the two prisoners for tbe procuring of abortion, the result of which was that eini died. The male prisoner certified that it was a case of typhoid, and the bedding Was disinfected, and everything done to keep up the delusion that such was the case. Something transpired to cause the coroner of the district to look into the matter, and the corpse was disinterred, when a post-mortem revealed the true state of affairs, and this prosecution was instituted. Furth,r investigations /Mewing that the two prisoners carried on a regular trade of this description,the Public Prosecutor had felt it his duty to take up the case. Evidence was then given in support if the learned counsel's opening statement as to the deceased leaving her situation, her genii; to her aunt's, her leaving there and going to Hampatead.road, her illness there, and her death,and the various seispicious circumstances that led to the arrest of the prisoner —Augustus -Joseph Pepper, said he was Master in Surgery, a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, and Professor of Surgery in the Lendon University. He had made a post-mortem examination of the deceased. He found no external marks of violence. All the organs were healthy. There were evident signs that the deceased had been pregnant, and that there had been a miscarriage. In his opinion death had resulted from an illegal operation. There were no signs whatever of typhoid fever.—Dr. Jones, a medicsl professor at the London University, who was present at the post-mortem examination, said he agreed with the evidence of the last witness.—This completed the evidence for the prosecution.—There being no witnames for the defence, Mr. Poland addressed the jury on behalf of the Crown. Counsel having replied for the defence, the Judge summed up. Eventually, the jury found b th prisoners guilty of manslaughter, and they were sentenced, Turnbull to 10 years' penal servitude, and Nottage to 18 months hard labour.  The ship Two Brothers, of Portsmouth, when passing the Kentish Knock, saw a large steamer with no one on board, and all boats gone. No new! bail yet been received of the crew, who had evidentl: deserted the steamer.