The Sun. — 1848-03-11 (London, England)

LORD CHIEF JUSTICE.) Martha Prior, 37, a married woman, was indicted for the wilful murder of her female child, 13 days old, by nearly cutting off its head with a razor. Mr. Ryland prosecuted. The prisoner was defended by Mr. Hawkins. It appeared from the evidence of the witnesses for the prosecution, that the prisoner is the wife of a labouring man, and resided at a village called North end, in the parish of Great Waltham, Essex. She was in the family Hay in December last, and it would seem that she had made the usual preparations for her confinement, and was delivered on the 10th December of the unfortunate child which formed the subject of the present inquiry. The prisoner went on very well for some days after her confinement, when it appeared that, in consequence of her having made some im. proper exertion an event occurred which rendered it necessary to send again for the medical man, and he found her in a very dangerous state, and from symptoms which he observed he gave directions that she should be kept perfectly quiet, and that the child should not be allowed to go to her, aad also that the prisoner should not be left by herself. In consequence of these direc tions it appeared that for two or three days the prisoner was attended and watched by two women belonging to the parish, but on the 233 of December, the day when the dreadrul occurrence now under inquiry happened, it seemed that they had left her, and there was no one in the cottage but the infant, and a daughter of the prisoner, named Ellen, about thirteen years old, who had the care of it. About one o'clock in the day the prisoner, who was in bed, called to the girl Ellen, sand told her to bring her the child. The girl at first objected to do so, but the prisoner, in an angry and peremptory tone, insisted that she should, and the girl being alarmed, carried the child to her mother, and laid it on the bed by her side. A short time afterwards the prisoner called out again to her daughter, and told her to bring her a:raz She asked herwhat she wanted with a rant., upon which the prisoner said she wanted to cut off some of the hard skin off her hands. The girl, fearing some mischief, remonstrated with her mother, and asked her not to have the razor till another time, but she again became very angry, and the girl, it appeared, being terrifleii, tookiber one of her father's razors, but the moment she had done so she ran out of the cottage, intending to give au alarm, but she had hardly reached the door before she heard the infant give a shriek, and on her going into her mother's bed-room, eccompanied by some of the neighbours, immediately afterwards, it was discovered that the child was dead, its head having been nearly cut from the trunk, and only remaining attached to it by some .portion of the integuments. The prisoner appeared quite calm and collected, and she at once admitted that she had destroyed the child, and said that it was what she had all along intended to do, and she added that she should not care if any one served her the same. Tho women who had watched with the deceased during the past period of her illness, said that she frequently seemed as though her mind was wrong, and often said that she knew she was going to die ; and as she was certain she should go to hell, it might be as well first as last, and other incoherent expressions. All the wit. nesses concurred in giving the prisoner the character of a kind and affectionate mother up to the period of this unfortunate transaction. Mr. Bell, a surgeon, of Felstead, proved the circumstances connected with the delivery, and said that when he left the prisoner after it took place she was doing very well. He was called in to see her about a week after, and be found her in a dangerous state, suffering under a complete prostration of strength. Her eyes