The Sun. — 1844-04-17 (London, England)

NEW COURT. (Before Mr. Justice MAtax.) At two o'clock the Learned Judge entered the Court, whet Mary Farley, a married woman, thirty-six •ears of age,lwas indicted for the wilful murder of George Purley, her male child, in the month of March last, by carrying and casting him into a certain navigable canal. The case for the prosecution was stated by Mr. Prender • gest ; the prisoner was undefended, but the presiding Judge adopted the good old-fashioned plan of being her counsel; by objecting to the evidence where it appeared either illegal or irrelevant.  Several witnesses were examined, and the purport of their testimony has already been before the public. It appeared by the evidence to-day, that some time before she committed the dreadful crime, she and her two children were inmates of Bethnal-green workhouse, which place she left voluntarily on the 20th of March, when she was paid a small sum of money by the master. After she left she compla:ned to her friends that the children had not been kindly treated in the union, and evinced great distress of mind ; and she told one of them (Mary Butler) that that day would end her trouble, for both her and her children would meet with a watery grave. On that evening about half-past eight she took away her youngest child, and shortly after she was seen by Mr. Gardner, a bargemaster, at the Regent's Canal, near the Mile-endroad bridge. He hearing a moaning went to the place from whence the sound proceeded, when lie saw something floating nearly fifteen feet from the bank. He put out his boathook and caught hold of the prisoner, who exclaimed, " Oh, my child!" lie asked her where it was, and she said "In the water," and he saw it drop from under her arm while she was speaking. The witness conveyed them to the Globe Tavern, and Air. New, a surgeon, was sent for, who pronounced the child dead, but by means used the prisoner wag resuscitated. After she recovered she attempted to make away with herielf and child, on account of the ill-treatment she had met with in the workhouse.  Several female paupers who have infant children there were called by the Judge, and strictly examined as to the diet allowed to infant paupers. They all declared that the food and nutrition was good in quality and sufficient in quantity. Mr. New having deposed that the deceased infant was a fine healthy child, and that death arose from drowning, The prisoner was called on for her defence. The unfortunate woman, who is a well-favoured person, and fluent of speech, arose and addressed the jury for nearly a quarter of an hour, and detailed some facts relative to the barber to the workhouse, when half drunk, operated upon the head of her elder child, and cut pieces of flesh or skin therefrom as big as farthing pieces. In addition to six shillings she had when she left the workhouse, her friends made some small contributions to enable her to get employment at shirt-making, but she could with hard labour finish three iu a day, for which she received seven farthings each. The day before she went to the water she determined on laying out her little stock of money in muslin and ribbon, and making up some dress caps, but when she got to the shop to make the purchase, she found that some person had stolen her green silk purse and money. After a short pause and considerable faltering, she added, " My Lord, I had no prospect before me but to go to the workhouse, to which I had such an aversion, that I preferred death to myself and child." She concluded by saying, " I did not go into the water, but slipped off the plank at the wharf." Mr. Justice MAULE summed up the evidence, and left it for the jury to say whether they thought, after the declara • tions she had made, she had wilfully cast herself and child into the water, or whether she had slipped in by accident, as she had just said. The jury consulted ten minutes, and then declared her Guilty. Proclamation having been made by Mr. Miller, the officer of the Court,  The Learned JUDGE addressed the prisoner with great earnestness and solemnity, and concluded by passing the awful sentence of death, after the usual form.  The prisoner clasped her hands together, and exclaimed, " What shall Ido ?" She was removed rom the bar in an agony of grief.