The Sun. — 1847-01-25 (London, England)

THE POISONINGS IN ESSEX. A communication having been made to Sir G. Grey by Mr. Collins, clerk to the magistrates of Saffron Walden, in consequence of a letter which Sarah Chesham (who is now a prisoner in Chelmsford Gaol, charged under the coroner's inquest with the murders of Joseph and James Chesham) intrusted to the matron of the gaol to:post to Mr. T. Newport, farmer of Clavering, and which was forwarded to the committing magistrates, and by them to the Secretary of State's office, Inspector Shackell, of the metropolitan force, was sent down to Clavering to assist the local authorities in capturing Mr. T. Newport, and in the collection of evidence in the case. Mr. T. Newport was apprehended on the 15th instant, and on Friday last underwent an examination before Lord Braybrooke and Mr. Birch Woolfe on the charge of aiding and abetting Sarah Chesham in administering poison to Soloman Taylor, the illegitimate child of Lydia Taylor. From the evidence of Lydia Taylor, it appeared, that whilst she lived in the service of the mother of Newport, she became with child by him, and that he urged her to take drugs to procure abortion, which she refused to do. A month after the birth of the child, Sarah Chesham went to see her, said Newport was a good-for-nothing fellow, and promised to call again. She did call again, in a month or two after, at the house of Lydia Taylor, and brought some tea, appledumplings, butter, &c. She took the child up in her arms, when it became sick, and she said she had given it a piece of sugar. She then begged Lydia Taylor to call on her at Clavering, and bring the child with her. She did so, when Chesham said she would take the child to its father,tnok _ and r ran across a field with it. Taylor followed, and overtook month r e resting on a bank, and saw her pus something h of the child, the lips of which were smeared with what looked like ointment. She said she had given it a "sucker'" e afterwards The child became very pale. A short the child was left in charge of its lace some Chesharn again called to see it, and was seen P grantdinimtn e con- e ii thing in its mouth. The child immediatelY,a;tibenaegmr' been vulsed, and exhibited symptoms of D ' poisoned. Medical advice was afterwards procured, g; lingered a and it partially recovered ; but few weeks, it was seized with the former avns-3:111 Taylor had apdied in October last. The mother of Lydia.. ptoms, and daughter preplied to Newport for some assistance for h viously to the death of the child, when lie Le remark job, and she must get rid of it. Ile used lie seine a bad at subsequent visits, and refused to relieveado on him to 'gistrates were then applied to, and an orderorthe child. Sarah pay 2s. 6d. a week towards the support niher. The ma.. Chesham was committed for an attempt to poison it before its death. Newport and Several witnesses deposed to having seen Chesham frequently together. m not read in The letter sent to Newport by Chesil"' W • promised to .:ag alone) the evidence, but was said to upbraid him with deserting her, with a breach of promise in not pay_., her if she held her tongue, and with accusations which are at present wrapped in myster3,o-.eg defence; he admitted tellThe prisoner made a Lydia aly ~ I' for that she must get rid of ing them other of _!,rhad been trumped up to extort the child; but deni - being implicated in the transactions mentioned by Chesham; they money from him. He was committedfor trial at the ensuing assizes. [