The Sun. — 1860-12-03 (London, England)

THE CONDEMNED CULPRIT, ANNE PADFIELD.  This wretched woman, who was of the convicted on Wednesday,murder beforegllmlra.Baro Bramwell, Baron of-her ilitito child, two months old, by strangling it, still remains • 'a 'host distressing state. The painful spectacle that was presented when she was sentenced, and her earnest and hearttendin,, c, applications for mercy, will not be forgotten very easily by those who were present, and it appears that after she w to her cell she was unable to take as taken back sustenance, and the night was passed in moaning and grief. The public is aware that there are at present extensive alterations going on in the very female wing of the prison, with a view to confine all the prisoners of that sex separately, and this has necessitated the removal of the whole of the women to Holloway, and when the Central Criminal Court is sitting they are taken da backwards and forwards every In the case of this prisoner, however, it was y. notN considered advisable to send her back to Hono tion, and a cell was prepared for her ftrecreehpetrioczei conviction, the infirmary, where she was placed after her trial, and a female turnkey is constantly in attendance upon her. The culprit was in such a weak and miserable condition on Friday evening that it was considered prudent to send for Mr. Gibson, the surgeon of the prison, who administered stimulants to her, and her condition is now slightly improved, although she is still very weak and desponding, It has always been customary for the sheriffs to fix the day for the execution of the capital sentence at the conclusion of the session at which the conviction takes place, but this has not yet been done. In ordinary course the second Monday after the one following the conviction would be the day, but it is believed that the sheriffs, as in the case of Alullins, will extend the period to the third Monday but although the sheriff's may, as they are bound by law to do, fix a day, it will be y satisfactory to the public to know that the general i those acquainted with facts thatmpression among enable them come to a proper decision, is thatem to sentence will not be carried out the capital was not a case for the extreme An opinion that it to be carried out, it is sentence of the law to was also expressed by a high authority after the trial, and it may be stated as a fact that the learned and humane judge, Mr. Baron Bramwell, who tried the prisoner, will not oppose a addition to the Fommutation of the sentence. In with regard to evidence that was given at the trial the humanity and kindness of disposition of the prisoner, it appears from inquiries that have since been made upon the subject, that she always evinced the utmost affection for her poor child, and there is no doubt that if she could by any means have done so she would have continued to support and provide for it without any assistance from the fellow, who bad deserted her in her hour of misery and distress, and that when the act was committed she was in such a state of mental misery as to be hardly responsible for her actions. Her grief and agony after the sad occurrence appeared to be unbounded, and she never, as she has stated, had a moment's rest until she divulged the fatal secret to the witness Miller, who was examined upon the trial, and there is no doubt that but for this statement the evidence would have been totally insufficient to convict the prisoner, and she would in all probability have escaped punishment at the hands of an earthly tribunal. The prisoner has conducted herself extremely well ' ever since she has been in Newgate, and pays the most earnest attention to the excellent advice and exhortations of the Rev. Mr. Davis, the ordinary of the prison. A memorial is in course of preparation, in which a number of facts are embodied in reference to the melancholy circumstances under which the crime was committed, and which will be sent to the Home-office in the course of a day or two , and there is every expectation that, coupled with. the strong recommendation to mercy of the will have the effect of procuring the jury, it remission of 1 the fearful extreme sentence of the law.