The Sun. — 1857-12-11 (London, England)

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.  MIDLAND CIRCUIT.--LINCOLN, Dec. 10. The commission of this town and county were opened yesterday before Mr. G. Boden, barristera one of the commissioners of assize and gaol delivery for the present Winter Circuit, who afterward' attended Divine service in the Cathedral, Mr. Justice Crompton having been detained at Nottingham. In the city gaol there is only one prisoner for trial, charged with child murder, The county calendar contains the names of 13 prisoners, charged with the following offences : Child murder, 1 ; attempt to drown, 1 ; rape, 2 ; unnatural offence, 1 ; felonious wounding, 3 ; arson, 2 ; burglary, 2 ; night-poaching, 4 ; housebreaking, 2 ; possession of and uttering counterfeit coin, 4 ; highway robbery, 4 ; embezzlement, 1 ; fowl stealing, ,3;larceny, 1. this morning Mr. Justice Crompton proceeded to charge the grand jury of the city, and immediately afterwards tried the following case : fAlts,te o'clock  CHAUGE OY munnim. At the city winter assizes this morning, Mansfield Woolfit, 46, wife of Thomas Woolfit, cork cutter, was indicted for the wilful murder of Mary Woolfit, on the 16th August last. In a second count she was charged upon the coroner's inquest with a like offence. Mr. Flowers was for the prosecution ; and Mr. Stevens defended the prisoner. the day iu question by the prisoner From the evidence it appeared that Eliza Melton onher house, for the prisoner said, " I have nearly cut my and found the child, with its head nearly house, with dear child's head off." a person named Mrs. Melton went ea lags to called intoi t o the kneeling over the child, and exclaiming upon a piece of matting with a knife lying dear child." from its body, lying beside it. The severed Singleton, prisoner The father of the deceased came in, and said to the prisoner, "Good God, what have you done ?" to which she made no was kneeling reply. Shortly afterwards the prisoner was taken away by police constable Clay. Mrs. Melton thought, by the conversation of the prisoner, at various times, that she was not of sound mind. She thought this long before she committed this act. She had on more than one occasion expressed her belief that she should end her days in an asylum , and she had also told Mrs. Melton thftt she had some thoughts of drowning herself and her child, ct for her troubles were almost too much for her to bear." The prisoner had also frequently complained that her husband was not kind to her, and that he was in the habit of drinking. To the police officer the prisoner said that her husband's treatment had uhe was always complaining about way to the look up, the policeman met her husband, and the officer asked him to assist in taking her to the stationhouse, but the prisoner refused to allow him to caused tdthheer cthoildclorct it,n. for O n the  touch her. On her way she said that " Jim (her husband) was the cause of this, but I have this consolation, that the child is gone to Heaven." Several witnesses were called who spoke to the extraordinary behaviour of the prisoner since her confinement last Christmas. . .  Mr. Septiinus-&W(sUrgeon), gave it as his oginion that at the time he saw her, which WAS soon after she committed the offence, the prisoner was not in a sound state of mind.  Mr. Stevens, for the prisoner, commented upon the evidence, particularly that of the surgeon, who so strongly expressed his belief that the prisoner was insane.  The learned Judge summed up, laying down the law with reference to insane persons, explaining the difference between a person labouring under insanity and suffering from sudden impulse. After a consultation of a few minutes, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, on the ground of insanity.