The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1873-03-14 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

RILL.  Catherine David, aged 39, wife of John David, coker at the Pyle Works, was charged with the wilful murder of her child, Mary Ann David, at Pyle, on the 14th of September, under circumstances already reported in the Gm:lW.  Mr. H. Allen appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. B. F. Williams for the defence.  The prisoner appeared to be a woman of weak in. tellect, and on appearing in the dock looked wildly round the court and called out "Julio," the name of her husband. She was accompanied in the dock by a female warder, who stated that she had manifested unmistakeable signs of weakness of intellect since she had been in prison. Major Knox, governor of Cardiff gaol, and Mr. Cox, governor of Swansea gaol, in answer to questions by his Lordship, gave similar testimony as to the prisoner's demeanour in both prisons since her commitment.  Mr. Allen, in opening the case, said it was a very melancholy inquiry the jury had to make. There was no doubt that the prisoner, on the day in question, took her child clown to a pool in the garden and drowned it. When asked why she did it, she replied, "I don't know.; I was tired of life." The woman who questioned her asked, "Who told you to do it r and she replied, "The devil." The commission of the murder was therefore perfectly clear, and the only doubt in the case was the state of the prisoner's mind at the time she committed it.  Mary Morgan, the first witness called, said she lived at Kentig, opposite to the prisoner's house. Prisoner's husband was a coker in the Pyle Works, and went to work at seven o'clock on the morning of September 12th. About eight o'clock that morning she went to David's house, and the prisoner said to her, "1 have done it tidy to-day." Witness asked what she had done. Prisoner replied, "I have drowned little Mary Ann." She replied, "Oh, no." Prisoner then said, "Yes, juiced: go to the pantry and see." Witness went to her mother, told her what ha4l happened, and her mother then went over to the prisoner's house and returned with theboily of the child.  Cross-examined by Mr.: B. F. Williams : There was something the matter with the prisoner's mind before this. She had been under the doctor's care. Her husband is in comfortable circumstances. The prisoner was a very kind mother, and was vet.), fond of "Little Mary Ann." His Lordship: What induced you to go over that morning? Witness: I went to wash for her.  Elizabeth Morgan, the mother of the preceding witness, proved finding the body of the child in the pantry of the prisoner's house. Asked the prisoner why she had murdered the child. She replied that she was "tired of her life." The body was then warm. Asked the prisoner where she had drowned the child. She replied that it was in the little pool at the bottom of the garden. In cross-examinatiou witness said she had known the prisoner 33 years. For sonic time she had been suffering from mental disease, commencing in April of last year, and continuing up to the time of the occurrence. She was in the habit of putting her hair into her mouth, and pulling her clothes ti pieces. Police-constable Thomas deposed to having gone to the prisoner's house on the morning of the murder. Ile charged her with the crime. She made no reply, but cried very much. Found the body at the house of Elizabeth Morgan. Examined the pool in the garden, and found it to be seven inches in depth. In reply to a question from witness, prisoner said the child was in bed sleeping, and that it was not annoying her. She also made other strange answers.  Mr. IL F. Gibson, surgeon, said he made a postntorkin examination of the body of the child, who died from suffocation.  Cross-examination : I do not know anything about the prisoner's mind. From what I have heard, I should incline to the belief that she was liable to deranged mind. Mr. J. C. Pritchard, surgeon, said he saw the body of the child. There were marks on the throat, as though it had been pressed. Up to June last the prisoner was suffering from melancholy and. dementia. Ile was clearly of opinion that, on the day the offence was committed, she was deranged, and did not know what she was about.  His Lordship (to the jury) : Then, gentleunen, I think you will have no difficulty. You will find her not guilty of tho charge. She will be confined during her /Nests's pleasure.