The Potteries Examiner : — 1873-12-13 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

CHILD MURDER AT CHELL WORKHOUSE.  On Wednesday the adjourned enquiry relative to the death of an infant named William Swettenham, who died a few days after its birth at the Chell Union, was held at the Chell Workhouse. It appears that the mother of the child (Sarah Swettenham) is a single woman. About two months ago she wcnt into the workhouse to be con. lined, and in due course was delivered of a male child. Soon after its birth the child showed symptoms of illness, and died. Through a communication to the medical offieer by a nurse, it was thought by that official that the child had been poisoned. This was made known to the coroner, who on Friday last opened an inquest on the body, and adjourned it in order that a post mortem ezamination on the body might be made. Additional cal. , dense was now given. An inmate of the workhouse, named Eliza Rowley, deposed that she knew Sarah Swettenham. On Martinmas Saturday witness obtained leave of absence, and the mother of deceased asked her to bring back with her a pennyworth of precipitate powder, with which she wanted to dress the head of her little girl, another child, two or three years of age' which ohshod in the house. She accordingly bought the powder at the shop of Mr. W. Dalton, chemist, and gave it is the lleCll,ll When she returned to the house.—Frederick Goodall, assistant to Mr. W. Dalton, chemist, Tunstall, was called, and identified by the previous witness as the seller of the precipitate powder. He, however, 'said he could not remember whether lie sold any precipitate powder on the day in question.—Anne Hawthorn, an inmate of the workhouse stated that on the Sunday following the day the precipitate powder INSIS brought into the house she said to tile•• ace* ed, 'Sarah, your precipitate powder is on 416 p et thh cupboard," and she replied, "I have rd•it, Kline." She (witness) had cot coo anything o the powder since.—Elisabeth Lint, another inmate, stated that the child, which was born on the 20th November, wan a healthy child, and had received every attention. On  the fellowi its 'Tuesday, the Tod Itecember, vitt ts was attending t.• the tit ild, ais; t. appeared to be it, great agony. Other evidence of a confirmatory unaracter having been been given, Mr. J. P. Edwards, medical officer to the Chell Workhouse, deposed to having men Sarah Swettenham immediately alter her confinement of the deceased child. The child appeared healthy. On the Monday following he again saw the child, which had then been very sick. The nurse, Harkness, told him it had been vomiting some red stuff, and he requested her to keep what it vomited. On Tuesday he again saw the child and the mother, and afterwards the nurse showed him a night-dress. He found upon it vomit, which was mixed with a red powder, which was red precipitate. When his attention W&Y first drawn to the child, he noticed that its mouth was inflamed. On Friday morning he made a post "torten. examination of the body. rhe heart, lungs, and liver were all healthy, and there were no external marks of violence. In the back part of the throat, be found a quantity of red deposit, and parts round about the deposit were very much inflamed, as was also the gullet. In the stomacht was a small quantity of undigested food, which he took to be gruel, end amongst it was a quantity of the red powder. The coats of the stomach were inflamed in patches, which was caused by irritant poisoning. He had tested the powder found in the stomach; it was red oxide of mercury, and this he considered was the cause of the inflammation. Death was canoed by an irritant poison.—The Jury, after a abort consultation, returned a verdict of wilful murder against Sarah Swettenham, the mother of the deceased child, who will be taken before the magistrates on the charge of murder when the state of her health permits.