The Sun. — 1866-12-27 (London, England)

OCTOBER. Ancaster and Willoughby, WLincolnshiro Mr. Spofford  Extraordinary Inquest.  At noon yesterday Mr. Richards, deputy coroner, held an inquiry at the Adam and Eve Tavern, Lower Homerton, relative to the supposed murder of the illegitimate female child of Mary Ann Shinn, a domestic servant.  Mr. Charles Debenham, linendraper, in Upper Clapton, said that on the sth December Mary Ann Shinn came into his service. She had been engaged for him as a domestic servant by his sister at Bury St. Edmunds. She came from Brandon. Her age was 21 years, and she was.single. On last Friday she complained of being a little ill. Mrs. Debenham asked her if she was in the family way ; but she positively denied that she was so. The next morning witness observed a great difference in her appearance as she was going about her usual avocations ; his wife observed the same, but attributed it to want of her usual crinoline. Later in the day Mrs. Debenham had her suspicions aroused, and Dr. Dudley Kingsford was sent for.  Mr. Charles Dudley Kingsford, M.R.C.S., said that he was requested by the wife of the last witness to examine her servant. He saw Mary Ann Shinn, who appeared in the best of health, and who denied that anything was the matter. Ultimately, however, she said that she had had a miscarriage. She was then ordered to bed, and after a little time she confessed that she had had a child, and that the body was in the chimney. He searched for it and found a full-timed female child wrapped in a bundle above the top of the register stove. He made a post-mortem examination that day, and found a punctured wound at the right side of the neck dividing the jugular vein. It was a clean deep wound, the breadth of half an inch, and was very deep. He believed that it had been inflicted with a penknife. It had been inflicted during life. The child weighed six pounds, and was of the ordinary size. The lungs were perfectly healthy. He had no doubt the child had been born alive, and had a separate existence from the mother. The body was generally healthy. The punctured wound in the neck would produce death. If a surgeon had inflicted the wound it could not have been done more accurately or with greater neatness. It was inflicted in a fold of the neck where it altogether escaped witness's observation at first. The young woman told him she had been confined on the night before he was called in to see her. Inspector Bywater said that the accused was at present in custody. She had been removed under his orders and by the permission of the surgeon, to the workhouse infirmary. She was not at present, however, aware that she was in custody ; he took measures to have her removed as if by order of the doctor, for he was fearful of the effect upon her if she were told the fact at once.  Mr. Kingsford said that the young woman seemed to be in a state of great terror as to what would become of her if the matter were found out. She for a long time :stoutly maintained that nothing whatever was the matter with her. The Coroner said that before the verdict was returned it would be only fair to give the accused the :opportunity of giving any explanation that she might have to offer. He would, therefore, adjourn the case until such time as the young woman should be sufficiently recovered to come before the court. The proceedings were adjourned accordingly.