The Sun. — 1846-05-15 (London, England)

THE BATTERSEA MURDERS.  Eliza Clark, aged 24, was indicted for the wilful murder of Jane Clark, her own child, by throwing her into the river. The poor woman, who seemed exceedingly faint, was accommodated with a chair.  Mr. Ryland was for the prosecution; Mr. Clarkson for the defence.  Mr. RYLAND opened the case in a plain and exceedingly temperate address, and then called the following witnesses : Mary Inwood, widow—Knew theprisoner and her husband. They lived in the same house with her. They had a family of three children. The eldest was about seven years of age, the next three years, and the youngest a twelvemonth. The youngest was named Jane. On Friday, the Ist of May, she remained with the prisoner till near midnight, when her husband came home. She said, " Well, old chap, you are lite to- night." He replied, "Get out you b—r, or I'll kill you." They then went in, and the door was shut. She (witness) heard words inside, but could not distinguish what they were. She heard him say again, " You want to carney me over. Get out you b----, I hate you." She saw Mrs. Clarke again at 3ix o'clock on the succeeding morning. She complained that her husband had tiled to hit her, and had broken the door by the blow he aimed at her. Some time after, she went out, saying she was going to give the children a walk. She then appeared to be light in her mind. She was a very sober wellconducted woman to her children. She said, on going out, " Oh, is not this enough to make any one go and make away with themselves, to think that he could say 'good bye' in the morning, and then come home at night and say ' I hate you.' " Cross-examined by Mr. CLAnKsox—She (the prisoner) did not appear to have been in bed at all on the Friday night. Richard Champ, a tailor, lived at 13, Wellington-street, Chelsea. He knew the prisoner, her husband, and the three children. The prisoner came to his house on Saturday the 2d of May, about two or three o'clock. She was accompanied by her three children,and she remained about a quarter of an hour. He asked her to return, He she said no, as she might stop where she was going. He asked how Mr. Clark was. She said she did not know, and did not care, for he had been beating her head against the door. She then left, and he found a paper on his bed. Mrs. Inwood was recalled—She was aware that the prisoner was in a state of great distress. She had pawned on the Friday her only flannel petticoat, in order to get food for the children ; and on Saturday morning she had sold the rags out of the bed for a piece of bread for them. Richard Champ cross-examined—When the prisoner was in his house the child commenced to cry. He said, " Poor thing, its a-dry." She shook it, and, when giving it the breast, said, " There's nothing there for you." She had latterly become very negligent. The husband was drunken; and on the day on which this happened he was found drunk. Mr. Baron ALnensoN—Some.say that drunkenness is no crime. See what it produces. Mary Ann Hall was on the bridge, and saw a woman and three children. She set the baby down on the pavement and told the little girl to play with it. She took the little boy up and threw him over the parapet into the river. Then she took up the little baby and threw that over. She then threw the little girl over. She cried out, "Almighty God, Almighty God, save my children !" She then ran to the other side of the bridge and tried to throw herself over. A man coming over with a van ran up and saved her. James Perryman, potman at the Adam and Eve publichouse, corroborated the evidence given by the last witness. Several witnesses were examined, who merely recapitulated the statements of those who had gone before.