The Sun. — 1845-06-23 (London, England)

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. OLD COURT.  Ann Poulton, aged 30, was indicted for the wilful murder of her female child, of which she had recently been delivered.  Mr. Doane defended the prisoner. Mr. Crouch, a surgeon, was first called, and stated that on the 2d of May he was called in to 19, Hanway-street, to attend the prisoner. She had a child in her arms, which was recently born ; it wa, alive. He saw no marks on the child. He saw the child again in about an hour, and again in two hours. It had been washed. He saw marks on the right temple and eye. His opinion was that they arose from violence, and not in the course of the birth. He saw the child again in an hour, when it was in a dying state. He made no post mortem examination. The child lost a great deal of blood from the nose and mouth, which he considered to be the cause of death. The bleeding no doubt aro,ie from the same violence which produced the marks on the temple and eye. Cross-examined—The marks might have been produced by a fall. Mr. Hinde, also a surgeon, proved that he made a post mortem examination of the child on the 10th of May. It was a full-grown child. There were two marks on the side of the neck, corresponding in size with marks which could be produced by fingers. There was a similar mark by the right eye. There was dry blood on the face, which had come from the nose and mouth. On raising the scalp he found a good deal of extravasated blood, and also that the parietal bone of the skull had been broken, and several parts were detached. There was also a fracture of the frontal bone. These injuries were the cause of death. A fall might have occasioned those injuries on the skull.  - Diana Hugo, a widow, proved that on the 2d of May she went to work at 19, Hanway-street, at half past six in the morning. She found the kitchen stained all over with blood. The prisoner was servant there. Witness called her several times. She came at length and said she was very ill. Witness went up stairs when she had cleaned the kitchen, and begged her mistress to come down. Witness had previously accused the prisoner of being in the family way, which she denied. Witness afterwards found a child in the coal- hole. She was first induced to go there by hearing it cry. She took it and placed itbefore the fire. Afterwards she put the prisoner to bed and placed the child with her. It died the same day, and was conveyed to the Marylebone workhouse. By a Juryman—Saw no marks, except a swelling of the eye, when she first took up the child. Mrs. Ireland, of 19, Hanway-strf•et, stated that the prisoner had been in her service three months. She observed that she was in the family way, but did not speak to her about it. On Mrs. Hugo calling on her on the 2d of May, she accused the prisoner of having been delivered of a child, which she denied.  Henry Fowler, a policeman, proved that he removed the body of the child to the workhouse, and that he accused the prisoner of inflicting the injuries which caused the death. She told him she had fallen down stairs a few days before, and that was the cause of them. CrosQ-examined—He asked her the questions about the violence of his own accord. It was soon after she was delivered.  Mr. Justice PATTESOS told the constable that he had no right to ask a woman questions when she was in such a state.  The prisoner's defence before the magistrates was, that she was not aware she was going to be confined so soon, or she would have left her place before and had proper assistance. She had let the child fall in the coalcellar while in her agony. Mr. Justice PATTESON here stopped the case, and said there was no evidence to support the charge of murder, for the surgeons had stated that it was very probable the injuries had arisen from a fall.