The Sun. — 1842-01-21 (London, England)

INQUEST ON A CHILD.- VERDICT OF WILFUL MURDER.  Wednesday an inquest was held before Mr. Wakley, M.P., Coroner, and a respectable Jury, at the Fulham workhouse of the Kensington Union, on view of the body of a female child, about two months old, which was found on Friday the 7th instant, at ten o'clock at night, on the stop of the door of Mr. J. Cotterell, No. 35, Kensington-square. From the evidence it appeared that the deceased child was found wrapped in a white cotton frock and cap, with a flannel shawl over its body and head, as above described, by a female named Begley, residing at Barlow's Cottage, Kensington, who was attracted to the spot by its cries. The child was taken by Dr. Merriman's coachman. who came up at the moment, to the station-house, and from thence to the Workhouse at Kensington. There the child was offered to various women in the house to stickle, but it was covered with an eruption, and none of them would take it on that aceount. According to the regulations of the Union it was sent on the following Monday evening to the Fulham Workhouse. On its arrival at the Fulham Workhouse, it was so ill that the surgeon (Mr. Holmes) was sent for immediately. Mr. Holmes, in his evidence, stated, that when he first saw the deceased child, it could retain nothing in its stomach, but vomited everything that was given to it, and it was much emaciated. At a post mortem examination of the body, he found each organ (otherwise healthy) presenting the appearance which belonged to extreme exhaustion, brought about by the exposure, and from that cause he believed that she died. There were no external marks of injury on the body produced by violence.  The CORONER then made inquiries into the _ cause of removing the deceased child from Kensington workhouse, where it was doing so well, to Fulham, and pointed out the risk and impropriety of the journey to an infant in its condition, to which the surgeon replied that it was removed in compliance :With- the usual custom. The Master of the Kensington Workhouse confirmed this statement.  The CORONER said that the question of removal might have been a very serious one for the Board of Guardians. The evidence of the surgeon was, that from the exposure in Kensington-square the death was produced. But it must be remembered, that while the child was in the Kensington workhouse it was so well that the Governor regarded it as a comparatively fine and healthy child. In fact, it was so much altered in health that the Governor *said he could not now identity the body as that of the child which went from his establishment. The transmission of the child at 'such a time, and in such a season, might haVe demanded a verdict of Manslaughter against the instead of one of 'murder against other personk • A' bill, printed 'by order of the Guardians, was shown in the room, offering a reward of 21. for the discovery of the parties who exposed the deceased. The CORONER said he hoped it would be of use; but he regretted to say that since he had been in office, in not a single case of exposure in which he had held an inquest, had the offenders been found.  The Jury then returned a verdict of " Wilfid Murder against some persons or persons unknown."