The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-04-06 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE.—On Wednesday morning last, as the sexton of Walton-on-the-Hill was passing near the east window of the church, he observed that a portion of the ground had been recently disturbed by other hands than his own ; and on examining the spot he discovered, near the wall, an(' about six inches below the surface, a box, which, on being opened, was found to contain the body of a male infant, apparently full grown. An inquest was held on view of the same, at the Black Horse Inn, on the following day, before John Heyes, Esq., coroner, and a respectable pry. The box was evidently hot made by a mechanic, it being of deal stained red, cut at the ends .in a very unworkmanlike manner, having a pair of brass hinges upon it, and fastened together clumsily with brass headed nails, common large nails, and tacks. It was about 20 inches long, and from Bto9 in width. The body, that of a full grown and finely formed child, was wrapped in a piece of coarse linen or towelling, and beneath it, in the box, were a quantity of clippings and shreds of various kinds of cloth, cotton and linen wadding, (used in females' dresses,) &c., the whole resembling the sweepingsof a dressmaker s-T ' Om. There were also in the box remnants of cotton stocking, pieces of shirt fronts cut out, and other fragments. The mother of the child had, it appeared, been attended in her secondment by a professional man, or a midwife, as the usual ligature, &c., had been regularly attended to. Mr. Hannay, surgeon, and his relative, Mr. Norris, surgeon, had made a post niortent examination. They were of opinion, as the lungs were fully inflated, that the child had been born alive. There was an appearance of pressure on one nostril and on the eorrespondingprie)asrsturoe. A small of thelip quantity of food—water ; with a tint on one cheek, also gruel— wasindicating found on the stomach, and it was stated that the deceased could not have been above three days old at the time The jury, under the of its death"murder against circumstances, returned a . verdict of,,some person or persons unknown.  s then called, whO said she was 15 nt with the late Mr. and Mrs. Cook ; before it happened; had had her They generally went to bed oors. They got np at Witness was usually  t bear ti  them b  ster's bed-room was in front. He .d Leah living half a mile from the Monday, and stayed till Lster made both the Master went before  There was a fire in the :d. Tables were in the one of them. Fell asleep soon; sh of stand and basin. Heard Mrs. i get a light :" that was in their _ She went down stairs ; ) the bottom she cried out " 0 Lord !"  reply  e, as by a hammer beating against a wall. "Oh !" and " woe." Heard nothing else. ,rson come up stairs into witness's room. r, and stood by the bed-side. There was walked to the foot of the bed, where be n came back and stood by the bed side. t to Mrs. Cooke's room ; he did not re'e, and proceeded down stairs. He passed id the window ; but it being so very dark  son was a manor a woman ;  Master had a clock in the house place  . . person leave the house, nor hear anything "Still continued in bed, and then heard two struck eleven just at that time ; the when the noise of the stand and basin s heard the clock strike twelve, one, n she fell asleep, and awoke at five ; got - There is a small room between the rs ; observed that Mr. irst thing she saw down s of Mr. and Mrs. Cook, lying in a and knees ; procured her itchen door, and went to  ins ! it  I struck to  fterwar  )ing down star  d-room window was open; hitt she had seen ; master was not in the elf down stairs, but before going up s neckcloth over the chair back cutting sticks that night at the re whether it was an axe or a the wood with ; he was cutting when isually kept upon a little shelf in the ok, and dubbing sheers ; saw the handles be shelf.  ross-examined, but nothing of impor Leah examined by Mr.