The Sun. — 1859-05-25 (London, England)

LAMBETH.—THE EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF ALLEGED CHILD MURDER AT PECKHAM.— Elizabeth Beagin, a middle-aged female, who had been remanded on a charge of having caused the death of her illegitimate offspring by overlaying and smothering it, in the month of October, 1857, was again brought up and placed at the bar before the Hon. G. C. Norton for further examination.  Inspector Dann informed the magistrate that he had given notice to several witnesses whose evidence he conceived to be necessary to the case, to be in attendance, and they promised him they, should, but some of them had forgotten their promise.  Mr. Denne, a surgeon, of South Cottage-grove, Southampton-street, Camberwell, said that on the morning of the 22d of October, 1857, he attended the prisoner at her house, 16, Camden-square, and delivered her of a child arrived at proper maturity, and alive. He remained with her 20 minutes or half an hour, and on leaving proceeded to the house Smith, of Mrs. l her sister, to request she would go to her, as there was no nurse or female there. He saw Mrs. Smith, told her of the prisoner's confinement, and requested her to go to her sister, as she had no female to attend on her. Mr. Norton—Did you see any person at the house besides the prisoner ? Witness—Yes, her father, by whose request I attended. Mr. Norton—Did you continue to visit the prisoner after her confinement ? Witness—yes, I attended her for some days after. Mr. Norton—What state did you leave the infant in when you left on the morning of its birth Witness—lt seemed quite well, cried, and I gave it into the arms of the mother. Mr. Norton—Did you see the child after that time ? Witness--No, I did not. Mir. Norton—Then, what account did the prisoner give you of its absence ? Witness—She said she had made arrangements with a party to take it. Mr. Norton—Then she did not mention anything about overlaying it, and its being dead and buried ? Witness—Certainly not, or I should, of course, have caused the 'necessary inquiries respecting it. Alfred and George Benin, the brothers of the prisoner, were called and examined, but not on oath, at some length. They admitted that they thought they had been made acquainted with the fact that their sister, the prisoner, had been delivered of a child on the morning of the 22d of October, 1857. They had never given themselves the trouble to inquire what had become of the infant, and declared they knew nothing of its burial in the garden. They acknowledged that they had spoken to a person named Gill on the subject of the birth of the child with the view of punishing their brother-in-law, Smith, for his gross indiscretion and misconduct, and had put their name to the following document  Fetter-lane, Nov. 2, 1857. " This is to certify and declare on oath, before the undersigned witnesses, that I, Edward Greaves, hold myself answerable to the law if I at any time divulge anything respecting an affair that is supposed to have taken place, whereby the character, situation, or liberty of Mr. S. B. Smith is in any way affected, and that, on the receipt of £lO, no further application or demand will be made by me, either directly or indirectly, as witness my hand. "