The Sun. — 1858-03-19 (London, England)

CHARSE. —Jane Wheeler, a young woman, against whom a coronet's jury has returned a verdict of manslaughter, was brought up in custody by Sergeant Standish, of the P division of police, and placed at the bar before the Hon. G. C. Norton, charged, as it appeared on the police sheet, with the wilful murder of her female illegitimate offspring. The first witness called was Jane Spratt, who deposed that she lived as fellow-servant with the prisoner for about two years, at the house of Mr. Sibeth, a gentleman residing on Herne-hill, Camberwell, and about six weeks ago she suspected she was in the family way. At that time she told her she thought she should suffer soon if she laced so tight, but did not tell her exactly what she sus• pected, that she was in the family-way, and the prisoner made no reply. On the morning of 26th February, the prisoner got up, leaving her in bed, and about 11 o'clock, from what the gardener told her, she examined the larder, and from what she witnessed there she accused the prisoner with having given birth to an infant. The prisoner stoutly denied it, but ultimately confessed that she had been delivered in the coal cellar, that she wrapped the child in anything she could lay her hand on, and put it under a tub in the larder. Witness found the body of a child under a tub, wrapped up in an apron, and put it into some warm water and sent for a doctor, but it exhibited no symptcms of life.  In reply to the questions put by the magistrate, the witness said the prisoner seemed to ba quite well when at breakfast at half past nine, and up to ten she (witness) did not perceive any change in her. Witness noticed some blood about the mouth of the child, and also that the navel string was untied, but her mistress and witness tied it on, taking the body from under the tub.  Air. R. Nicholl, a surgeon, residing at Denmarkbill, said he had examined the child. It was perfectly developed, and had breathed. Ho attributed the death to exhaustion from loss of blood, the umbilical cord not having been tied on delivery, and probable exposure to cold. There were no marks of strangulation on the body of the child, or any other marks, beyond those which might have taken place in tiie act of delivery. Inspector Emmerson informed the magistrate that in cons2quonce of the singular coincidence of a young man who had been fellow-servant with the prisoner at the time being now a constable in the police, he (Mr. Etninei son) bad come to the knowledge that the prisoner had been tried at Maidstone assizes on a charge similar to the present, and the constable who had her then in custody was then present. A constable belonging to the R division said that on the occasion alluded to the child was found in a box at the house of her master, with a garter tied tightly round its neck ; but the jury on her trial acquitted her. The prisoner, in defence, said she intended to have gone home to be confined, and was not aware she was so near her time, and this was the cause of her not providing the necessary baby linen. Mr. Norton could not see how the coroner's jury could have brought in a verdict of manslaughter. In his opinion the case was one merely of concealment of birth, and on that charge ho should commit the prisoner. She will, however, be tried for manslaughter on the coronet's inquisition.