The Sun. — 1864-08-15 (London, England)

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.—This Day.  Tne September Sessions of the Central Criminal Court commenced this morning at the Sessions House, Old Bailey, before the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, W. Lawrence, Esq.; Alderman Challis, the Common Sergeant, T. Chambers, Esq., Q.C. Deputy Recorder; Alderman Phillips, Alderman J. W. Lawrence, the Sheriffs, H. H. Nissen, Esq and Thomas Cave, Esq. ; the Under Sheriffs, Messrs Nicholson and Gammon, and other civic authorities. The calendar contains a list of 102 prisoners for trial, of which 1 is for murder, 1 attempting to murder; shooting at feloniously with intent, 1; wounding feloniously, 6; manslaughter, 4; sending threatening letters, 2; forgery, 3; burglary, 14; 12 uttering counterfeit coin. The other cases are of the ordinary character. The Grand Jury having been sworn, The Common Sergeant proceeded to deliver his charge, and remarked that although the calendar did not contain a longer list than usual, he regretted to say that the details of some of the cases presented very melancholy appearances, there were no less than five cases involving loss of life, one only of them amounted to murder, the others were charges of manslaughter, and in one form or other there were no less than 23 cases involving violence to the person, which was very much to beregretted_ The jury no doubt were acquainted with their duties, and it would not be necessary for him to address them at any length. There was the case of murder, in which a woman named Hartley, alias Bowen, was charged with the murder of her infant male child. It appeared that the prisoner had given birth to the child in a workhouse. She left with the child, which was at that time in perfect health. She was afterwards seen to go into the parlour of a publichouso with a paper parcel and to leave the house without it. This attracted attention, and on the waiter searching the room, the paper parcel was found stuck up the chimney, and on taking it out, on searching was found to contain the body of a child. It was dead, but warm ; and on a medical gentleman being called in, on examination he found marks of recent suff,cation producing . death, and if the jury were satisfied, on the evidence, that there was a prima facie case against the prisoner, it would be their duty to return a true bill for murder; and then, supposing there, was any ground for reducing the offence, that could be inquired into on the trial before the petit jury. There was another charge of a very distressing and painful character, in which a woman named Mary Blake was charged with the manslaughter of two of her children by starvation—one an infant, and the other a child about three years old. It appeared she and her children and three others last received in and out door relief from the workhouse. She left, and afterwards placed the children in a miserable room, and was in the habit of leaving them there, going out in the morning and returning late at night. Sometimes staying out all night, and going in in the morning. The children attracted the attention of some of the lodgers, and on going into the room they found the children in a frightful emaciated state, without food, and covered with vermin. The children were taken to the workhouse. The prisoner was no doubt responsible for the death of the the infant, as it was her duty to have furnished it with the necessary nourishment, and if it died from that cause, and from her wilful neglect, she was guilty of manslaughter. As to the other child, a diffi. culty might arise as to whether the prisoner was a married woman or note .If she was, the husband would be responsible and liable to punishment. As it was his duty to have provided for the child, there was no doubt the prisoner had been receiving in and out-door relief for two years, and had abandoned her children to take up with another man, and she could have gone to the pariah and obtained relief ; in• stead of that rho left the children starving. If they were satisfied that the death of the second was occasioned by the prisoner's neglect she was responsible, and it would be the duty of the jury to return true b ills,in both cases. The Common Sergeant having referred briefly to some of the other cases dismissed the jury to their duties, and in the course of the morning several true bills brought in.