The Sun. — 1859-05-27 (London, England)

SUPPOSED MURDER AT LEEDS.  A man named Thomas Smith, a pointsman employed by the Midland Railway Company at the Whitehall Junction, Leeds, is in ,custody at that town, charged with the wilful murder of an illegitimate child, of which he is the father, a month old. He was brought befOre the magistrates on remand yesterday (Thursday). The principal witness against him was a respectable-looking young woman, named Helen. Moxon, who said that she lodged with Mrs. Wood, in Appleyard-court, Sandforth-street, School-close, Leeds; that the prisoner had courted her some time, and that she had a child by him ; that on Friday evening last he visited her at her lodgings, and about 11 o'clock they went out together, she carrying the child. The prisoner told her that he had made arrangements with a person named Williamson, at Beeston, a village about two miles off, to nurse the child for ss. per week, and he was to convey it there that night. The mother, believing this story, did not object to the child's removal, and accompanied Smith on the road to Beeston. On their arrival at Stocks-hill, however, he desired her to return home, and to provide him some beer before the publichouses closed. He pressed her two or three times to return, and she at last consented to do so; but before she had gone many yards, the prisoner's conduct excited misgivings, and she consequently turned and followed him. He evaded the pursuit, however,bypassing throughCalverley court, beyond which she was unable to trace him. Moxon then proceeded home, where, in about half an hour, the prisonerjoined her. In ans.wer to her inquiries,he stated that he had delivered the child to Mr. and Mrs. Williamson, at their residence. She (Moxon) still doubted the story, and the next day went to Beeston in search of her child. After making every inquiry, the only person named Williamson whom she could discover was one residing at Milishay, but who had no knowledge whatever either of Smith or the missing child. Subsequently she gave information to the magistrates, and the prisoner was apprehended. On Wednesday, Mr. English, the chief constable of Leeds, accompanied the prisoner in a gig, in order that he might point out the residence of the Williamsons, but he failed to do so. On arriving, however, at Holbeck Moor Chain Bar, on the Beeston road, he stated that that was the spot where, by arrangement, he met the Williamsons, and delivered the child, adding that he had only seen them once before, which was on the pre • vious Tuesday, and he could not tell where they lived. Though the police have made diligent search for the child, up to yesterday (Thursday) afternoon they had found no trace of it, but a policeman has examined the point-box occupied by the prisoner at the Whitehall Junction, and there found a shawl and kandkerchief, the former of which has been identified by Moxon as that in which the infant was wrapped when she last saw it, and the handkerchief contained some flannels, &c., for it. The prisoner, who said he knew the child was alive, was again remanded. It appeared that the prisoner invited the mother of the child to meet him last Tuesday night, and tried to persuade her to walk with him on the side of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, but she refused to do so. It is a general impression that he had some evil intentions towards her, and that, in fact, he had contemplated murderiig her by drowning. The police are still making search for the body of the child, not a doubt being felt that the prisoner's story about the child being alive is false.