The Sun. — 1848-04-20 (London, England)

CHILD IN LIVERPOOL. (From the Liverpool Courier.) This morning a miserably-attired woman, dressed in a faded pink bonnet and shawl, who gave her name Mary Ann Scott, was brought before Mr. Rushton, at the police-court, on a charge of having made three several and determined attempts, with a razor, to cut the throat of her daughter, a child of five years of age. The case excited considerable interest upon the port of a densely crowded court. The principal witnesses against the prisoner were her husband, who is a painter, and her eldest daughter, Mary. Mary's testimony was to this effect:—She bad heard her mother declare frequently, during the last four months, that she would either take her own life or the life of one of her children; but as opportunities were not availed of to put the awful threat into execution, time passed away and no apprehensions were entertained. However, yesterday morning the family were thrown state hn or e alarmboyi by the prisoner rushing dosio stairs in a e f tneetinmaja,t,isntgattihnagt sthhaetha"dshmeudhrafered ldonheer ytheoudneegdesi child. Mary immediately rushed up stairs, and beheld her sister bleeding from wounds in the throat, inflicted evidently with some sharp instrument; and a cry of "Murder!" having been raised, the police were attracted to the spot, and the prisoner was immediately taken into custody. Dr. La 3 cock deposed that he had made a careful examination of the wounds, and found that the sharp instrument used in causing them had been drawn three times across the most dangerous part of the throat of the unfortunate sufferer, but that none of the arteries had been incised. Under present circumstances, it was impossible for him to state with absolute certainty that the child's life was in danger, but, unquestionably, it would require great care and skill to recover it from the state in which it was lying, and the hemorrhage which had taken place. At this stage of the proceedings the husband of the prisoner, a poor, ill clad individual, was called upon for his testimony. He stated that his wife had had the fever four months ago, and that since then she was never exactly right in her mind, sometimes threatening destruction to herself, and at other times to the family, but never, until now, giving unmistakeable evidence of a sanguinary disposition, Mr. Parkisson, to some extent, corroborated the husband's testimony. He said the prisoner had delivered incoherent statements in Bridervell, which led him to suppose that her mind was affected. The prisoner, in reply to Mr. Rushton, with tears in her eyes, complained that her husband had for some time been out of work, that her landlord had given her notice to quit, and that the extremity of her circumstances had led her to fear that herself and her wretched offspring would all be reduced to want. One of the Bridewell keepers stated that she had admitted to him that she had cut the child's throat three times with a razor, and that she then dropped the razor through an opening in the floor down into the cellar underneath. Search was made for the deadly instrument in the cellar; it was found and exhibited in court, covered with blood upon the blade and handle. The exhibition of the razor caused a thrill of horror and sensation through the court. Mr. RUSHTON asked whether the husband was out of work, or whether there were any other circumstances besides those already stated which might have induced the wretched woman to attempt the perpetration of so diabolical an act? The husband was ignorant of any other circumstances, and he had been in full work for the last three wet ks. Mr. RUSHTON then directed the informations to be tuken with a view to the committal of the prisoner for trial. Ile directed that two surgeons should examine into the state of the prisoner's mind, and that in the meantime the greatest care should be taken of the wounded child at the house_in Oriel-street, where it was now lying. The prisoner, who betrayed the keenest emotions throughout the examination, was then removed from the dock.