The Sun. — 1829-01-19 (London, England)

INFANTICIDE AND ATTEMPTED  SUICIDE.  On Saturday last, Aldermanbury was the scene of as distressin an occurrence as has for some time past wounded the better feeling 4 of humanity. Be twcen twelve and one o'clock on that day a rumour, which created a horrifying sensation, of an infanticide being. perpetrated, and suicide attempted, in the house of Mr. Imeson, a respectable tradesman in Fore-street, was circulated in the neighbourhood.— '1 he rumour at first obtained but little credence ; it however, turned out to be too trite. The following are the particulars :—About six years since Mrs. 'meson, the wife of a tobacco-manufacturer it► Forestreet, and now the wretched mother of the unfor tunate deceased, prior to her marriage, though not positively insane, had been afflicted with a mental malady. This was hut of temporary duration, and she married Mr. 'meson, by whom the had four children, the eldest of whom, the deceased, was her favourite. During this period, though frequently complaining of an affection and heaviness in the head, yet no symptoms of alienation of- intellect displayed themselves until after her last confinement (about 12 months since), when the puerperal fever was extremely severe, and tin increase of the lurking I middy became so evident in her manner arid expressions, as to mnke it necessary to place her under the care, first of a keeper at home, and afterwards in the riejluir. of Mr. Sutherland at Islington. There she remained until within the last six weeks, when, being declared perfectly wane, and in full posseseion of her faculties, she returned to the enjoyment of her home and family. Her children were then ell absent with her friends, but about three weeks pant, becoming low in spirits and lethargic in her habite, Mr. Imeson thought it would act as a stimulant towards her recovery to bring* home his eldest child, a beautiful little infant of five years of -age, on whom site affectionately clouted. While with her, she could scarce bear her out of her sight, and if but a short time removed from her presence, expressed a yearning solicitude. Nothing even tip to her committal of the deplorable act, the hapless survivor of which she now lives, was evinced from which it could be concladed that her deplorable malady had returned. On the morning of Saturday, Mr. 'meson got up and dressed himself, leaving her in bed after him ; through some unfortueate remissmess he neglected, according to his usual practice, putting away his shaving apparatus, and scarce had he left the room when she secured his razors, which she secreted in the bed-clothes. At 12 o'clock Mrs. Imeeon, having dressed herself, went down stairs, and seeing the servent maid, desired her to send her little daughter to her bed-room, where she would clean and dress her, and afterwards take her out to walk. The child was sent up as desired, and a short interval having passed, the maid having some occasion to go to the apartment, discovered, to her horror, the infant lying on the bed in the extremity of dissolution, with her head nearly amputated, and in a deluge of gore, and tire mother stretched near her with a deep incision in her throat, from whence the blood was flowing profusely. Al_ I most powerless four the shock, the frightened girl gave an Alarm, and surgical assistance was immediately sent for. Surgeon Langstaff, of New Basinghall-street, was instantly in attendance, but ere his arrival the child had breathed its last, but its ill-fated mother still survived, and from the attention paid to her a confident hope is entertained of her recovery. Front the formation of her neck, which is short, thick, and what le termed apoplectic, the wound, though deep, and severing many of the minor arteries, did not reach those on the injury of which mortality is almost certain. The effusion of blood quite restored the poor woman's senses, and as consciousness returned, she gave, whilst labouring under the moat pitiable distress, at intervals the following account of the melancholy catastrophe :—She said that on her husband leaving the bed-chamber she saw the razors lying on the dressing-table. Scarce had site peen them, when an anxiety or an inspiration RS she herself calls it, seized her to send for her darling, and release her front the troubles of life. I With this intention, and her delusion still coatineing, site sent for her; the poor little victim came up, and having washed and combed her, and kissed her affectionately, site pieced her en the bed, and drew the razor across her throat. Hardly had she done so, and perceiving the blood flowing", when the delusion passed sm./Iy, and she became sensible of having deprived her child of life. Remorse immediately followed, and not able to endure even die reflection of a moment, she attempted by self-destruction to annihilate the bitterness of her feeling. These are the facts of this melancholy occurrence. They have been derived from an authentic source, and to correct the 1111Uit'Vellti reports that will neceaserily get into circulation, peins have been taken to asetemin their veracity. The Coroner's implest sits th's day.