Northern Times. — 1857-09-17 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

CONFESSION OF MURDER.  At the Worship-street Police-court, London, on Tuesday, Maria, Clarke, a care-worn, miserable-looking woman, was charged before Mr. D'Eyncourt with a de:ermined attempt to destroy herself. On being placed at the bar, the prisoner was at once recognised as a recent Inmate of the Hackney workhouse, who had undergone an examination last week at this court for the alleged murder of her female child, eight years old, by throwing it into the itsgent's Canal, on which occasion she was remanded in the first instance, but ultimately discharged, in the absence of any direct evidence against her. Wiliam Henry Thomas, a French polisher, living in John'S-row, St. Luke's, was now examined, and said : I am brother-in law to the prisoner, and on her release from custody last weak I offered her an asylum in my house, and engaged to provide for her until she procured a situation. The prisoner thankfully a'-cepted the offer; and, although she was evidently very unhappy in her min i, she remained with us until about ten o'clock last night, when she suddenly got up, while we were sitting comturt ably together, and after kissing my child, shook hands with me and my wife, and told U 3 that she could nit stay any longer. I remonstrated with her upon leaving us at such an hour, and enpaired where she was going;. but she made- no answer, and hurried: out of the honse. Suspecting that she intended to commit suicide, I hastened after her and followed her closely for nearly two miles in the direction of the particular spot near the bridge of Daleton, from which her dead'chial had been taken out of the canal, on reaching which the prisoner stopped short, and after looking duwn upon the water she started back- with an anguished cry, and rapidly made her way towards the next bridge. I followed her as fast as I could, but heard a loud scream and " splash." Before I was able to overtake her, I saw her struggling in the water. On. raising an alarm, the keeper of the adj Acing lock arrived with the drags,and after hsving twice sunk,the prisoner was at length brought out in a state of insensibily. Police constable Lewis,N. sS6istated that at the time in question the prisoner was given into custody as soon as she was re. stored to consciousness ; and on being taken to- the station house, the documents which he produced were found attached to the inside of her bonnet. The papers in question, which were enclosed in an envelope addressed to the prisoners uncle, " Mr. Clarke, wheelwright, Hackney Real," were then read by Mr. Safford, tha second clerk, and coneisted of two letters to the following. effect :—"Dear Friend—l and my child have suffered much in Hackney Union, and to save the child from being so wrong as I have been, it would be better for her to go to Jesus while young. I myself have thrown her into the Regent s Canal. I committed perjury about six years ago. I thought walking in the water would be easier than hangiug far myself. Christ save me." The second letter, which was nearly a repetition of the other, contained the words :—"Dear Friends—All is well ;. Christ calls me home. I have broken all the commandments, and- am without cue plea; but His blood was shed for me. I myself threw my child into the water, and watched it there. I same, Jesus." Oa being asked if she wished to say anything in answer to the charge, the prisoner, who had listened attentively to the perusal of the letters, eagerly exclaimed—" It is my writing—all of it." Mr. Wl:plc:et said that it was a most lamentable case, and he felt it his duty to commit the prisoner for the wilful murder of her child ; but she would be brought up again for the formal completion of the depositions.