The Sun. — 1859-12-12 (London, England)

CUIT.—NORTHAMPToN, lite .9. ...Martha Ann Lewis stood charged with having, , at thoparish of•Finedon, on the 17th of August last,' killed and murdered Ernest Wallington Lewis ; and further, with having at the same place and: on the same day killed:and murdered Lizzy Winifred May Lewis. She was also charged with both offences on the coroner's inquisition, and to, each charge pleaded not guilty. Mr. Maunsell conducted the prosecution ; the prix soner was defended. by Mr. O'Brien. ' The facts proved in support of both indictments were the same. It appeared, on the opening statement of Mr. Maunsell and the, evidence adduced in support of the charges, that the prisoner was the mother of the two deceased children named in the indictment, the boy being two years . and eight months old,. and the girl, a baby of four or five months old. On. the 17th of August, about 6 o'clock in the evening, Warren Chapman, who worked with Joseph :Wallington, the prisoner's brother, on returning home went,.in consequence of something he had heard, to look for the prisoner. On reaching a pond'of Mr. Mackworth Dolberes, he observed an apron with a pair of scissors tied. to it lying under utree upon the bank, and in the pond the body of the boy Ernest W.-Lewis, which he took out and found was lifeless. A man named Desborough coming by about the same time drew out the body of the !baby, which was also in the pond. Ephraim Lewis, the .prisoner's father-in-law, on going down towards the pond, met thoparish constable: Parker carrying the dead body of the boy towards F,inedon, . and went on towards the cottage of i ise Dolben, about 200 yards distant from the pond,. where he fonnd, the prisoner seated on the grass under some trees behind the cottage garden' with her headbent down and her, arras. resting on her .lap. On being asked where her baby was she replied, They are both in the water ; I threw them in." Before the bodies of the children were found the prisoner's brother, who had gone to rook for her, had found her at the place already mentioned gazing towards the pond where Se:-..Lreh was being, made. He asked her where the children were ; she answered " Lower down," and sat still, seeming dull and dejected. She was led to the cottage of a Mrs. Archer, where she remained some time in a state of unconsciousness. ~ .  It was eliched, in cross-examination of the wit-. 1 nesses for the prosecution, that up to within months of the day in question she had been of a calm, cheerful, and 'happy disposition, but •at that time a melancholy had come upon her, which had increased. after the birth of her' baby. She had left home without any apparent cause, as she had no quarrel with her husband, whom she said she loved. She had on one occasion, it appeared, attempted self destruction, and on another occasion, When found by"her brother in a lane 'to i.vhit,h she had wan dered, the dejection in which he found her induced him to remonstrate with her and dissuade her from attempting suicide. Mr. O'Brien addressed the jury for the defence, which he said the opening of the learned counsel for the prosecution must rilready have led the jury to anticipb.te was that the prisoner, who it' was proved had beena careful, fend, affectionate mother until that sad change of which they had heard had Clouded her mind, was not, at the time' when her children met their' deaths by her hand in such a state of mind as to be. responsible for her actions.  No motive for the act was suggested on -the part of the prosecution. A number of witnesses were called who cOrrobarated the evidence of insanity alieacly'gi#en, among whom were the surgeon of the gaol and the surgeon of the Northamptonshire Lunatic Asylum, in whose care the prisoner had' been under a warrant from the Rothe Secretary: Both' gentlemen gave their opinion in the most deeided manner that the prisoner was not, on the day in question, in a state of mind to be accountable for her conduct:  The learned Judge having summed up the evidence,-the :pry returned a verdict of Not Guilty on the ground of insanity. A like verdict was returned upon` the second indictment, and no evidence being offered on the toroner's inquisitions, a verdict of Not Guilty was taken upon those charges. The.prisoner was ordered to be detained until her Majesty's pleasure should be known. John Byrne pleaded Not Guilty to a charge of wounding William Gent with intent to murder, and with 'minor intents.  Mr. Merewether conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Cockle defended the prisoner, - • It appeared from the evidence that about a guar,ter past 12 a.m., on the 13th of October,'John Byrne, son. of the prisoner, had gut into a conflict in Brookstreet, Daventry, and that the prisoner went 'to his assistance with a knife. A man named Marriott. remonstrated. with him, upon which -the prisoner struck at him and afterwards at Gent, who was in, 'the crowd near to prisoner's son, and wounded him in two places a little above and .below the region of the heart.  • Mr. Cockle addressed the jury for the prisoner, and  The Judge having summed np the evidence, the jury found the prisoner guilty of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.— Sen tenced to 18 calendar month's' imprisonment, with hard labour. John Sewell, a boy nine years of _age, pleaded guilty to a charge of setting fire to msfitek of straw, the property of his master, at Clipston, on the 25th of July; and William Brown and Charles West to the charge of setting fire to a hovel, the property of Richard Scrivener of Cosgrove, on the 16th of August.  . . The boy Sewell 'was sentenced to two Inonths'.', imprisonment and to he twice whipped, and Brown and -West, both full-grown men, each to lour years' penal servitude. • The Court rose at :eight o'clock. • . . 'l)r.cic.‘inr.a. 10. Mr. .Tastice Crompton too;: his- scat at 9 a.m. (3corcre White, chargal with the maut.ilanghter of Affi i\rbvnian, at Wollaston and George White with aiding and Ilraiker-'anti 'Frederick abettinz hind in that offence, all *pleaded "Not  guilty." ' . Mr. Markham conducted the pioseention, and Mr.'Merewether watched the case ig inst the two Whites.. thr,t the death of IV7lnan resulted from ,a blOw given in' a' fair stand-up.fight between himself and George Wfiite,-in which the other two prisoners acted as seconds. Mr.Verewcther declined' addressing the jury, and the learned Judge having summed up, the jicy convicted all the prisoners. Gorge, White, having already been in- prison three months, was sentenced' to two calendar months' imprisonment. Edward Coe pleaded .not guilty ,to .a charge of