The Sun. — 1842-06-09 (London, England)

WORSHIP-STREET.  Caroline Bigneorth, aged 22, was placed at the bar for filet examination, charged with having attempted to destroy the lite of Selina Just, her illegitimate fema:e infant, and afterwards to. commit suicide. The particulars of this most distressing case have already appearet It will be recollected that the prisoner had lodged at the house, No. 3, Clarence-street, St. Luke's, in eohabitation with the father of the child, a brass-founder, named Charles Just, who deserted her, on Monday se'nnight, and was said to. have since lived with another woman. After his departure the. prisoner was observed by her fellow-lodgers to be in a very low: and desponding state, and, on the succeeding Friday mornirg„, ore of them discovered her suspended from a rope in the back kitchen, and the child was soon afterwards found lying on the inssiinsible, and at the point of death from the effects of drowning'. A peil was found in the room containing some gallons of water; in which it was afterwards ascertained that the wretched woman had immersed the child until life appeared' extinct; after which she laid it on the bed, and proceeded ton the kitchen, in order to conclude the tragedy with self-destrue- • Lion. Both the mother and the child were at. the last extre.. mity when they were discovered, but through the prompt and persevering exertions of a medical gentleman, named il/sek, their lives were raved. A letter wl9 found in the prisoner's roern, addressed to the man Just, in which she apprised him of her criminal designs; and, in simple and touching lanuge, intimated a desire that the child and herself might be placed in the same coffin, and that the expenses of the funeral, ;eteshl be defrayeil by the authorities of Walthamstow, to whitla parish she belonged. The tiepition4 of the several witnesses having been cornpleted, they were read over by Mr. Vine, the chief clerk, in, the-presence of the prisoner. In answer to some questiens from the Magistrate, respecting her intimacy with the man Just, the prisoner, in low nest, broken accent a, said that she became acquainted with him about; three years age, and was in the service of a family living inBishopsgate-street when he effected her ruin. The child was born about a year and nine months ago, and she had been since living with a family at Islington, but about seven weeks since Just induced her, under a solemn promise of marriage, to leave her situation, and place herself under his protection. The child, a lovely little creature, was in Court during the investigation, and its serene and smiling looks were ;n strong contrast with the heavy and heart-broken aspect of its no, happy mother. Mr. BROUGHTON said that although he could not help sympathising with the situation of the unfortunate prisoner, who, was the victim of the most cruel and heartless villany, it was. his duty to prevent an impression from going abroad that any degree of ill usage or suffering that a woman could sustain would justify her in committing the dreadful crime of attempting to destroy the life of her innocent child. He should commit the prisoner for trial, but it was his sincere hope that the Court would deem it compatible with the public safety to take a alereitul view of the case. —The prisoner was fully committed.  -•