The Sun. — 1839-09-13 (London, England)

CORONER'S INQUEST.  EXTRAORDINARY TREATMENT OF A NEW-BORN INFANT.—On Wednesday afternoon an inquest was held at the Three Jolly Bakers, Little Chesterfieldstreet, Marylebone, before Mr. WAKLEY, touching the death of a new-born infant, which took place under such circumstances as to cause an extraordinary degree of excitement throughout the neighbourhood. George Hurst, a cab-driver, between nine and ten o'clock on Saturday night, had occasion to go to the shop of Mrs. Darby, No. 3, in the same street, to buy some nuts for his squirrel, when his attention was attracted by a faint " squeak," and on turning round he saw an apparently new-born infant lying on a table near the window, amongst apples, greens, and other articles which the woman dealt in. After he had stood there some minutes, Mrs. Darby came staggering in from an adjacent public-house. She was very drunk, and upon witness remonstrating with her upon the impropriety of treating so tender an infant in such a way, she replied, hiccuping, " Poh, nonsense ; it's no consequence—the doctor says it will not live longer than one o'clock." In answer to questions which he put to her about the infant, she said that it was some lord's illegitimate child, and had been brought to her to nurse by three doctors. Police-constable Anderson, 35, D, in consequence of the information he received from the last witness, proceeded to Mrs. Darby's shop, and found the child lying as described, There was no fire in the place, and the woman was drunk and abusive. With some difficulty he learned from her that the mother of the infant lived as cook in the family of Mr. Robert Jones, 26, Fit zroysquare. The child, which was only born the same afternoon, she had fetched away herself to nurse, that the circumstance might be concealed from the family, who were out of town, but expeeted home every day. Early on Tuesday morning he heard that it was dead. • Mr. Clarke had been regularly engaged by the mother of the infant, whose name was Mary Hall. The birth, which was premature, was an extremely difficult one, lasting from seven o'clock on Saturday morning till three in the afternoon. The mother, being much agitated and alarmed for fear the family should return and discover what had happened, prevailed upon him to procure a nurse to take care of the child, and he procured for her the woman Darby, alluded to, whom he believed to be a sober, steady, and trustworthy woman.  The Jury returned a verdict of " Natural Death," accompanied by the following written expression of their opinion :—" We (the Jury) regret that the medical gentleman should have allowed the removal of the deceased infant in its weak state from the natural protection of its mother, and we think that its death was accelerated by the culpable conduct of Mrs. Darby, whose conduct is deserving of the highest censure, and we request she may be accordingly reprimanded by the Coroner."  Ann Williams, the late servant of Dr. Porter, who is charged with robbing that gentleman of a large amount of property, attempted to commit suicide in Bridewell, after her removal from the police-office on Friday. She had been carefully searched, and deprived, as it was supposed, of everything that could assist her in destroying herself. She was left to herself, and in a short time one of the inmates of Bridewell having occasion to go into the room in which she was confined, pushed against her, supposing she was standing. It was then discovered that she had suspended herself by the lining which she had taken out of her gown and twisted into a rope. Mr. Williams was promptly on the spot and cut her down. Medical assistance having been procured, she very shortly recovered, and then made a vain effort to strangle herself with her cap-strings. She had eaten nothing since the previous evening, and expressed her determination to take no more sustenance.—Bristol Standard [lt will be recollected that the prisoner was apprehended in London, and taken before Sir Peter Laurie, who sent her down to Bristol for trial.]  The Administration of the Hospitals (and hospices) of Paris has published a report to the CouncilGeneral of the working of those establishments, by which it appears that it admits, and consequently supports, in the almshouses, 12,000 old and infirm persons of both sexes, and receives annually into the hospitals 16,000 sick. It moreover provides yearly for 4,600 foundlings, supports 16,000 in the country, places 400 as apprentices, and relieves 30,000 indigent families. The expenditure of this administration has been fixed by the Council-General, for 1840, at 12,077,781 f. (nearly 500,0001 ) The private propt.rty and resources of the hospitals, &c.. producing only 6 275.011 f , the city will have to furnish out of the proceeds of the octroi (customs)an allowance of 5,802,769 f., or one-fifth of the whole amount of those proceeds, which average about 29,000,000 f. annually.