The Express. — 1861-11-06 (London, England)

SWEDES AND SUICIDE AT PRESTON.  A dreadful and dietreseing event, the murder of a child by its mother, and the self-destruction of the latter, at Ashton-on-Ribble, near Preston, was brought to light on Sunday. From inquines made in the vicinity of the spot where the tragedy oecurrel, it appears that this double mime was perpetrated eleven days before its discovery, and that want, necessity, or shame was the incentive to its commi4ion. About half-past four o'clock on Saturday afternoon last, two youths from Preston were strolling through Ashton' slung and while walking sl' • footpath leading through some fields near Gravestowo, from the Marsh, they saw the body of a child Boating on the surface of a peed contiguous to the path. With some little trouble they drew the corpse to the bank. It was found to be that of • child about twelve months old, very fat, and well dressed; indeed, it seemed from its clothes, some of which were quite new, to have been the object of an anxious solicitude, for its dress bore evidence that it had been treated with the greatest are and tender. new It was at first thought the infant had beee strangled, and then thrown into the pond; but it was afterwards suggested that the crime might be the act of the mother, and that probably her body might also be found in the pond, which was dragged earls on Sunday morning, when the body of • fine strong young woman, apparently about twenty-five years of age, was discovered. the iris well and neatly dressed, bee upper garments being • good bonnet, with veil, good drew, lied cloth cloak. In her pocket were found two printed coloured cards (duplicates), the address on which was partly obliterated by saturation with water, but deciphered to be either "Mr. or Mrs. Junes, Alliance House, IllackpooL" On the back of one of these cards was written the following address :—" Mr. Thomas Hatton, Bieck Hores-street, opposite the Union Foundry, Bolton. le-Moors," and behind the other the address, "Mr. Hughes, No. 2, Carter street, Upper Georgeatmet, Salfonb" There was also • left-luggap ticket, referring tO • box that bad been left at the railway station at Preston, bearing the number "&50 ;and on reference to the register at the leftluggage office it was found that this number indicated a box which had been deposited there on the 214 October, by a penou who had simply given the surname " Wright." The box pointed out by the railway official as that to which the ticket referred was handed over to Mr. Superintendent Leary, and yes afterwards, in the presence of Sergeant. Lockwood and Norwood, examined at the headquarters of the county constabulary, Chapel-street, Preston. It contained the ordinary wearing apparel of a domestic servant, but no money ; nor was anything found that would give a due to proving the identity of the deceased. Telere were despatched to Blackpool, Bolton, and Safford, with a view to ascertain whether she was known at the places above-mentioned. The police have been active in the matter, and have ascertained that on the 22nd alt., the day after the box was left la the railway station, a female answering to the description of the deceased was seen by a woman who lives in Prestos harry* past her house apparently in • very excited state, sad having a child in her arms ; and on the was day another woman who lived at • abort distance from the pond ia which the bodies were discovered saw a female, who, from her description, was the deceased, sitting on the grass near the margin of the water, with an infant on her knees. It wee supposed from these facts that the unfortunate woman had been in semi* at Blackpool during the past Nesse°, in some domestic situation, that she had previously put her child out at nurse, and that, being at the time of the tragedy out of place, and without the mean, of providing fax the infant, she lead, in • moment of frenzy, oefroyed herself and it.  Late in the afternoon on Ifosity, a young man named Jolts Preston. a pier. went to the Plough lon, in Ashton. when the begins had bath bees minveved, sod identified the corpse of the female as that of Hannah Wright, the daughter of a ferryman living at Werton ; that the child aria hers, and that it had Ibsen awned at a house in Neeth-road, but he was very nawilliag to give further information.