The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1884-01-19 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SATURDA V, JAN 19 1884'  CHILD MURDER AT NOTTING HILL. ROYAL VISIT TO PORTNUOUTiu  In London, on Monday, at the Central Criminal Court, Annie Player, 25, married, waa indicted for the wilful murder of her child, William Player, and also for attempting to commit suicide. Mr. Poland conducted the prosecution; Mr. E.eith Frith and Mr. H. J. Broun were counsel for the defence.  Mr. Poland, in opening the case, said the prisom was living with her husband in Bolton-row, Notting. hill. On the afternoon of the 27th of November she was with her husband in her room upstairs. She bad some words with him and he left the house. Shortly after he had left ;he heard a thud, and he saw the child, which was seven months old, in the roadway, the prisoner having thrown it out of the window, a distance of 12ft„ and it was lying in the road about 21t. from the kerb. The child was picked up and attended to and the prisoner was then seen hanging outside the window, holding on by the ledge. Assist. ance was obtained and she was drawn back into the room. She was found in a very weak condition and partially insensible. When she came to herself she said she was sorry for what had occurred. She could not help it at the moment. The child was taken to the hospital and died a day or two afterward from, the injuries received in the fall. When before the magistrate the prisoner said she was hanging out of the window and the child had dropped from her, but the learned counsel explained that that could not be true. While in Olerkenwell prison awaiting trial Dr. Gilbert, the surgeon, noticed certain indications which rendered it necessary that she should be examined by several medical men to ascertain whether she was sane. Dr. Orange, the principal medical man at Breadmoor Lunatic Asylum, would be called as a witness, and, having examined the prisoner, would say that although at times she was rational there was no doubt that she was a person of unsound mind and not responsible for her actions. On three occasions she had attempted to commit suicide in prison, and her unfortunate condition resulted from her having suffered from typhoid fever. The prisoner bore the reputation of being a kind and affectionate mother to the child. In Dr. Orange's opinion as to the unsoundness of the prisoner's mind both Dr. Gover, whe had also examined her, and Dr. Gilbert agreed. Evidence was given in support of this statement. Dr. Orange and Dr. Gilbert expressed the opinion that the prisoner, although rational at times, was a person of unsound mind, and that she did not know the nature and quality of the act she was committing. Dr. Gilbert said the prisoner attempted to commit suicide while in prison three times, the latest being on Sunday night, when she attempted to strangle herself, She had also tried to jump over the balustrade of the prison, and had tried to burn herself by setting fire to her clothes and holding her head over the flames.  Mr. Justice Hawkins having summed up, The jury found, in accordance with the terms of the new Act upon the subject, that the prisoner did the act, bat was insane at the time she committed it. Mr. Justice Hawkins thereupon ordered the pri• soner to be kept as a criminal lunatic in Clerkenwell until her Majesty's pleasure be known.  In accordance with previous notificatiom, Princess Beatrice, accompanied by the Princess Fraiderica of Hanover, and attended by Colonel Ewart, left 1/4()sborne shortly after ten o'clock on Saturday morninee and proceeded to Portsmouth in the Royal yacht Alb,•-rta, for the purpose of visiting the dockyard, On arrival at the railway jetty at half-past eleven, her Royal Highness was received by Rear-Admiral Herbert, superintendent of the yard, Prince Edward of SaxeWeimar, and Captain Darby,