The Sun. — 1837-09-26 (London, England)

DIABOLICAL OPERATION ON A FEMALE BY A QUACK DOCTOR.  On Wedneiday evening last a young woman, named Mary Ann Rapson, was discovered in a state of insensibility in Plumtree-street. It was at first considered that she was in a state of intoxication, but on her being removed to her lodgings, at No. 6, in the above street, symptoms came on that convinced those present that she was suffering from the effects of poison. On the arrival of a surgeon, such was found to be the case. and two phials, " Laudanum--poison," were found in her bosom. She was conveyed to the University College Hospital, in Gower Street, Bedford Square, where every means were adopted to counteract the effects of the poison, but without effect ; the unfortunate young creature expiring about eleven o'clock the same night. Previous to her dissolution, she came into full possession of her faculties and speech, when she made to those about her disclosures of a very heinous nature. She confessed having purchased two phials of laudanum, for the purpose of destroying herself and one of her illegitimate children, a fine little girl, about six years old, but on her attempting to administer the poison to the poor child she rejected it, on account of its unpleasant taste. This part of the mother's confession was borne out by the child, who states that after her mother drank something out of a cup she gave her some, but on tasting it she refused to drink it, as being disagreeable and bitter. The child's statement, as to sinister motives of the mother, is telly credited—the more particularly as the front of her apparel exhibited dark stains, evidently from the effects of some dark liquid being spilt over them. The guilty and illfated young woman acknowledged that she was driren to the double crime of infanticide and suicide from her forlorn destitute condition and bitter remorse of conscience, she having been prevailed upon by the man by whom she became enceinte to ;so to a quack doctor resident in Webber-row, St. George's-fields, by whom she was subjecsed to an operation, which produced abortion—the quack kceping possession of the male fsetns which lie had extraitted. Subsequent to this abominable offence the father et the infant thus sacrificed, and who is a married man and a member of a religious elogregation, deserted her. The consequence was, that the unhappy and guilty young creature, with her two illegitimate children, were reduced to great distress, which, combined with severe remorse of conseience for the unnatural and atroci-ins act she had committed, drove her to a state of distraction, in which she to the determination of destroying lic-rself and child ; hot :a the latter her intentiaa was happily fr. strated in the marn:er already stated. Tee miscreant quack, who, in coniu.!ction with the unnatural father caused the destruction of the unborn innocent, took a fee of fifteen shillings from the young woman for his diabolical services. It has been ascertained that by similar practices ho makes an ample compe. tence. The unfortunate girl, the subject of the present tra”.ieal affair, has passed through all tile vieissiiu les of a w,,man of pleasure, She is very re:Tectabiy connected, al!hough, from her mode of life, she has been an alien to her family. At the age of nineteen she became acquainted with a sporting gentleman of celebrity at Bri,Aton, who effected her ruin. They lived together in style for sonvu years, but ultimately a separation took place, the tether proeidiere for her son, who is a youth about eleven years of ,12-,e, now at a respectable bosrdieg school. In aft-r veers she went by the name of Mrs. Pierpont, repre.enting herself cc a widow, by which she attracted the attentions of other men, by whom she became the mother of the two children who =.vire under her protection at tie' time of her death. On Saturday an inquiry took place at tile University Col'-ge Hospital. before Mr. Stirlines, when, after some of the evidence had been gone into. and the :.;se assuming 50 ser'eus a complexion, the Coroner suggested an adjournme t, that all the parties implicated in the :affair might be bro .ght forward ; the venerable gentleman remarking that the case required their serious c,:msnl.!ration. Tile Jury concurred with the Coroner, and the inquest was according y adjourned until Wedi;esday, the summoning officer ree-ivimg orders to collect ail the evidence possible, not forge ting to discover and sun= In the quack do for and the platy who had recently lived with t,1,! deceased.