The Sun. — 1827-04-20 (London, England)

MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.  An appalling instance of the murder of a child by its own mother, who afterwards attempted to destroy herself, occurred yesterday in Newington. The following are the particulars of the circumstances at' tending the tragical event,,as correctly as we could ascertain from our inquiries on the spot, after • the perpetration of the murder :—lt appeared, that between the hours of seven and eight on the morning in question, the neighbourhood of East-lane was thrown into a state of the greatest possible agitation, in consequence of a rumour that a woman named Mary Brooks, residing in Dean's-buildings, had murdered her female infant, aged about seven months, and subsequently attempted to destroy herself. The report of the shocking affair having been conveyed to Messrs. Swift and Howett,the surgeons, resident near the place, they immediately proceeded to the house, and on entering the back room on the second floor, they were shocked on beholding an infant lying on a table in the centre of the room, with its throat cut in a frightful manner, and the blood gushing from the recently-inflicted wound. Observing that the little innocent was completely lifeless, their attention was drawn to a female, the mother of the murdered child; she was lying on the floor Nivith her :throat cut, and two females were holding her down by force in order to prevent her finally putting a period to her existence, which she then seemed bent upon. The unhappy woman appeared to be in a high state of mental excitement, and frequently ejaculated, " Oh, my child, my poor child. The medical gentlemen having examined the wound in the mother's throat, discovered, although it was of a most dangerous description, yet the windpipe escaped injury. The hemorrhage that had taken place was suppressed by the application of ligatures, and the wound was subsequently sewed up. She was then placed in an easy position, and two females, attracted to the house by the event, watched -alver_her_to urearentrthe_nossibility kkfamy_farth... tempt on her own life. There was found in the room a razor covered with blood, with which it appeared she had murdered the child, and afterwards attempted to destroy herself. There has been no cause yet assigned as to what to attribute the dreadful crime, as it seemed the unfortunate woman did not exhibit any symptons of insanity prior to the circumstances above detailed. She was married to her present husband about seven years ago, during which period they quarrelled and separated several times—he having accused her of infidelity. About a month ago, however, a reconciliation took place between them,.and they were living comparatively happy. On the night preceding the catastrophe they both retired to rest together, and in the morning about six o'clock, the hu.sband awoke in consequence of hearing his wife exelaim several times, " shall cut my throat." He did not pay much regard to the threat, having heard her frequently use the same expression on former occasions in a joke. He, therefore, began to doze again, but was aroused a second time on hearing her foot about the room, when, on looking towards the window, he observed her standing before the glass, with a razor in her hand, exclaiming, " I shall cut it," and drawing the instrument across her throat as if in the act. He instantly jumped out of bed, and seizing the razor, took it away from her, without her having inflicted any injury at that time upon herself. During this period the infant was in the same bed with its parents. The husband having remonstrated with her on the folly of her conduct, induced her to return into bed, after having placed the razor which he took from her hands under his pillow. He then fell asleep, neyer suspecting that she would attempt her own life, much more that of her child. In about half an hour afterwards, he was again awakened on hearing his wife exclaim, " I shall murder myself now, for I have murdered my child," and on rising up in the bed his feelings received a shock that cannot be described, on beholding the little infant at a short distance from him, in the bed, with its throat cut from ear to ear, and the unfortunate mother standing in the middle of the room with the razor in her hand, in the act of cutting her own throat. He sprang out of bed, and seizing the fatal instrument from her hands, called out " murder," and held her in his arms, the wound in her throat bleeding profusely until fhe arrival of some of the neighbours, who assisted in preventing her from destroying herself, subsequent to the razor having been taken out of her grasp, and the arrival of the two medical gentlemen above-named. Soon after the perpetration of the murder, Snow, the beadle of Newington, was sent for, and the wounds in the unfortunate woman's throat having been dressed, she was given into his custody, and he conveyed her to Horsemonger-lane gaol. In the course of the day the prisoner was taken from thence to Union-hall Police-office in a coach, and underwent a short examination before the sitting Magistrate, M. Swabey, Esq., on the charge of murder. She is rather a well-looking woman, apparently about 30 years of age; the whole front of her dress exhibited spots ofblood. During the investigation she appeared to belabouring under pain, particularly when she coughed, owing to the nature of the injuries which she inflicted upon herself. Her husband, who, we understand, holds a respectable situation in a mercantile house in the city, was also present; he seemed to be struggling with the most agonised feelings, while describing the circumstances, and frequently burst out into tears during his statement. The constable who conveyed her from Dean's buildings to the gaol, stated that on the road thither she frequently expressed her determination to destroy herself before the close of the day, exclaiming. " This shall be a fatal day to me." Mr. Swift, the surgeon, described the nature of the wound in the throat," of which the child died. The trachea, he observed, was divided, and the left external jugular vein completely severed ; life must have been extinct almost immediately after the wound was inflicted.  The Magistrate remanded the prisoner, and gave strict orders that she should be _placed in the infirmary of the gaol and every care taken of her. At the conclusion of the examination, she stretched out her hand to her husband, saying, emphathudly, "Oh! Brooks, it was you provoked me to this."  Miss Love is going to charm the good folk' of Plymouth, Taunton, and Bridgewater with her hiatrioni and vocal talents.