The Express. — 1857-09-16 (London, England)

THB POLICE COURTS.  WORSHIP-STREET.  Maria Clarks, a aare-worn, miair;l7l;:loOking woman, was charged with an attempt to destroy herself. The prisoner was recently an Inmate of the Workhouse, and underwent sn examination Let westaLkba court for the alleged murder of her female child, eight years old, by throwing it into the Regent's-mail, on which wagon she was remanded in the first instance, but ultimately discharged in the absence of any direct evidence against her. We,. Henry Thomas, a French polisher, living in J,,hn'erow, St. Luke's, was now examined, and said—l am brotherin-law to the prisoner' end on her release from custody last week I offered her en asylum in my house, and engaged to provide for her until she procured a situation.. The prisoner thankfully accepted the offer' and although she was evidentlT very unhappy in her mind, she remained with us until 10 o clock last night, when she suddenly got up, while we were sitting comfortably together, and, after kisg my child, shook hands with me and my wife, and told us that she could not stay any longer. I remonstrated with her upon leaving us at such en hour, and inquired where she was going, but she made no answer, and hurried out of the hews. Suspecting that she intended to commit suicide, I hastened after her and followed her closely fur nearly two miles in the direction of the particular spot near the bridge at Milstein, from which her dead child had been taken out of the canal, on reaching which the primmer stopped short, and, after lookin down upon the water, epeetarted beck • .th a cry, and ray made her way towards the next bridge. I followed haw ea I could, but beard a loud scream and " splash" Wove I wealth to overtake her, and saw her etrugoling in the water. On raising an alarm, the keeper of the adjoining lock arrived with the and after having twice sunk, the prisoner was at leigth drawn out in a state of insensibility. Polies constable Lewis, N 466, stated that the documents which he produced were found attached to the inside of her beamet.  'fir In question, which were enclosed in an envelope to the prisoner's uncle, "Mr. Clarke, wheelwright, Haelmsproad," ware then read by Mr. Safford, the second clerk, and oonaisted of two letters to the following effect " Dear Ffilolll,-I and my child have suffered much In Raelossy Union, and to save the child from being so wrong as I have been, it would be better for her to go to Jana while young. I myself have thrown her into the Regent's earl. I oomxpitted perjury about sin years ago. I thought welking on this water would be easier than hanging , for myself. Christ save me." second letter contained the words:—" Dear friends, aD Is well, Christ calls me home. I have broken all the commandincrita, and am without one plea, but his blood was shed for me. 1 myself throw my child into the water and watched it there. I come, Jess."  On being if she wanted to say anything in answer to the charity, the prisoner, whet had listened attentively to the perusal of the letters, eagerly erclitimed, "It is my writing, all of it." Mr. D'Eyncowt said that it was *meet lamentable esee, and he felt it his duty to commit the prisoner for the wilful murder of hor child, but she would be brought up again for the final completion of the depositions.  PROM LAST NIGErB