Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

6 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

Advertising

-, ST. KATHERINE'S CHAPEL,…

PEMBROKESHIRE AND HAVERFOKDWEST…

Advertising

CARDIGANSHIRE ASSIZES.

TRIAL FOR CHILD MURDER.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

TRIAL FOR CHILD MURDER. On Thursday the Judge attended court at half- past eight. Z5 The only case remaining for trial was that of Mary Ann Rees, who was charged with having murdered a certain female child, to which she had given birth at Aberystwith, on the 25th day of May last. Prisoner pleaded not guilty. Z, Mr Allen and Mr J. M. Davies, instructed by Mr F. R. Roberts, of Aberystwith, appeared for the prosecution, and Mr Hughes, at the request of his lordship, appeared for the prisoner. From Mr Allen's opening speech, it appeared that the prisoner was a native of Merthyr. and that she had only been in service at Aberystwith for about seven weeks before the unfortunate event took place. Ellen Williams, examined by Mr Davies: I am a servant living with Mr Poole, at Aberystwith. I know the prisoner. She was my fellow-servant. I remember the morning of the 25th of May last. It was Saturday. She slept with me on Friday night. We both went together to bed on Friday bight. Mary Ann Rees was standing by the dressing table when I awoke. I did 11 not awake during the night at all. When prisoner was standing by the dressing table she had only her black petticoat, her hoots, & her stockings on. She was wiping the floor. There was some blood on the floor. I got up at that time. I then ob- served the spots of blood. There were some large and some small. There was one bigger than a man's band. I asked her what was L, the matter, and she told me that she was unwell. She placed the flannel with which she wiped the floor in a wash stand basin. There was a bucket in the room. It was covered with a black apron, which belonged to Mary Ann Rees. The bucket was taken by the prisoner down to the garden. The apron was on the bucket when she went down stairs. The bucket was in the room the night before. I used to take it up sometimes. I took it up to empty some slops which were in the bedroom. It was not covered up when I saw it on Friday night. I followed prisoner down- stairs. She went out through the back door to the bottom of the garden. I saw prisoner again in about a quarter of an hour. She was then coming up the garden towards the house. She had the bucket with her then. The apron was not on it when she came back. She then went to the kitchen. She was sitting down on a chair. I told her she was not well, and she said she was not. Mistress came down to the kitchen, and she told her to go to bed. Thomas Garner, examined by Mr Allen I was a fellow-servant with the last witness and prisoner in Mr Poole's employ in May last. On the even- ing of the 25th I got up at six o'clock. I had occasion to go to the privy fiat morning. The door was partly open. I did not try the door, but went away. Some time after I went there again. In the interval I saw prisoner. I had not seen her before I went there the first time. She was coming from the direction'of the privy. She had a bucket in her hand. I did notice whether she had any thing in it or not. In consequence of something I heard, I went there the third time, but the privy was just as usual, and I could observe nothing. A. pigstye adjoins the privy, which I then examined. I pulled up two boards of the pigstye floor, and found the body of a child laid on its left side, ft could be put in that position from the privy. The soil is about three or four feet below the level of the seat of the privy. I then took up the body through the aperture. I washed it and called master, and afterwards the policeman came. By the Judge The privy door was partly open, There is only a small bit cut from the door to serve as a window. If the door was shut there would be sufficient light in the privy for a person to see what he was about. Henry Poole, examined by Mr J. M. Davies I am a confectioner at Aberystwyth. The prisoner has been in my service. On Saturday, the 25th of May, she was in my house. She had been with me about seven weeks. After she had been with me some time I suspected she was pregnant. I believe my wife spoke to her about it. David Thomas, P.C., examined by Mr Alien Garner handed me the body of the child about twenty minutes after ten. I handed it over to Mr Roberts, the surgeon, and he made an examination. The child was buried after the examination by the medical gentleman. On the tollowing morning a. further examination was made, and then it was re- buried on Monday. Cross-examined: I don't know at whose request the body was taken up on Monday. Mr Jacob Roberts, examined by Mr Allen I am a surgeon in practice at Aberystwyth. 1 have been t, in practice for twenty-six years, and am a M.R.C.S. On Saturday, the 25th of May last, the body of a female child was handed over to me by the last witness. It was between two and three o'clock when I made the first examination. The child looked as if it had been recently born. I then made an examination of the body in company with Mr Jones. It was a full grown child, and healthily formed. In examining t, the body I discovered marks on the back and front of the neck. The external skin was injured as if by a rope. The mark extended about tv/o inches. The circle was Dot complete. By the Judge There were no marks on the sides of the neck. On each side there were about three inches without mark at all. By Mr Allen I am of opinion that the child had been born alive. By the Judge By being born alive, I mean that the child had breathed freely. I found, from the colour of the lips, and the swollen tongue, and the marks round the neck, that the child had been killed by strangulation. By the Judge I can't swear that the marks oil the "neck were not caused by the umbilical cord. The appearance of the tongue and lips might have ensued from a difficult or prolonged delivery. Mr Morris Jones, a surgeon at Aberystwyth, was next examined, and corroborated the evidence of Dr Roberts in most respects. z, After Mr Hughes had addressed the jury on be. half of the prisoner, his Lordship summed up at great length, and the jury, having retired for a few minutes, returned to the court with a verdict of Not guilty of murder, but guilty of concealment of birth; and the prisoner was sentenced to four months' imprisonment, with hard labour.