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FAMOUS TRIALS.

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!-ALL BIGHTS RESERVED.] FAMOUS TRIALS. CHARLOTTE WiNSOR FOR CHILD MURDER. Last week a trial which occurred close upon 30 years a.go, and excited an enormous amount of public interest at the time, was brought to the recollection of very many persons—and, doubtless, very many of our readers—by the statement that at the present moment there is in Woking Female Convict Prison a woman who will shortly complete her thirtieth year of imprisonment. Her name is Charlotte Winsor, and she was convicted in the early p^rt of 1865 of baby farming, for which she was sentenced to penal ser- vitude for life, but, unliko the great majority of "life" convicts, it has noc been considered fit, by successive Home Secretaries, owing to the nature of the. crime, to recommend her to mercy. It is appropriate under the oircuinsfcanoes that the history of the woman and her crime should just now find a place in our gallery of famous trials. At Easter Assizes in the year named Mary Jane Harris, aged 23, and Charlotte Winsor, aged 45, were placed at the bar on a charge of having murdered Thomas Edward Gibson Harris, on the 14th of February, at Torquay. The prisoners were not called upon to plead, as they had been tried on this charge at the preceding assizes before Baron. Channel!. The jury were looked up on that occasion for several hours, but at twelve o'clock on a Saturday night, as they declared there was no chance of their agreeing upon a verdict, the learned baron, discharged them, but ordered the prisoner, to be detained in cus- tody to be again tried at the next assizes. Mr. Justice Keating presided, and, all parties being agreed, it was resolved that the prisoner Harris, whose child the murdered infant was, should give evidence. Her story, which was of the most extraordinary character, was as follows: "In February last I was a serrant at Mrs. Wansev's. I went there on the 12th of December last. Before this I had lived thirteen weeks with Mrs. Gibson. I went to Mrs. Gibson's and was confined at her house on the 16th of October. I had the child registered as Thomas Edward Gibson Harris. It was a. fine child. On the 12th of December the prisoner called on me, and we took the child to the prisoner's, having on the 10th of December made an arrangement with her to take care of it. I had previously been to two other persons to ask them to take care of it. It had three short frocks, two long ones, three shifts, two white petti- coats, two flannel petticoats, and one pair of white socks. It had nothing for its head. I saw the child four times while it was at the prisoner's. As we were taking the child to the prisoner I said there had been one child picked up in the country. The prisoner said, 'I wonder I have not got myself into it once .L before.' She had put one away for a girl who had been confined at her house, who had promised to give her £31 but she did not give it to her. I asked bipi- how she did it. She said she pub her finger under the jugular vein. She said she had stifled one three weeks old for Elizabeth Darwin, and thrown it into Tor Bay,and when it was picked up it was nearly washed all to pieces. -She also said that she had put away one for her sister Poory, as her sister said she would give her j34. While her sister was staying at the house she directed a letter to be left at. the Jolly Sailor for the father cf the child, and she received a R,5 note by return of post. She said she only gave her £ 2. but said that when her husband returned from sea she would make her a handsome present; but she had not done it. I then went dr. with her to her house, and had tea. I asked her if she was not afraid. She said, 'To with you it's doing good.' and she would help anyone that would never split upon her. I was leaving, and she said, 'I'll do whatever lies in my power for your child.' I said, 'All right,' and went away. I saw my child a fortnight after in Mrs. Wansey's kitchen. The prisoner brought it. She said if I wo a Id give her £ 5 she would do away with the child. I said I had not got £ 5 to give her. She asked me to give her a note to the father of the child. I said I could not do that. She said, 'Get it anyhow else: I'll put them all by for thee if thee hast 40.' I said I should not do any such thing. She said she did, and I could do the same. The prisoner was there better than half an hour. She then went away. On Sunday, February 5, I saw the child at the prisoner's. I got there about half-past seven they were in bed. I knocked at the bedroom window. She said, 'Is that Mary?' I said, 'Yes; I want to come in and see my She sail, 'My husband will let you In; and he let me in. I went into her bed- room the child was in bed with her. She said, 'I've made it all right with my hus- ba-ii d-I shan't keep the child after the quarter.' She said if I would give her the £ 5 she would do away with the chi'.d, and asked if I would come over one day in the week and take away the chiid. I said she might if she liked. I asked her how she could do it. She said she could get something at the chemist's. On the 8th of February I asked leave to go out, but I went out on the fith to the prisoner's, and got there at half-past three. The baby was tied in the chair, and the grand-daughter playing with it. Tin prisoner was sitting on a, stool. After talking a little time she sent the little girl out. After she was gone the prisoner said -sh> did not do it before I came out, because if I told on her I must tell on myself, for one would be as bad as the other. I said I would never tell if we tvere 1 never found out. She asked me if she shoiiid do it. I asked her how she would do it. She said, 'Put it between the bed- Swri> She then took the child into the 8 ii Pratt s bedroom. I did not go. She stayed ten minutes; she then came back without the baby. She asked me to look In; she said it would soon die. I looked in and saw the bed made. but no child. The dllld did not cry. The prisoner's husband came m and asked, 'Where's the bov ?' She said her aunt had been in arid taken it away. He said, Oh She brought him a pail, and he fastened the handle. I asked him where ,Tas going with the pail. He said, 'Up I tile wood. Ha went away, and the pri- soner said to me, Did you hear the child r 1 said, 'No.' She said, 'I did, and i was afraid my husband would hear it.' The girl Pratt came back again and stayed a -short time, but was sent out again by the prisoner to fetch some buns. The girl went out, and the prisoner said she must make haste, as her girl would soon be back. She went out of the room and came back with the "aby. It was dead. She undressed it, and ie went into the bedroom and opened a box. took out the things it contained. She gapped up the child in newspapers, and then put into the box. I put down lid, and she locked it, and PUt the key into her pocket. Pratt: came oome, and the prisoner told her that Mary's aunt had been and taken away lit ile Tommy, and put red socks on it. I had given her a Piece of carpet, which is the one in which the child was found. I then made an engage- ment to meet the prisoner on the 14th at the Clarence Hotel, to sjo over around Paignton ^ith the child. I did not meet her. I saw' her on the 15th a t Mrs. Swansev's. She came there with her little girl. She had a basket, ^he said, 'You did not come out last night.' s.a.id, 'No.' She said, '1STever mind.; let have 4s. to take it up to Exeter.' I said I had not 4s. She said I might draw from my mistress. I went to Mrs. Wansey, who gave me Is. 6d. I gave it to the prisoner, and isaid I could not get any more. The prisoner said she would send up the next day for the rest, and she did send, but I had not the 2s. 6d. On the next Sunday I went to Mrs. Gibson's and had some conversation with her, and then I went to the prisoner's house. She said, 'Oh, it's you, Marv.' I said, 'Yes,' She said she had just come home. I said, 'There has been a child picked up, between, three and four months old.' She said, 'Yes; they tell me Government will take it in hand." I said, 'So they ought." We went into the bedroom. She said, 'I've got you under the rabbit-box.' I said, 'Have you, really r' She said, 'Yes, I have." I said, 'Mrs. Gibson has dreamt it was mine, and that you have killed it, and I am going to be hung for it.' She 9 1, said, 'Oh, nonsense, don't let her get any- thing out of you." I asked her agl1Ïn if she had it, and she said, 'Yes, I have, upon my soul. She said she was going away to- morrow, if I had not come, as she had re- ceived a letter from Plymouth enclosing an order for £ 3 from a girl she had done it for before, asking her if she could take her in again for R-4, as she was looking to be con- fined soon. She had sent back to say she would not, as if she had been honest she would have paid in the first place. She could not go in the train with my child, be- cause there was "such an air with it,' but she should take it out on the moor. On the Wednesday I was apprehended. On the Friday she came to me at the station, and she made a sign round her throat. In the gaol I asked her if she had seen the child. She said, 'Yes.' I asked if it wa.s my child; she said she could hardly tell, it had been dead so long, but I was not going to hang her. Coming up in the train I asked her if it was my child. She said, 'I rather think it is.' I said, 'Did you carry the child there?' She said, 'I did not.' I said, 'Who could have done it, then?' She said, 'That's a mystery.' I said, 'You know you were there; the little girl said you were.' She said, 'Yes, I was. I went to show her where you lived. L I saw her again in the gaol, and I asked her if she did carry my child there, and she said, 'I did. In cross-examination the girl was pressed very severely on cue point, respecting which she admitted that the conversation respecting the murdering of children took place as they were going to her house, and yet she left her child with her, and wished it to live. "Far- mer Nicholls, the father of the child," she added, "allowed me something for the child, but not after it went to the prisoner's. I had had a few words with Nicholls, and had had 3s. 6d. a week for a previous child. I had known Nicholls seven years. I never had but those two children. I never took anything to procure abortion. The inter- oourtse was carried on for six years and a half. Although the prisoner told me of so many murders, yet I trusted my child with her when the other refused to take it. I did not go into the bedroom to prevent its being killed, as she had filled! my mind up, and I was led away by her. I used to go to church, but not after this had occurred. My conscience has induced me to speak the truth. I do not expect to be pardoned. I don't know what is to be done with me." The witness gave her evidence with great calmness, but her statement created the greatest sensation in a very crowded court. The prisoner sobbed bitterly when Mr. Carter stated that he should call Harris, and was detailing some of the facts of the evi- dence she would give. It evidently took her by the greatest surprise. The medical evidence went to show that the symptoms exhibited in the child picked up were consistent with death having been caused by either exposure to cold or suffoca- tion. In either case the symptoms would be much alike. Mr. Folkard addressed the jury in defence of the prisoner Winsor, contending that it had not been clearly proved that the child found was the child of the woman Harris. The body, if murdered when Harris said it was, would have been decomposed when found seven days after. The body found was not decomposed in the least. This, he thought, proved beyond doubt that the child found Nya; not the child of Harris. He thought the evidence of Harris should not be taken as truth, uncorroborated as it was in any particular, he also commented upon the absence of motive on the part of Winsor, contending that she had a direct interest in keeping it alive, as she would then receive 3s. 6d. per week for its keep. It had not been proved that any amount of money, beyond Is. 6d., had been given by Harris; to the prisoner. He suggested whether Harris had not taken the child away from Winsor's, and whethor she did not tell the prisoner that she was going to take it to her aunt's on the moor. His lordship summed up the case very minutely. He said the jury should not be- lieve the evidence of an accomplice except that evidence was corroborated in some material particular. That the witness liarris stood in the light of an accomplice was be- yond all doubt, and seldom had ears heard more hideous revelations than those made in the box by Harris the day before. She had placed herself before them as the mur- derer of her child, and could the facts she stated have been proved by independent wit- nesses, undoubtedly she would have stood in the same position as the prisoner at the bar. Notwithstanding the taint that attached to Harris, if they thought her evidence was materially corroborated, they must find the prisoner guilty. His lordship then read over the evidence to the jury very minutely, draw- ing their attention to the parts which parti- cularly bore against the prisoner. His summing-up occupied two hours. The jury retired, and after an hour and a half's absence found the prisoner guilty. His lordship then assumed the black cap, and passed sentence of death upon the pri- soner, cautioning her not to hope for any mercy, but to prepare her soul for death. The prisoner cried convulsively during the passing of the sentence. The execution of this sentence was after- wards respited by order of the Secretary of State, a doubt having been raised as to the validity of the trial, on the ground that the prisoner had been on a former occasion put on her trial for the same offence, but the jury, being unable to agree, were discharged, and the. prisoner was remanded to custody. Upon this technical objection, which appears to have been regarded as of some importance in high quarters, the execution of the sentence was respited until the opinion of the judges could be taken upon the question. In the end a reprieve was granted, and the sentence commuted to penal servitude for life, and it is stated that Winsor, who is now an old woman of 75, is so used to confinement that she hardly seems to care for the thought of freedom,

HEAVY FAILURE.

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