The Inquest on the body of the infant child found in a field near
Harrington, on Thursday week, as stated in Friday's "Northampton
Mercury," was held at the George Inn, Desborough, on Friday evening,
before Mr. J. T. Parker, Divisional Coroner, and a jury of 18, of whom
Mr. Geo. W. Sumner
was chosen foreman. In anticipation of the arrival of the accused woman,
Mary Ann Willis, by the 6.23 train from Kettering, hundreds of people,
mostly women, assembled in the Station-road. They were however,
disappointed, inasmuch as Superintendent Andrews and Inspector Butlin
drove the girl over to Desborough. Superintendent Andrews and Inspector
Butlin watched the case on behalf of the police.
After viewing the body, the following evidence was taken:--
George Solomon Goodwin, a tailor, living at Desborough, deposed that
on Thursday afternoon about 4.30 he was mushrooming in Harrington
parish. Witness was in a field in the occupation of Mr. Bamford, of
Harrington. Witness was walking along the hedge-side, when witness's
boy, who was some 10 yards away, called his attention to something on
the ground. Witness went, and saw what appeared to be the remains of a
dead infant. Witness's son turned the body over. There was no particle
of dress on the remains, or any paper. There was no footpath in that
field, the nearest road being 100 yards away, which led from Foxhall to
Blue Cover. There was no sign of the body having been dragged, although
there were marks of blood on the grass. The body was partly decomposed,
and witness wrapped it up in a piece of paper and sacking and brought it
to Desborough, where he handed it over to Sergeant Thomas.
Police-Sergeant Thomas, stationed at Desborough, deposed that on
Thursday evening, about 6.30, the last witness, Goodwin brought to
witness the remains of a dead body of an infant child, which the jury
had viewed. Witness put the remains in a box, and showed them to Dr.
Gibbon within half an hour of receiving them. Witness went to the spot
at 6.30 on Friday morning, in company with Goodwin, and was pointed out
the spot where the remains were found. Witness found blood on the grass
and leaves, but no other marks as if the child had been dragged along
the ground. Marks might have been obliterated by the rain which had
since fallen.
Thomas Henry Hillyer, a labourer in the employ of Mr. John Walter, of
Draughton Lodge, stated that last Monday week, Aug. 16, Mrs. Walters
told witness to get a trap and drive a girl, named Mary Ann Willis, to
her home at Harrington. Willis had been a servant at the lodge for about
12 months. Witness started with the girl about 6.30 a.m., and when about
two fields away from the lodge, the girl complained of being in pain,
and pressed her side. Shortly after the girl said, "This would not have
occurred if I had not jumped off the steps." Directly after the girl
asked to get out of the trap. Witness refused, but the girl continually
repeated the request, and when on the road between Foxhall and
Harrington witness allowed the girl to alight, as she said "she should
be better if she walked." The girl took her parcel, and witness turned
back. Witness, on looking round, saw the girl against a gate, but just
after she came into the road and walked on towards Harrington. It was
about a quarter of a mile from Harrington where witness put the girl
down. Witness did not know what was the matter with the girl.
Mr. Henry Gibbon, surgeon, living at Desborough, deposed to being
called to the Police Station, where he was shown the remains of an
infant. Witness made a cursory examination of the remains, which were
decomposed. He had since made a post-mortem examination. The remains
consisted of the head, right arm, chest denuded of flesh, spine with the
right thigh bone, and upper two-thirds of the right leg. The lower end
of the right thigh bone was fractured, and the fragment united by a
small piece of flesh. All the other parts were missing, and appeared to
have been gnawed off. The length from the upper part of the head to the
spine was 12in., and witness thought the body had been dead from eight
to ten days. The sex was not distinguishable. The scalp was brownish
red, and partly covered with light hair. So far as witness could see, it
had been a fully-developed child. The chest contained a small portion of
lung 1in. long by ½in. thick, which was evidently a portion of the
right lung. The heart was entire, and witness noticed an opening between
the right and left auricles. A portion of lung floated in water before
compression, but afterwards sank. On removing the scalp witness found an
angulra[sic] and depressed fracture of the parietal, and on opening the
skull witness found the brain in a pulpy condition. The front of the
neck was eaten away, and the whole of the abdomen and contents were
absent. Witness was unable to say whether the child was born alive, and
if born alive witness could not state the cause of death.
--By the jury: The portion of the lung was really too small for
testing purposes, and the fact that it floated until compressed might
have been caused by the decomposition.
Inspector James Butlin, Kettering, stated that about seven a.m. on
Friday, in company with Superintendent Andrews and P.S. Thomas, he
visited a field called Postman's Meadow, in the parish of Harrington.
P.S. Thomas pointed out the spot where the remains had been found. After
making enquiries, witness went to Harrington, where he arrested the girl
Mary Ann Willis. Witness charged her with concealing the birth of a
child in a field in the parish of Harrington. The girl at first denied
it, but afterwards said, "I had it where it was found. It was a female
child, and it was dead when it was born. I left it in the field where I
had it, and came home." The girl's mother was present, and asked the
girl why she did not tell her she had a baby, and said, "You only said
you had a miscarriage." The girl replied, "I only told you so; I didn't
like to tell you the truth." Witness drove the girl from Harrington
towards Foxhall, and she pointed out the gate of the field she went
into, and the direction she afterwards took. Witness drove into the
field, and went to the spot where the body was found. The girl said she
did not have the child where the remains were found, but pointed out a
spot some 25 yards away, close to the hedge. Witness could find no trace
of blood there, but was afterwards shown a piece of intestine between
the two spots.
Superintendent Andrew said he had the girl Willis in custody at
Desborough, but he did not wish to call her.
The Coroner said he did not propose to call the accused, although it
was not generally known that a Coroner's Court was the only Court in
England which had the power to call a suspected person and cross-examine
them. It was a right seldom exercised, and he did not propose to do so
on that occasion, because as the woman was not represented it would
hardly be justifiable to make her convict herself out of her own mouth.
The Coroner, in summing up, said he had at first thought it would be
necessary to have an adjournment, but after the doctor's evidence he
scarcely considered it necessary. Before they could convict anyone of
murder or manslaughter they must first ascertain that the person
supposed to have been killed was alive. The doctor considerably
shortened the enquiry by saying that he could not state whether the
child had ever lived. The doctor was unable to state whether the child
had ever lived by testing the portion of lung found in the body. There
was a charge for concealment of birth against the woman, but with that
they had nothing to do. They had only to consider whether there was
sufficient evidence to connect the girl with either a charge of murder
or manslaughter, and in the absence of sufficient proof the jury had to
consider the verdict of "Stillborn" or "Found dead."
After a lengthy consideration, the jury returned a verdict of
"Stillborn".
The domestic servant, Mary Ann Willis, charged with concealment of
birth on August 16th, was brought before Mr. F. Barlow on Monday, and on
the application of Superintendent Andrews, was remanded to Northampton
Gaol until next Tuesday.
Northampton Mercury,
Friday 03 September 1897