ABSTRACT
From the statements made by the witnesses it appeared that for some time previous to the commission of the dreadful crime the prisoner with her two children had remained in the Bethnalgreen workhouse. On the 20th of March she left the workhouse voluntarily, taking her children with her, having obtained a small pecuniary supply. She went then and lived for a few days with some of her friends; to all of whom she complained of the treatment which her children had received. She did not appear in any way incapable of taking care of them, but said that she was in great distress of mind. She was heard several times to say that she and her children would meet a watery grave. She made use of this expression to many of her friends. On Sunday, the day of the murder, she washed her children at the house of a friend named Mary Butler, and remarked that all her troubles would end that day. She then went out and dined at the house of a woman called Wheeler. She left this place at 20 minutes past 8 o'clock in the evening, taking only her youngest child with her. At about 9 o'clock, the attention of William Gardner, a boatman at the
Regent's-canal,wascalledtooneofthewharfs,nearMile-end bridge,fromwhichheheardafaintmoaning.Hewentround, andongoingtotheplacewhencethesoundproceededhesaw somethingfloatinginthewater,about15feetfromtheside.He drewittothebankwithaboathook,andfoundthatitwasthe prisoner.Onbeingtakenoutsheexclaimed,'Ohmychild!'and onbeingaskedwhereitwas,shesaidthatitwasinthewater.The child,however,droppedfromunderherarmasshewasspeaking.TheboatmanthentookittotheGlobeTavern,whereitwas attendedbyMrNew,asurgeon,whopronouncedittobequite dead.Theprisonersaid,onbeingremoved,thatshehadcommittedtheactthroughdistressandill-treatment.
