[List-Cumbria] Carlisle Patriot, 15 Mar 1823 - Cumberland Spring Assizes (2)

[Petra Mitchinson]

Saturday 15 Mar 1823   (p. 3, col. 2 - p. 4, col. 4)

 

CUMBERLAND SPRING ASSIZES. 

 

[continued] 

 

CROWN CALENDAR. 

  

MURDER. 

 

Mary BALMER, aged 33, was charged with the wilful murder of John HILL, her natural son. Mr. ALDERSON and Mr. BLAMIRE conducted the
case on the part of the crown. The prisoner had no counsel. 

 

Eleanor BALLANTYNE, the wife of John BALLANTYNE, stated, that about a fortnight before the inquest, the deceased came into her
house, and she observed that he had a pair of very bad black eyes, which he said had been given to him by his mother. The prisoner
also came into her house on the same forenoon, and the witness said to her she thought she had used the child very badly. The
prisoner replied, that the child was a dirty boy, and she could not get him to do any thing. The boy was between six and seven years
old. The prisoner made an observation on the charge of ill treatment, but said the boy's habits were dirty, and the witness
recommended that the child should be fed upon dry food for a few days. The prisoner answered, she did not know what to do with him.
The situation in which the deceased was on that day was not mentioned to the prisoner. 

 

Examined at the request of a juror. She is a married woman, and kept a little shop in Caldewgate, within six yards of the prisoner's
house. The prisoner is a poor woman, and her husband is a blind pauper. 

 

Margaret BEACH, a single woman, lived next door to the prisoner. She remembered when the boy came to his mother's from the workhouse
at Kirkandrews, that he was then in proper health, and he remained so for about a month. Shortly before the boy's death, she heard
noises at different times in his house, as of a person beating, and a child crying. The prisoner's house, consisting of a single
room, and the witness's, were under the same roof; there being a passage between the two rooms to go up stairs. She could hear
distinctly what passed in the prisoner's room. On Sunday the 24th of November, her attention was particularly called to the
prisoner's conduct. She went into the prisoner's house, who gave over beating the boy as she entered it. The prisoner at that time
had nothing in her hand. The child was standing without a shirt, and almost destitute of covering; this was sometime in the
forenoon. He was very "sare" bruised in his body, and the blood was running from both his legs, and various other parts of his
person. The prisoner was asked what she had been beating the boy with, and she made no answer. The witness told her, that she should
keep a rod for him, and she said, 'd- him, I have lost the rod.' She was standing upon the floor washing his clothes, and she gave a
serious look at the boy, and said, 'd- thou, thou'rt a bad one; and how can't thou be a good one, when the devil's thy father; and
thoul't be in hell before it be long thyself; for I'll be thy butcher.' The witness did not see the clothes, but the prisoner said
that the deceased had dirtied himself. Questioned by the Court. She had been examined before a Magistrate, and then told him of the
words the prisoner had made use of. She was examined before the Coroner twice, to whom she also stated the same words. 

 

Examined at the desire of the prisoner. She heard, but did not see the beating: she was told to what condition the child was
reduced. 

 

By a Juror. She never had a word with the prisoner. 

 

By the Court. She never cursed the prisoner, nor wished God's judgment to fall upon her. She was a lodger in the same house with the
prisoner, but she is now on the parish of Wetheral, where she at present resides. She is not a married woman; but is living with a
man as his wife. 

 

Jane THOMPSON, the elder, is the wife of Charles THOMPSON, of Caldewgate. Her husband was a weaver, but he is now a blind man, and
not able to work at his business. She lived next door to the prisoner a week before the death of James HILL; she heard a noise in
the prisoner's room, of a child crying, but she did not stop to listen. She also heard the deceased's mother saying to the child,
'hold thy peace.' She had advised the prisoner, before that time, not to use the child so cruelly; and the prisoner then promised
that she would not correct him in an unreasonable manner again, but would buy a rod to beat him with. She had often seen the
deceased after he came from the workhouse, and his appearance was then healthy. 

 

By the Prisoner. Three weeks before the child's death, she told the prisoner that the boy was dying. On one occasion, she was called
into the prisoner's room, to see the state of the deceased's bed, which was unclean. 

 

Re-examined. When she saw the deceased, three weeks before his death, she told the prisoner to use him well, as he was a dying
child. Between that time, and the 24th of November, the boy got worse, and he died on the 27th. 

 

By a Juror. She never heard of any dispute between the prisoner and Margaret BEACH. 

 

 

[to be continued] 

 

 

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