THE BINGHAM CHILD. MURDER CASE. MEMBERS OF A COUNTY FAMILY ACCUSED. The Doctor Apprehended. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 248, 21 March 1888, Page 9

THE BINGHAM CHILD. MURDER CASE. MEMBERS OF A COUNTY FAMILY ACCUSED. The Doctor Apprehended. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. )

London, January 13. A child-murder case of a remarkable character, is causing a great sensation in Nottinghamshire, and will probably develop into a cattse celebre. The circumstances arc as follows :—A dead child was found by tho police in a front garden footpath of the village of Bin&rham on Boxing Day. The inmate of the house, a Mrs Rayson, told the police the curious story that she had seen it there on Christmas Day, had examined it in the presence of hor servant, removed it into a garden shed, and replaced it on the foolpath on the following day. In the interval she had received visitors, but had not thought it wise to say anything about her remarkable discovery to anyone but the servant and her married daughter, Mrs Sansom. The police found a piece of white cloth round tho child's neck, and it was marked Rayson. Strange to say, Mrs Rayson could not account for this singular coincidence. At the coroner's inquest an unmarried daughter was too unwell to appear. The police were very curious to know the exact nature of Miss Rayson's illness and the date of its commencement. A Dr, Moore, Mrs Rayson and Mrs Sansom all seemed to be cognisant of the young lady's indisposition and yet could not tell a very intelligible story about it. Dr. Moore, on being pressed, however, admitted the possibility ot certain natural suspicions, , His evidence did not give either the coroner or the jury satisfaction, and, as the latter jri , their verdict of "wilful murder" againßfc person or persons unknown, expressed a strong opinion about it, his subsequent arrest

caused little surprise. Mrs Ttayeon and Mrs Sansom were also apprehended, and Miss Rayson, who continues very ill, was placed under strict supervision. Tho Accused Before the Magistrate At a special sitting of the Notts magistrates at Binghani yesterday, Dr. Samuel James Moore, Mrs Jane Rayson, Miss Mary Jane Kay son and Mrs Sansom were charged with the wilful murder of a child ac Bingluun on tho 3rd December. The case created great interest in the locality. Mrs Rayson is tho widow of a Bingham tradesman, and the other two female prisoners aro her daughters. Somo time ago Dr. Moore had apnrimenls it) Mrs Kayson's house, and after leaving there continued to act as medical attendant to Miss Rayson. On tho 3rd of December, while Mrs Hansom was on a visit at her mother's house, Miss Rayson was taken ill. Tho maided vant was kept out of the room, and alter a time Dr. Moore was sent lor. On Christmas Day the servant, on loturning fiom caily sen ice at church, had her attention called by Mrs Rayson to a bundlo in the garden. They unwrapped it, and found it contained the body of a fully-developed male child. Mrs Rayson locked the body up in thegaiden house, and on the following morning replaced it on the gaiden p'lth and sent for tho police. The child had a cord tied tightly round its neck, and was wrapped in a napkin markod with the name of Rayson. At the coroner's inquest Dr. Moore was examined, and said he believed that on the 3rd December, befoie he was called in, Miss Rayson had been prematurely confined, although ho fhw no child. Drs. Eaton and \Villiams, a\ ho had mado a post-mortem examination of tho body found in Mrs Rayson's garden, expressed their belief that the child had been born alive, and that death had resulted from btiangulation caused by the cord tied round its neck. Mrs Rayson, Mrs >Sans>om, and Miss Kayson denied that the latter had given birth to a child. In the end the coroner's jury returned a veuliet of " Wilful murder against some person or poisons unknown "on the 6th instant. The police an ested the four prisoners on the capital charge. — The magisterial investigation yesterday occupied nine hours, and at its conclusion the Bench dismissed the charge against Dr. Moore, Mrs Rayson, and Mrs San.som, but committed Miss Rays-on for trial, accepting bail, herself in £200 and two sureties in £100 each.