AN INHUMAN GRANDMOTHER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2315, 8 June 1886, Page 2

AN INHUMAN GRANDMOTHER.

At the High Court of Justtu burgh, on March 15,'MargaretftoberUon, or Brown, was placed at the bar on a chartp of having murdered hor tffo grand» children, Maggie Br,own, about four yean of ago, and Jeannie Brown, between two and three years of age, by placing thorn 'fj on the fire in her son's house at Inver- \ keithing, Fifeshire,. on the morning of \ Now Year's Day. The indictment set forth that in tko house in Queen-street, Inverkeithmg, occupied by her son, Riohard Brown, jun.,Btonedroaier,sholaid hold of the children by tho hair of the head, and placed them upon a fire of •live coals, whereby Maggie .Brown was severely burned on the head »ndjj&, and in' consequence died on Jasffy 14,' wid Jeannie Birown was ..severely burned about the left side and othor parts of her body, and, in consequence, died on January I The woman, who is apparently over fifty, .years of age, pleaded generally that she was not guilty, and her ceunsel- submitted' a special dotonco that at, the time of- the alleged act she was insane, or otherwiseunconscious of the crime the was allegud to havo committed, by reason .of somnambulism. In the course of the evidence Janet Olark, or Smith, .deposed that she lived on tho first ilat above • Mnjjrown (tho prisoner), and that the lat'flfome into hor room on the forenoon) Year's Day. and said it was " an awful job," and that the " laddies, were saying that she had burned Richard's bits of babies," and added, "May.flodlookdowu upon me in mercy if I havo done any harm." Prisoner added that shessw snmo people and a big woman,and * boaßt come into the house. She thought ih'» ,■ caught the beast. She', was perfectly ' sober at tho time, and was wringing her ' hanij and crying. Witness had 10011 tho prisoner in drink. Mrs Oeorgina Baig Simpßon, or M'Culloch, demised that tho priaonor called on her, aiAiiid, "This is an awful scrape I,v» gwflnto," Her son was then away for, the, police. The prisoner came back again, and told what • had happened, and said sho ''did not know what had come over, her;" that a big woman had come into the house,.' and that she thought the .woman wai taking advantage of hor, and she said tho' children were tho show people's children. ' She added that she took Maggie by the hair, and put her «n the -fin*that Maggie cried out, and she theiifflk'her " off, and then put Jeannie ITOthat : ' Jeannie struggled to get off,'L;then something came over her (the prisoner), and sho was not able to takoithe child off. She was grieved and exoitejU'during' all the time she was telling" the story. • Witness had known prisoner all her life, v and she had never known her in such a condition before. When.fto prisoner took a "heavy dram" she was usually • excited. After further evidence the jury ' returned a verdict of culpable homicide. ' - On March 17 Lord MoLaren s«ntenced ' tho prisoner to ten years' pent!) servitude. The prisoner exhibited no emotion when she heard the sentence, ■■•■■.'■ i

;Uoctor3 Gave Him Up.&s it p os gi. ble that Mr Godfrey is up work andouredbyaoBimplea remedy T- 'fj assure yau itja true that hi i«.entirely cured, and with nothing but Am, Co.i Hop Bitters, and only ten days ago ; Mj "ff* gave him up and eaid ha S die.". u m^mmi\i»«m go this minufc tad & •&« f«W war George. T %;»» jb^,»!fa^'