HORRIBLE DISCLOSURES AT WIGAN.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 875, 17 October 1871, Page 3

HORRIBLE DISCLOSURES AT WIGAN.

At the Borough police court, "Wigan, Ann Burnes, whose surrender into custody on her own confession of having murdered her step-father twelve months ago has been already reported, was placed in the dock, and the chief constable (Mr Simm) in applying for a remand, mado a statement in which were some frightful disclosures of immorality and crime. The chief constable* said the prisoner was charged with murdering an old man name Edward M'Gravey, with whom, along with her mother, to whom the deceased was married, she had lived for many years. It appeared that the prisoner had had five children by her step-father, and that some of them were actually born during the lifetime of her mother. On Saturday morning the prisoner went to the police office to ask for the chief constable to whom she made a confession, which ho had reduced to writing. In this statement she said that she had lived a long time with her step-father, and that many people believed her to bo his wife. One night, rather more than twelve months ago, she gavo him some washing liquor mixed in his medicine and about a week afterwards she bought a pennyworth of white precipitate. She did not give it him all at ofice, but twice gave him some in lukewarm water, and made away with the rest. About a fortnight afterwards the old man died. She was tempted to murder him because he was insured in several societies, and since his death she had drawn nearly £3O. After his death shecould not rest " something " told her she must give herself up to the police, and at length she camo. This statement, said Mr Simm, had been carefully read over to her, and she said it was all true. The medical man (Dr Reilly) who attended the deceased was since dead; there had been no opportunity to get up the case and a remand was therefore requested. Before the Bench made any order he (Mr Simm) would read another confession she had made that morning, which related to two murders perpetrated about thirty years ago. Shortly before the court opened she sent for him, and said that she had not told him all she had done. She murdered her two children she had by M'Gravey about thirty years since. At that time her mother (M'Gravey's wife) was living with them and her mother knew about the children. The first was buried by ber mother, but prisoner did not know where, and the second was buried by some other woman. In conclusion, Mr Simm said that whatever doubt there might be as to whether the deceased M'Gravey had died from the effects of the precipitate—and according to her statement he did not die until a fortnight after it was administered—there was clearly an intention to murder if she had told the truth. Ann Duffy was called to prove the death of M'Gravey, and that the prisoner was living with him at the time. So far as witness could tell prisoner lived with deceased as his wife, and was a good woman to him. In reply to the usual question, the prisoner, who is- about fifty years of age and who looked very haggard and careworn, said she had nothing to say concerning the remand. The statement she had made to the chief constable was, she continued true. The prisoner was then remanded.