CHILD MURDER IN MAIDSTONE.

Yesterday (Thursday) morning, as Charles Hickmott, landlord of the "Hammer and Hand" beerhouse, Upper Stone street, and John Ring, of Bonny’s yard, were about 3 o’clock engaged in cleaning out a closet, used by the residents of Nos. 31 and 32, Tufton-street, they discovered the body of a female child in the hole. They at once gave information to the police, and a constable went with them, and in his presence Ring took the body out. The constable took possession of it, and brought it to the police station. Dr. Leney, surgeon to the police force, has examined the body, and is quite satisfied that the child was born alive, full grown, and healthy, and that death has been caused by bleeding, the umbilical cord having been roughly snapped asunder, and not tied. Supt. Gifford made active inquiries during the day, and has communicated the particulars of the case to the coroner, who will hold an inquest this day (Friday). The child is supposed to have been dead about three weeks. A full report of the inquest will appear in the Second Edition.

From the Maidstone Telegraph and West Kent Messenger, 4 December, 1869.

SUPPOSED CHILD MURDER AT MAIDSTONE. INQUEST.

An inquest on the body took place at the Town-hall, on Friday afternoon, before J. B. Stephens, Esq., coroner, and a respective jury, of which Mr. Marshall was chosen foreman. The first witness called was Charles Hickmott, who stated:- I live in Upper Stone-street, and keep the "Hammer and Hand" beerhouse. On Thursday morning last, about 3 o’clock, I was engaged in company with another man named Ring, emptying a closet in Tufton-street. While at work, my mate said, "There is a dog or cat down the hole." I told him he had better get the light, and look and see if it was a child. He afterwards told me it was a child. The child I have just seen is the same. I told him to let it remain till I fetched a policeman, as I saw it was quite dead. I went to the police-station and gave information, and the child was handed over to the police. The child was lying back upwards in the soil, and the face buried. The body looked very white and clean considering the place it was in. I thought it had not been there but a few days. There was nothing round the body when I discovered it; but quite naked I don't know the names of the occupiers of the house, as I was employed by Mr. Baldwin, rent collector, to do the work. I do not know the number of the houses. The closet is a public one, used by six or eight houses. Any person passing along the street, could have easy access to the closet, as the gates of the passage are never shut. The closet where the body was found is the nearest to the street, and on the south side of it.

Sergt. Wm. Rhodes said:— I was at the police station on duty yesterday morning, when the last witness told me they had got a child in a closet in Tufton-street, and wished me to go there. I went to the place, and found the child in the hole as already described. I got Mr. Ring to take it out, and it was conveyed to the police-station. Careful inquiries have been made by the police authorities, but at present no clue has been found as to who the mother of the child is. The child according to my opinion, could not have been there long.

Mr. Leney, surgeon to the police force, stated:- Yesterday morning. about 12 o'clock, I was requested to attend at the station, and was showed the body of a female infant, which the jury have just seen. It is a full size. No marks of violence upon it, and it is too much decomposed to form an opinion whether it was thrown in the hole alive. A post mortem examination would have been useless, as far as regards opening the child. It is, judging from its size, a nine months' child. If not still-born, it could not have lived any length of time. The umbilical cord is torn off, and not secured, thereby causing bleeding. With regard to what the witnesses said regarding the fresh appearance of the body, the reason of it is in consequence of it having been immersed in water. In my opinion the body had been there two or three weeks, and I come to this conclusion in consequence of its distended appearance. It is impossible to say whether the child was born alive or not.

The Coroner said they had done the best, with the aid of the Supt., and could only return a verdict of "Found Dead." The matter is in the hands of the police, and if the person is found she can be proceeded against by the magistrates.

A verdict of "Found Dead," with no marks of violence was returned.