Kentish Gazette, 27 January 1857.

HERNHILL. CHILD MURDER.

A young married couple, named Collyer, have recently left this village as government emigrants for Australia; and soon after their departure a report was set afoot that the woman had left behind a murdered child of her own, of which her husband was not the father. In consequence inquiries were instituted, and sufficient ascertained to justify a coroner’s inquiry — the body having been brought forward by the grandmother, who admitted that her daughter had it and strangled it. An inquest was instituted on Thursday last, before Mr. Delasaux, at the "Red Lion," Hernhill, when the following details were elicited:—

Charlotte Butcher, who was the first witness, deposed that she was a widow, residing in the parish of Hernhill. She knew the body of the female infant now produced; it was born of Amelia, the wife of William Collyer, on the evening of Friday, the 9th instant, at her (witness’s) house, situate at Waterham, near Hernhill. At the time the child was born she was in a lower room of the house; and the same evening, between the hours of six and seven, she saw the deceased lying under the clothes by the side of the mother. She believed it was then alive. Witness observed a piece of string round the neck of the infant, and asked its mother how it came there? She replied, "The child was born alive, and I took my garter and tied it round its neck; for it docs not belong to William (meaning her husband), and I should never hear the last of it." Witness said, "You are a wicked girl — how can I stop here where you are?" when she answered, "Don’t you make any trouble, mother; we must pray to the Lord to forgive us." Witness then went down stairs to get a pair of scissors, for the purpose of cutting the navel string, but when she got back the mother of the deceased had broken it. The mother then wrapped the body of the infant in her flannel petticoat, and witness placed it under the bed, where it remained all night. On the following morning she put it into a closet in an adjoining room, where it was left till Tuesday, the 20th inst. On that day, inquiry being made relative to its sudden disappearance, she produced it to Mrs. Overy. She delivered it to the constable, who removed it from her house. The mother of deceased left witness’s house on Monday, the 12th inst., for the purpose of going with her husband to Australia. The mother of the child informed her that she had placed her apron round its head and tied the strings about its neck after it was dead. On the Monday morning, just before she left her house, witness said to her, "How can I stop here with that child in the house?" when she answered, "Don’t make it any trouble; put it into a basket, put some clothes over it, and bury it down in the garden after I am gone."

Susanna, wife of John Overy, lived under the same roof with Charlotte Butcher, and on Monday, the 12th instant, had some conversation with her, when she said Amelia (meaning her daughter, Amelia Collyer) had had a loss. On Tuesday evening last she went into the house of the last witness, at her request, and she said, "I wonder whether it is buried in the garden?" They both went and looked there, and then returned into the house. Shortly afterwards she said to her, "If you will stop with me I will fetch it down; it is in the house." She then left the room, went up stairs, and brought down the body of the deceased, placing it before the fire. She then untied the apron which was wrapped round the body, and witness saw a piece of string round its neck, which she took off and threw into the fire. Witness asked her — "However could you have it done?" but she made no reply. In about half an hour, afterwards the constable came to the house, and she gave the child to him."

William Smith, constable, stated that in consequence of certain reports he, with other persons, searched for the body of the deceased. At about half past six o’clock in the evening he received the body from the last witness, Mrs. Butcher being also present. It was then in the same state as when the surgeon examined it.

Robert Swindford Francis, of Houghton, surgeon, deposed that on Tuesday evening he saw the body of the female child that day viewed by the jury, wrapped in a cloth, with an apron round its head, the string of which was twice round its neck. It appeared to have been dead about a week or ten days, was of mature growth, and had every appearance of being a nine mouths’ child. The lower extremities were free from marks of violence, but the hands were clenched, and the head, face, and neck were very contused, swollen, and livid; the tongue protruded, and round the neck was a well defined indented impression with considerable redness and ecchymosis. Witness opened the body, and on examining the chest he found the viscera healthy; the lungs filled the chest, cupudated, and then passed and floated on water. From all this he was led to believe that the child was born alive; or, at all events, that respiration had been fully established. He next examined the head, and under the sculp was a great extravasation of blood, and the brain and vessels were greatly congested. From the livid appearance of the face, head, and neck, congestion of the brain, and extravasation of blood on the surface, combined with the indented impression round the neck, he believed the child died from strangulation produced by ligature.

The Coroner summed up, and said that the evidence of the surgeon would not of itself be conclusive as to the child having been born alive; but if they believed the evidence of the mother, they could do nothing else but return a verdict of wilful murder against the mother of the deceased.

The jury retired, and having consulted about a quarter of an hour, returned a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against Amelia Collyer.

A warrant was made out, and entrusted to Superintendent Green, for the apprehension of the woman, who was then with her husband, believed to be on board a ship lying in the Downs, preparatory to sailing.

It is said that Collyer, who is a very young man, is not the father of the child, and that he is quite ignorant of the suspicious circumstances connected with its death. He was married at Michaelmas last, and previously to her marriage his wife had been living as a servant in Margate. It also appears that she had before been delivered of an illegitimate child, which had died a natural death. The statements of the grandmother, who does not bear a very good character in the village, are contradictory as to the death of the child, but the last statement to which she adheres is that the mother strangled it immediately after it was born.

It turns out that the ship in which the accused had taken berth with her husband was not in the Downs, but was lying at Yarmouth, with 20 more vessels windbound, and; there she was found with her husband. Sergeant Leigh, of Lymington, who was despatched on board on the receipt, of the intelligence by the borough police, told the woman of the charge which she did not deny, and be consequently immediately conveyed her to Southampton, on Friday night, and on Saturday she was brought thence in custody. The husband was left on board the ship as the warrant did not mention him.

We understand that the mother (Mrs. Butcher) will be charged as an accessory after the fact — it not being in the power of the Coroner to deal with others than principals and accessories before the fact.