1P8 



ANNUAL REGISTER, I8l6. 



the long knowledge he harl of her, 

 the deceased was of soimd mind 

 and understanding. 



William M'Lenn, minister of 

 the Independe.'it persnasion, stated 

 upon his oath, that he had several 

 times attended upon the deceased 

 during iier illness, when he ask- 

 ed the deceased if it was the 

 temptation of tlic moment that 

 led her to commit the horrid 

 crime whicli she had committed, 

 when the deceased replied it was 

 not through the temptation of the 

 moment or of the liour, but that 

 she had long intended it. Wit- 

 ness again asked the deceased 

 ■what it was that induced her to 

 do it, when she returned no direct 

 ans\^'er. Witness said, that at 

 the time this conversation passed, 

 the deceased was perfectly sensi- 

 ble in her mind. 



James \\'illiam Valentine and 

 John Frith, both of Bolsover 

 aforesaid, surp:eons, upon their 

 oaths stated, "that they had at- 

 tended upon the deceased, and 

 that she did, upon the 57th day 

 of Decendier, confess to themtliat 

 she had given to each of her chil- 

 dren a tea-spoonful of the same 

 powder (which the deceased had 

 informed them she then had in 

 her pocket) mixed in treacle, and 

 likewise that she had taken the 

 same powder herself in a larger 

 quantity. 



These two witnesses further 

 stated, that they had opened the 

 four bodies, and found the ap- 

 pearances to corre.>])ond with the 

 deceased's assertions to them, and 

 werejointlyof o])inon that the said 

 Sarah Wild the eh'.er, William 

 Wild, George \Vild, and Sarah 

 Wild the younger, came to their 

 deaths in consequence of their hav- 

 ing taken the same mineral poison. 



Several Avitnesses were called 

 in to pro\'c the said deceased 

 Sarah Wild the elder to be in- 

 sane. 



The Coroner having read over 

 tlie whole of the evidence, and 

 having charged the jmy to give 

 their verdict according to the 

 same, the jury upon a deliberate 

 consideration stated to the Co- 

 roner, that not having any proof 

 to their satisfaction of the insanity 

 of the deceased Sarali Wild the 

 elder, they gave their verdict upon 

 the three children of Wilful Murder 

 against the said Sarah Wild the 

 elder ; and a ■\crdict of Felo de se 

 against the said Sarah Wild the 

 elder was given accordingly. 



:^0. A fire broke o\it in the 

 house of an old maid, named Mary 

 Cock, living next door to the 

 Ship public-house^ in High-street, 

 Poplar, which, for a time, threat- 

 ened destruction to the neigh- 

 bourhood. The watc'-.man, see- 

 ing the flames burst foith from 

 the bottom part of the house, 

 gave an alarm to the inhabitants, 

 many of whom rushed naked into 

 the street. Thomas Milend, one 

 of the watchmen, on ascertaissing 

 that Mrs. Cock, who was nearly 

 80 years of age, had not escaped, 

 obtained a step-ladder, and got 

 uj) to the window of the room on 

 the first floor, where she slept. 

 The old lady now made her ap- 

 pearance, Jind opening the win- 

 dow, called for assistance. The 

 watchman seized her by the hand, 

 and endeavoured to persuade her 

 to come out on the window stone, 

 in order that he might lift her 

 out : this she refused to do in the 

 state in which she was, being at- 

 tired only in her night-gown ; 

 and, turning round, retired to get 

 some other articles of dress. At 



that 



