Yes I agree. The following was reported in the Leinster Express. It's the most comprehensive cover of the story: Bridget Nolan was indicted for having, on the 7th of December last, assaulted Margaret Nolan, her infant child, by tying a certain handkerchief and string about its neck, and then, that she feloniously, wilfully, and with malice aforethought, did then fix, tie, and fasten said string about its neck, so as to suffocate and strangle it.
Anne Byron sworn and examined by Mr. Griffih – Witness keeps lodging house at Carlow; the prisoner had a healthy female child; in the morning of 7th December she was feeding it; but it would not swallow the food; about night-fall she left the lodging saying she was going to the doctor with the child; about a lapse of two hours she returned with it; having asked her where the baby was she answered she left it at Tullow-street; with a woman who said it was too sick to take out in the cold; witness then said she should account for the infant; she got her husband to lockup the prisoner, until the police were sent for; saw the same child dead in the police barrack, of Graigue; it was about a month old.
Cross-examined by Mr. Cruise – Some children of a month old are subject to convulsions: infants may be well to-day and dead to-morrow; the prisoner also said on her return that she left the child with its father; always considered the girl to be steady; heard that she lived in the Asylum, where she had the child with a man living there; heard her tell the police that the father of the child was a married man.
Henrietta Colclough examined by Mr. Corballia – She stopped in the same lodging house with the prisoner at Carlow; the child appeared to be a healthy one; on the evening the prisoner left the house witness followed her to a lane, which lead into the fields opposite the church; the child was crying at the time, witness then returned; she afterwards saw the prisoner at the lodging; but the child was not with her then; the child she saw at the inquest was Bridget Nolan’s.
Constable Larke examined – The prisoner was handed over to him by the Carlow police; he found a child in Thompson’s field; she said she had buried hers there; she said it died of convulsions; and that she had buried it there for want of a coffin.
Head-Constable Lowther, of the Carlow station got the prisoner from the first witness, on the evening of the 7th of December; he cautioned her in the usual manner; she then stated that she left the child at a lodging house in Graigue; he went with her to that place, when she stated that it was no use to go farther; as she had thrown the child into the Barrow; she then added that it was born at Leghlin-bridge; and that it was christened Margaret Nolan, by the Rev. Mr. Sinnott; it was about 6 weeks old.
Ebenezer Bolton, Esq., M. D., examined the infant at inquest, on the 10th of December; the child had impression of some handkerchief or some woven substance being tightly pulled round its neck; I should say that it came by its death in consequence of strangulation; the child had been a very healthy one to all appearance.
Mr. Cruise addressed the jury for the prisoner.
The jury having handed in a verdict of guilty.
The prisoner was ordered to be removed, before she was taken away, his Lordship told her it would be his distressing duty hereafter, to pass on her the awful sentence of death.
