Catharine Banfield proceedingsdefend , of St. Sepulchre's , was indicted for the inhumane Murther of John Cornish proceedingsvictim , a Child of a Year and a Half old, by willfully burning it in a Fire on the 16th of June last, of which it instantly died .

The Mother of the Deceas'd with the utmost Concern depos'd, That the Child was burnt from the Waist so the Toes in a surprising Manner, and that the Prisoner, who was its Nurse, did not acquaint them with it till the Saturday after its Death, which happened on Wednesday.

William Cornish < no role > , Father of the Deceas'd depos'd, That the Nurse would have buried the Child from her own House, without letting them into the secret Cause of its Death, telling him it died of an After-clap Fit (a difficult Term to Construe.)

The Prisoner in her Defence said, That the Fire happened by Accident to take hold of the Child's Cloaths, and that she being out of the Room, it was unfortunately burnt before any one could come to its Assistance. The Court was induced to believe this Account from the following Circumstances: First, Because the Prosecutor could not prove that the Prisoner was conscious or fore apprized of the Accident. And 2dly, It seem'd a Contradiction, That a Woman should in such a Manner contribute, or be any Ways assistant towards the Death of the Child, when at the same Time she took it but for weekly Wages, and by Consequence proposed some Advantage to herself from the Child's Life, but could propose none from its Death; upon which Consideration the Jury acquitted her.