September 1909 at the Britannia Inn, Cleadon, 19 year old
Dorothy Harrison began her
new job as a general maid. Mrs Ellison Dorothy's employer said that Dorothy
looked
unwell but she still had to carry out her duties, and she was also told to
share a bedroom
with her own 8 year old son. That night as the boy slept, silencing her screams
and
groans Dorothy gave birth, taking care not to waken the household during the
early
hours.
The next morning at 7.30 Dorothy was seen going to the pigsty with a blood
stained
bundle and returning empty handed. Other members of the household went in
search of
the bundle and found the body of a new born baby. When Mrs Ellison was told
about
this Dorothy's bed was searched and large blood stains were found, the police
were
then called who then took Dorothy to the infirmary were they confirmed she had
recently
given birth. It was also confirmed that the baby had not died from birth but
had been
suffocated with a handkerchief, which had been tightly jammed into it's mouth.
When charged with the wilful murder of her child Dorothy replied "I did not
know what I
was doing" The defence for Dorothy said that she was so afraid of being found
out that
she had tried to stop the sound of the baby crying by putting the handkerchief
into it's
mouth. Convicted for the concealment of the birth Dorothy was bound over to be
of
good behaviour.
