The Killing of Georgie Moore: A True-Life Victorian Mystery by Evans Colin

Author:Evans, Colin [Evans, Colin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Colin Evans
Published: 2013-05-06T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12: COMMITTAL

Newspaper concerns about the drawn-out nature of the Esther Pay hearings were beginning to exercise the leader writers. One paper worried that "while the prolonged examination into the murder of poor little Georgina Moore has dragged its slow length along at the Westminster Police Court,"[268] police attention was being unnecessarily diverted from other crimes. Certainly it was most unusual to hold so many pre-trial hearings, but, there again, this was a most unusual case. Criticism, though, has a wonderful way of concentrating the mind, even that of the legal profession. Hence, Poland's newfound brevity when – for the ninth time of asking – the Esther Pay hearing resumed on 22 March. After Dutton led off by recalling Marshall to learn if any new witnesses had been discovered – "Besides those witnesses who have been examined at this court, I don't think there are any who have not been called because they could not identify the prisoner,"[269] was the rather lame reply – Poland stood up to crisply announce that he had completed the case for the prosecution. He asked that the prisoner should be committed for trial at the assizes in Kent. This was a major concession. At long last, the Treasury Solicitor's Office had finally yielded jurisdiction over this case. Poland attempted to gloss over the TSO's previous stubbornness, saying that, at the time of the prisoner's arrest at Yalding, the only available evidence suggested that she had been seen with the murdered child in Pimlico, and she was, therefore, brought before a London magistrate. Initially, there had been no evidence that the child had been alive in Kent, but recent testimony had contradicted that view. As a consequence he respectfully asked for the committal of the prisoner to Maidstone under the provisions of Jarvis's Act (1848)– a course that had been adopted in other cases where, in the first instance, doubt existed over where the crime had been committed. He added that such action would be "more convenient for the attendance of the witnesses."[270]

Partridge, relieved to see the case finally off his docket, wasted no time. He decided there was a prima facie case against the prisoner and committed her for trial on a charge of murdering Georgina Moore. However, given the unusual nature of the case, he thought it only proper to give Dutton the right to address the court on behalf of the defence or to call any witnesses.

Dutton declined, at this time, to address the court. However, in the interests of his client, he seized on the magistrate's offer and said he would call three witnesses – the prisoner's father and mother and also her brother, who, Dutton warned the court, was subject to epileptic fits. Partridge agreed to this. First, though, he needed to address the prisoner. "Having heard the evidence do you wish to say anything in answer to the charge?" Before Esther could answer, Partridge issued the formal warning: "You are not obliged to say anything unless you desire to

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