The Virginia Gazette

LONDON, March 7. A young Woman, Servant to Mr. Gregory a Farrier in Governor-street, had been for some Time suspected by her Mistress to be with Child, who often asked her if it was so, and advised her to confess it, but She always positively denied it: At length on Friday Afternoon last, she went into the Necessary-House, where she locked herself in, and continued near an Hour and a half: Upon her coming out her Mistress seeing her extremely ill, readily conjectured what was the Cause of her Ailment, and as she obstinately persisted in her Denial, sent for a Midwife to discover the Truth; in the mean Time a Man happening to go into an adjoining House of Office, was frightened upon hearing the Cries of a Child, and alarmed the Neighbourhood by calling out Murder. Assistance immediately came, the Vault was opened, and the poor Infant-boy found with its Head wounded and bleeding, having by falling on some cross Bars escaped dropping into the Soil, where it must have perished. The cruel Mother had cunningly conveyed it out of the Necessary-house where she was delivered into the next, by a Hole which had been observed for some Time to grow gradually larger, and was undoubtedly widened by her for that Purpose. When it was first brought to her she had that Hardness of Heart to look at it in its bloody Condition, seemingly with Unconcern, as if it did not belong to her, but proper Enquiry being made, and every Circumstance concurring against her, she at last owned the Child to be hers, and declared that the Son of a Person in that Neighbourhood was the Father. She continues at her Master's House 'til she recovers some Strength, and the Child is likely to live.