The Winton Murders.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XVII, Issue 3601, 11 June 1895, Page 3

The Winton Murders.

■straordiaary l»l«*loiure«

Invercakgill, June 10. At the inquest on the skeleton of the child found in the Dem's garden at Winton, Margaret Cameron, who had lived with the Deans fourteen years, deposed that a child named Cyril Scoullar, was brought from Oamaru by Mrs Dean about five years ago. He remained at the Larches about three years. One day in April, about two years ago, when all the grown up peop'e about the house were absent, he diaappeaied, and Mrs Dean satd he had been taken away in a bu*ey by a lady from Gore. She saw her give the child laudanum that morning. Never heard of anyone being seen about the the place with a buggy that .'ay. Mrs Dean afterwards said tb* child had gene to Sysney and showed witness a photo of him, but she did not believe it was his. She remembered a boy named Henry being brought by Mrs Dean five years ago, He was there eight or nine months, and disappeared in the same way, wheu no one but Mrs Dean and the children were about the house. She eaid a l*dy from Wallacetown had taken him. Mrs Dean afterwards showed her a photo of the child, on the back rf which was wri ten "From Henry S. Thomson, with love to Mrs Dean." The writing was Mrs Dean's. She remembered a boy Sydney McKernon being brought to the Larches four years ago, Mrs Dean said from Dunedtn; He was a few weeks old. A woman came twice to enquire about that child two or three years ago next November; Constable Ra?mussen came with her the second time. Sydney had disappeared about twelve months before. Witness was at Mataura at the time, and was told the child had cone to a lady about Woodlands. Mrs Dean did not like this child. She said she had denied to the mother that she had the child, as a solicitor in Dunedin had told her he did not want the mother to know anything about it, and that the had written to the solicicor, telling him where the child Was. She also said the sister of the Woodlands lady would like to take another of the children. Another child, Willie Phelan, Mrs Dean brought from Dunedin five yews &tm. He wm then about two years old. She had a case in Caurt in InvcrcargiU about him, and afterwards tcok him to Dunedin, but brought him back. Mrs Olsen was Willies mother. The child remained at the Lwahes a few months after September, 1893, and disappeared when no one was about the house but Mrs Dean, wno said a woman from Invercargill came for him. She never met anyone who s*w them about the place* Mrs Dean did not treat this child well—would knock him down, and seizing him by the hah'bump his headon the flow. She had a dislike to the child. Mrs Dean was in the habit of getting drunk, but was always sober when she abused the child. Some children she treated well, others not so well. She vied to get drunk by herself. Cyril Scoullar was about four yews when he disappeared. He had dark hair* She did not think he had lost his teeth, neither had Willie Phelan. Saw the skeleton. The hair was like Willie Phelan s, but his was curly. T-e cbild MoKernanhair was fair and tlenry'a reddish. She still thought the skeleton was Willie Phelan a. disappeared when about twelve months old gather Wallace corroborated Margaret Cameron's evidence regarding disappearance of children, and said she was Bent out of the way on all occasions, ghe never heard anyone say they had seen people come on tke days the children went away. Saw no tracks of a buggy to the house. All the clothing was about the place afterwards. She did not believe the photo Bhown by Mrs Dean was Cyril's. Mrs Dean made her take all the children with her, and only the one that disappeared was left behind in the house on each occasion. From the hair she thought the skeleton was Willie Phelan's whose new velvet suit was in*' the house after he disappeared. Mrs Dean was unkind to Scoullar and Phelan as described by the previous witness. Sergeant McDonnell said the girl was not now do willing to give evidence. Charles Dean, after his liberation, had forced himself into the Charitable Aid Board's home and communicated with her although warned not to do so. Mary Caroline McKernon, of the Bluff, deposed that she was a single woman. She had a boy child in D,unedin on March 14, 1892. It was given to a woman giving her name as Minnie McKellar, !?he believed she was paid a premium. Afterwards macfe enquiries and visited the Larches twice, and law the woman there. She got a baby on the aeeond occasion. Mrs Dean abused her, and denied that she got the child from her, Mary Margaret Olsen, Dunedin, deposed phi wm the mother of Willie Phelan, who -srwild be six years if alive, Mrs Dean got £20, and legally adopted the boy. Had not seen him since 1893. He had fair curly hair, and all his teeth. Mrs Hogan, who was aaid to have got the child from Mrs Dean, denied ever seeing him, although she bad offered her a child two or three years ago by letter. Never wrote to her. Constable Rasmussen deposed that Mrs Dean never would give him any information about the children He knew all the children, and was of opinion that the skeleton was Willie Phelan's. Dr McLeod depesed that the skeleton was that of a four-year-old child. The back teeth wereoof,u f, but they might have dropped ''In reply to the coroner, who asked if she wished to give evidence, Mrs i)eanmide no reply- ■ * The jury returned a verdict that the identity of the tkfcjeton was not established, but the evidence pointed strongly to the rewain* being thow of Willie Phelan, who had fyeen adopted by Minnie Dean.