THE ALLEGED POISONING.

Auckland Star, Volume XVI, Issue 3807, 21 October 1882, Page 2

THE ALLEGED POISONING.

Further Particulars,

There is very little to add to tho narrative we published yesterday, concerning the char k e« of poisoning made-by the girl Amy Charlotte Hedges against her father, J. C. HidgoH. Tbe exhumation of the body «ai concluded at seven o'clock last ereniug, and the coflin, which was in a good state of preservation, was ide»tified by Mr Jamieson. It wss removed to the morgue by directionßof Detective Strathoro, to await the post mortem cxumintion. Further cuqtlhits shew that the statements of tho girl are highly improbable indeed, aad as we remarked ytsterday, no importance can bo attached to them unless arsenic is really di>.« covered, Mr Hedges denies that his daughter purchased tho anenic in JLondou, as alleged. Headmitsbavingliadtbebottleof poison in the houae, but says he bought it himself, fr«m Mr Henderson, chemist, Ponaonby, and that it was used in poisoiing rats, with which the jjully where ke lives U infested. He further states that We was feeding his wife on the Sunday morning, and endeavouring to induce her to take a little food, hut that

His Daughter could not sco what

Nfio Described,

A« nt tbe »imo eho wai not on iho verandah but.to tho|back kUchon washing up, and th.t it she had screamed, tho next door nelgbour, Mrs Leuunon, vthceo roomn were only separaied by a ihin partition from his own, must have heard hor. I'aremhctically, we may reniarlc that the giils ttaioments dill'er somewhat on UiU point. In tho cosvesatiou with our repo-ter, she g.id she saw tt.o feeding through the crack of the door; while tho police wore informed that she was ktanding on the verandah looking through a window, when nbo observed it. Tbo homeopathic medicine tbat he hud ; been giving his wife was belladonna. Sbe hod been gradually failing week after we«k, and seemed to have a lit of paralysis, as she at lost lost the uso of her limbe, and had to be carried fiom one room to the other, t n the Sunday she teemed belter, and tat up in tho sitting-room in a. cbair. On the Monday before ho wost to work, «he spoke to him about lome matters of dress, and seemed t« toink abo would g«t better. Fathbr or Stepfather ? Mr Hedges bring, forward proof tbat the girl is his daughter, and not ihe child of his wifo by a former wariiage, as sht asserts. Iv his family BiWo appears Ihe followhg entry :—" John Cobb Hedges and Ellen Hoon, marriod at Oxford Church, Suffolk, on August 2Jtb, 1g65." Ho has also sevcr»l letter* in his pos etwion Jrora hi» brother-in-law and mother-in-law, and the* all bsnr tho name "Boon," so tbat this it Btrongly corroborative of what he says. The b»ptisinal certificate of Amy Charlotte Hedges shows tbat she was chritUned in the paiish of Paddiugton, aud, bear, ing as it doe*, tho dato August sth, ISC6, leads to the »cry natural conclosiou that she wss born after tho mariUgo referred to. Mr Hcdstes »ays his daughter baa been a source of constant trouble and annojaice to him, before a»d ciica the death of his wife, She has run away from home sever»l times, add was untidy and ne»lrc'ful of her hoaiehold duties. Sbe was ill with brain fov«r some little time boforo bor mother's death, bad been subject to faintiDg fits and had several very vivid dreams.

Statements of Neighbours,

Mr and Mrs Lcmmon, next door neigh-' hours of tbe Hedges', and Mre S«rvice who was ficqueirly with the deceasod woman during her illness, both oon»id»r that the relations of the husband and .wife wore affectionate aad happy, and allbolievo that Mrs Hedges hRd no suspicion whatever of poisoning. ISfither did tho I.cmmons hear the cries which ;the girl rays sho gftvo vent to when ohe saw her f»ther feeding her mother. Mr A Campbell, milkman, Wellington-street, calltd at this ollicj to day. Ho states that he w«s well acquainted wlfh tho deceased Mrs Hedges, She on one occasion Informed him that her daughter Amy was a Btrango child, snd had peculiar notion*. Ho admits, however, that bo bad seen little or nothing of her during th« 3ant tbrco months. Mr Josinh Dell iuformn us that he lived wi«h the Hedges for fonr months, and during the wholo of that time the relations between Mr and Mrs Hedges were of the most happy kind. Both wero hommpathists. Mrs Hedges was always more or less ill. Tho girl, Amy, on wboso statements the police have acted, was always subject to fils, and eccentric in her manner ar,d tolk. Tho mother had said to Mr Dell on nwe than one occasion that unless the child cot better sho would have to be put under some iostrfiiut.| THE POST MORTEM. The body of Mrs Hedge* was opened at the Morgue this »f rernoos by Dr Seldsbro', in the pre«cnce of Mr Superintendent Thowp son. The contents of the stomach wore p'need in sealoi bottles, and will to forwarded to Mr J. A. Pond, Government Ana'yst, for examination.