Serious Charge Against an Irish Lady.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 90, 16 April 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

Serious Charge Against an Irish Lady.

! Mrs Monta-ju in Court. Committed foii Maxs^avjctiticr. The magisterial investigation of (ho charge against Mrs Montagu, who is uccused of causing tho death of hor littlo daughter Helen, aged three year--, was resumed ab Coleraino on February 2oth. Accused, who was on bail, drovo to Cotcraine an hour baforo tho Court sab, boing accompanied by hor husband and brother. Only reporters and oflioials were admitted to tho Court. Mdlle. Rose Dosell, French governess, said sho was in ch'trsro of Mt*3 Montagu's children on tho 13th inst., during that lady's absence. Little Helen misbehaved, and witness placed her in a wardrobe near tho children's bedroom, and locked tho door. Soma timo later Mis Montagu returned home, and witness informed her of tho way in .which sho had punished Helen. Nearly live hours later Mrs Montagu called witness up to tlio bedroom, and .--ha saw tho child lying naked on the bed. Meantine sho had scon nothing of the littlo girl. They (witness nnd accused,) gavo the child a hot bath, administered brandy, and attempted to restore animation. Witness afterwards concluded the child was dead. Tho littlo girl had had food ab 11. that day as usual. There was a door leading from Mrs Montagu's' bedroom to the children's bedroom. Emily O'Hara, housemaid, said she saw the child alive shortly before ono on fctiC 13th, and a littlo timo later saw the governess go to Helen's bedroom. About live that same evening she was summoned to I accuseds room and sent for hot ■ water. Tho child was then in bed, bub when witness returned accused placed the little ono in a bath. Mary Burns, another servant, deposed to seeing Helen apparently in good health at aboub one o'clock on bho 13th, and this closed the case for tho prosecution. ! Mr Leech, for tho defence, said tho charge was ono of feloniously killing and slaying tho child, and, though the case had been prejudiced by tho writings of gentleman who knew little of the laws of evidence and loss of fair play, ho ventured to say that tho worst charge that could bo brought against his client was (hat ot indiscretion, and to ask tho Bench bo hold that thero was nothing to justify them in returning the accused for trial as desired by the j ' prosecution. The principal evidence | against her was her own sworn statement. !' Mrs Montagu was, ho contended, neither , morally nor legally responsible for this un- • fortunate affair. Sho might havo eon- ; coaled facts, bub, conscious of her innocence, she was a truthful witness beforo tho coroner. Mr Lane, for the Crown, asked the Bench : to say a prima facie case had been estab- . lished; and the magistrates, after five - minutes' deliberation, decided to commib tlio accused, requiring £700 bail. They , then proceeded to hear the further charge i of systematic cruelty against the accused. Cecilia Wallace, of Liverpool, deposed that she acted as governess ab ('romoro . aboub bwo years ago. She remained three 3 months. On ono occasion sho saw Walter - Montagu, aged four years, tiod bo a tree ( after breakfast, and he remained there al3 good part of the afternoon. His dinner was j • placo'l on a plate on the graa3. She had I also seen him locked in the dark closet. | c On one occasion ho was missing for about \ 1 eight days from his usual plane in tho j 1 house, except at meal-times. When sho l next saw him he had bruises on his nock j and face, and looked ill, and the backs of • ( his hands were polled as if from stagnated i blond. On ono occasion she heard Mrs | J Montagu knocking ono of the children -i badly about in a room. She threatened, ! ! when leaving, to inform against her. j i Esther Emma James, formerly nurse at | ; Cromoro, deposed she once saw cords hang- j 1 ing in t'.-e dark closet near the children's f. bedroom. Two days later she saw Gilbert |•• Montagu, aged five, with marks upon his j-J elbows and back, and pieces of flesh out of 1 Lis toes. In October last Austin Montagu t was locked in tne wardrobe. Accused told c her thab was her way of punishing children. \ She did ib to save their sou's, and did not mind their bodies. c