PECULIAR POISONING CASE.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 204, 27 August 1909, Page 4

PECULIAR POISONING CASE.

CHARGE AGAINST A MOTHER, COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. SYDNEY, August 21. The case in which Mr. George Arthur Burgess, M.L.A., proceeded against hit wife, Florence Gertrude Burgese, in the Children's Court at Bur-wood, before Mr, Maitland, S.M., reached a (finality, as fat as the preliminary hearing was concerned, yesterday. The information laid against Mrs. Burgess charged her with maliciously causing to be taken by her children —Mary Ger. trude, Jessie Florence, Clara Cecilia, Al« fred Edward, and George Stanislaus Young—a certain poison, to wit, lav? danum, thereby endangering their lives, at Abbotsford, on January 19. Mr. Mack (instructed by Mr. W. M. Daley) appeared for the complainant, and Mr. E. R. Abigail for the defence. The cases were heard together. Mary Gertrude Burgess stated that aha was 12 years of age, and resided with her father. On January 19 last she was living with her parents at Searle-street, Petershaim. After dinner on that day her mother asked her and her sisters and brothers to go for a walk. Her mother had a cocoa tin with her. At a grocer* shop, not far from the park, her mother got a bottle of wine. From there they went to Leichhardt, where her mother went into a chemist's shop, telling the children to stay outside. The mother did not stay there very long. They then went on to Annandale, wher the mother entered another chemist's shop, again leaving the children outside. When sHa came out they caught a tram and weal to Abbotsford. They -went out in a boat and it began to rain. Her mother go| the bottle of wine and broke it, and pour./ ed the wine into the cocoa tin. She then ; poured some stuff into it, which was dark brown in colour. She poured tint into the tin from a bottle about 6ia long. She gave them a drink, saying it -would make them warm, and she also took some herself. All the children bad some. The youngest—George: —was fouf years of age. After that they went back, and witness felt sick and also giddy. They got into the tram, and went baelc to Leichhardt, and then home, where the mother said she was sick, and wens to He down. She told witness to go up and send a wire to Mrs. LiddelL Witness did so, and then went to Mn. Jonas. On the way she felt sick, and when ah* got to Mrs. Jones' she was very sick. She -went home again with Mrs. Jones, and when she got there she saw hef brothers and sisters were sick. I&r fatht'r came home, and the doctor came. After the doctor came, she had some strong coffee and some salt and water, which made some of them vomit. Her father brought Georgie out,, and lit (George) was stiff. His face was white, and his teeth clenched. Her father forced his fingers between them, and told wit" ness to get some salt and water for him. Afterwards Dr. Lawee also came. Her father had 'been walking George up and down all night. By Mr. Abigail: She did not see George pick the tin up and carry it. She had been living with her father since her mother went to the hospital. Her daddy never told them anything about the case, although he had spoken about it. In Jessie's presence he said to witness, "Now, tell mc what evidence you are going to give, or what you are going to say at the Court." Witness thought she remembered her father saying, "My God, you've attempted to poison the children." By Mr. Mack: Her auntie was looking after her at Manly now. Her father did not tell her what to say. Dr. Thomas Bolger said he heard Mary Burgess giving evidence about being giddy and retching. Those were sympr toms of opium and laudanum poisoning. He remembered going to Mr. Burgess* place on January 19 last, at 7 o'clock in the evening. He saw Mrs. Burgess lying on the bed in a room* The children were trying to vomit, but witness did not see them vomit anything. Mrs, Burgess told him she had given the children some wine. Witness asked if they had anything else : except the wine, and she replied that she gave them a little laudanum, because they were feeling cold. Witness had never heard of laudanum being given for a cold. He examined the children, and they had symptoms of opium poisoning— 1 that was, four of them —some worse than the others. He gave them some salt andVwater to drink to make them vomit and bring up the poison. He then ordered them some coffee, which counteracts the effects of opium. The children were very sleepy. There was a symptom of opium poisoning. He left, and returned again about 10 o'clock. The children were drowsy and sleepy, but were better otherwise. At about one o'clock in the morning he called again, and saw Mr. Burgess walking the youngest child up and down. His pupils were very contracted, and he was very sleepy. The pulses were very relaxed, and he could not stand by himself. Those would be symptoms of acute opium poisoning. Laudanum that is bought from chemists is of a very dark brown colour, almost black. He saw the size of the bottle Mary Burgess indicated. The contents of such a bottle would account for the condition of the children. The youngest boy was in a dangerous condition. Without treatment he was liable to have died from laudanum poisoning. The other two children were not so bad. Dr. Lawes (of Petersham) also gave medical evidence. Jessie Burgess gave evidence as to their journey to Abbotsford on January 19, and Btated she saw her mother go into a chemist's shop. When they were out in the boat they got caught in a shower of rain, and complained of feeling cold, and the mother said Bhe would give them something that would warm them. The mother poured some wine into a cocoa tin, and also some stuff from a little bottle. She poured about half-an-ineh of fluid from the little bottle. The mother gave that to Mary to drink, and then poured out some more, and gave it to witness. Witness said she did not want to drink it, but her mother said she must, as it would make her warm. The mother gave it all round. All of them were afterwards sick. Elizabeth Liddell, residing at Surryhills, said that on January 19 last she arrived at Mrs. Burgess's place at about 9 p.m. Mrs. Burgess was lying on a bed, also two of the children. M"Burgess said she gave them the laudanum because they got cold. Witness asked her what she took the laudanum for, and she said, "I would sooner take it than be disgraced. I prefer death before dishonour." Amy Williams also gave evident) after which Mrs. Burgess, who reserved her defence, was committed to take her trial at the Quarter Sessions, on October 5. Bail was allowed, in one case self in £50, with one surety in £50, $\ai in the other cases, self in *B 2 "