A MURDERED INFANT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 161, 8 July 1914, Page 8

A MURDERED INFANT.

DEAN CASE RECALLED.

LEGACY ?.\SSED OX. (By Telegraph.--Press issodatioa.) WJitinfLiTON", Tiipsday. Tiip Dean murder., ol lsi'o were ie. called by a case heard in Chambers at the Supreme. Court thU afternoon,' before the Chief Justice. Sir Robert £tout. Under the will of the la.te Colin HcLachlan, contractor, of Oamaru, whu died ill IS.M. certain money was left to a child named Colin Noullar Hc.Lachla.ii, belicvi?d to be identical with a chiU known a:- Soonilar. "ho ""as in the custody of Minnie Dean, and who disappeared about the time tnat. certain iv. , fants were murdered by her. The estate \va= insufficient to pay all taa legacies in full, and application wag made, on behalf of the surviving , legatees that the amount reserved tor the child tie available tor payment to Tiiem. Tie plaintiff- «ere: >arah McCarteri.,\vii> o f Jocep'.i McCaiteii. metal merchant, nf Ibrox. <i!aB?»»'. ami A.L'ne-. Uailas. wifa of Robert I>allas. oi Maryhil!. Tlii: defendant »as the Public Trustee, an executor oi the n ill and codicil of j the testator.

M.'La'-hlan. the child, v.a? the cubjcci of f-pecial inquiries by the police tvKch searching for the bodies of the other children who were done away with. The circumstances were described in an affr davit =worn by Detective-Sergeant McI'veeney. who. at the time of the investi. gation «as a police constable in lnver« cargill. Minnie Dean conducted a "baby-farming" establishment at Winton, Southland, and in May. 150.5. was arrested on a charge of murdering two infanta named Hornsby and Carter. The remain? of the child Dorothy Carter were exhumed by DetectiVi- Mcllvecnev at Mr?. Dean's prt-niise? at Winton. and on the oharjj* of having i--Au=ed iM death ric "as found guilty anil executed.

During the search a letter was found dated February 2Sth. IS9o. addressed to the accused from Helen Svouiiar. then in Wellington, announcing the death of Colin McLarhlan and expressing wishes for the welfare of the bor Scoullar or McLachUin.

At the inquest, evidence was given as to the. child having been brought to Mrs. Dean's about fi\e years previously from Oaraaru. and as to the name of the child's mother lieiuj Helen Sicoullar, and of its father beiujr MeLaehlan. The child disappeared about two ycara before the ini'|uor. and the excuse given by Mrs. Dean at the time, was that it. had been lakeu to some other people The clothing of the child, however, was seen in Mrs. Dean's house after its disappearance, and it transpired that it was customary for her to keep ths clothing: of infants, she had done a"vav with.

In the opinion of tao principal ivitue=?. the child Njoullar was identical with Colin S-eoullar MeLaehlan. referre'i to in Helen N-oullar's letter and mentioned in the codicil to Colin McLachlan's will. The oa.se concerning the will having been pic-senteiL by counsel, his Houor made an oriier declaring. that the jrift to the child never tiok"eff»ct. the child having died before the codi-1 was made. No doubt, he added, tlio iufaiiL was murdered by Mr.?. Dean.