CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER.

Press, Volume XXIX, Issue 3975, 22 April 1878, Page 3

CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER.

A woman named Sarah Steel, wife of George Steel, carrier, living on the South belt, sear Windmill road, was arrested at nine o'clock last evening on the charge of having caused the death of her eon, William H. B. Steel, nine years of age, by striking him oa the head with an iron poker. No one saw the occurrence, but the woman states that she ■ent the boy into the yard about 1.30 p.m. that day to clean his boots, and immediately afterwards missed him. She then went down the garden to look for him, and found him at the bottom holding on with hie hands to a rail. She observed there was blood issuing from a wound on the left side of his head, and immediately took him in her arms and screamed out. There was no one near the boy when she found him, and he was insecrible at the time. She did not see his hat or the poker there, and had observed the latter lying near the fireplace during the morning. She heard no cry, and deceased never spoke after she aaw him. Mrs Elizabeth Simms, who lives next door, stated that about halfpast one on Saturday ehe heard Mrs Steel cmll out in an angry tone of voice, which was Uiual with her when speaking to the children. Saw her go down the garden at the back of the house and presently heard her cry out. She at once went down and found Mrs Steel with the boy in her arms. His head was bleeding from a fresh wound above the left ear. Another neighbor who went down found the boj's hat and a poker near where he was picked up. There were marke. of blood on I both, and a hole in the hat corresponding with the wound in the head. A daughter of Mrs Steele's saw the poker lying near the fireplace during the day, but did not see any one take it out. Drs. NedwiU and Frankish, who were called in about 3 p.m., found the boy Buffering from a wound on the left side of hie head above the ear. There was a hole through the skull, and the brain was penetrated. They thought the wound might have been inflicted by the poker shown them, but it would require considerable force to send it through the hat and skull. It should be mentioned that Mrs Steel, before being arrested, stated that the boy must have been throwing the poker into the trees, and it had come down and struck him before she went down the garden. The child died at 6.20 p.m. The accused will be brought up at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, and an inquest will moit probably be held this afternoon at the Crown Hotel.