THE CHILD STARVATION CASE

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12531, 28 June 1906, Page 5

THE CHILD STARVATION CASE

_ + A CHARG%OF MURDER. Anno Foster and Harriet Foster were charged with murder .at the .Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr V. G. Day, S.M. The case arose out of tho death of an infant in the Lincoln district. At the inquest a verdict was returned that death generally was duo to starvation, and as tlio two accused had the control and custody cf the child an information was laid against them. / The accused were not represented by counsel.

Honry W. Bishop, S.M., District Coioner, said that he had held an inquest on the body of Elsio Foster on June 19th. He saw the child's body, and instructed the doctor to weigh it. Dr. W. Irving stated that he had made a post mortem examination of tho body of the child. The immediate cause of death was stoppage of the bowels. The body was healthy, but emaciated. There was no food in tho stomach, and the bowels were wasted away, so as to be almost transparent. The' child must have been for eon.*months in want of proper nourishment., All the organs were healthy. The child weighed six pounds, and was eighteen months old. Normally it should have weighed between 2olb and 301b. At birth a healthy child would weigh about 7?lb. To the Bench: The digestive organs More in good order, except for their being wasted. Elizabeth Miller, wife of James Miller, farmer, at Tai Tapu, stated that she had known Mrs Foster and her daughter for about two years. She called at their place in September last, and fiaw an infant there. Sho asked to be allowed to show it fo her sister, who was outsido in a trap, but it was very cold, and Mrs Fostor objected. She" took it out, however, and she and her sister remarked on its extreme lightness. Tho infant, then nine. montli/5 old. fook no notice of her. Sho had two children of her otfn, and while she would not say it was not well nourished, it seemed very-small. Sbo remarked upon it to Mrs Foster, and she said it was no wonder, considering th<i ago of its mother. Mrs Foster told her that the infant ate very little at a time.

To the Bench: It did not look by any means starved, in the face, at that tiirte.

Detective Cox stated that lip visited the accused's house at Shand's Track on June 25th, and saw the body of the child. He took the photograph of the child produced. Eliza Chapman also gave evidence.

Chief Detective Chrystal stated thnt ho had visited tho house on Jnue 20th., and the accused, Annie* Foster, said

that tho only person outsido of her own family who had seen the child alive was Mrs Campbell. Sho had seen it about twelve months ago, and the child was then taking its food very well. Afterwards it caught a cold, end failod to take its food properly. 'Whon he served Mrs Foster with the summons on Juno' 22nd sh> said sho remembered that a Mrs Miller had soen the child, and had remarked what a small, delicate little tiling it was. This closed the case for th© prosecution. The accused reserved their defence, and were committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was allowed, each accused in £50 ea-ch. The Magistrate said he would send c recommendation to tho Justice Department to assign counsel to act for the , accused at their trial beforo tho Supreme Court.