THE DEAN MURDERS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15014, 8 July 1914, Page 6

THE DEAN MURDERS.

. FAMOUS. CASE RECALLED. APPLICATION "in" REGARD TO A WILL. (rPESS >BSOCIATION TELEGRAMS-) ■ • WELLINGTON, July 7. The Dean murders of 1895 were recalled by a case heard in Chambers at the Supreme Court thus afternoon, before his Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout). Under the will of Colin McLachlan, contractor, late of Oamaru, who died in 1894", certain money was left to a. child named Colin Scoullar McLachlan, believed to be identical with a child known as Scoullar, who was the custody of Minnie Dean, and who disappeared about the time that certain iafii.'ts were murdered by her. Tho estate was insufficient to pay all the legacies in full, and an application was made on behalf of the surviving legatees that the amount reserved for the child be available tor payment to them. The plaintiffs were S.irali MrOarten, wife!of Joseph McCarten, metal mer-' chant, of Ibrox, Glasgow, and Agnes Dallas, wife of Robert Dallas, of Marybill. Glasgow. The defendant was the Pnblic Trustee, as executor of the will and codicil of the testator, McLachlan. The child was the subject of special enquiries by the police when searching I for the bodies of the other children who were done away with. The circumstances were described in an affidavit sworn by Detective-Sergeant Mcllveney, who, at the time of the investigation, was a police constable in Invercargill. Minnie Dean conducted a '.'baby farming" establishment at Winton, Southland, atid i" May, 1895, was arrested on a charge, of murdering two infants named Horrisby and * Carter, The remains of the child •Dorothy Carter were exhumed by Detective Mcllvehcy at Mrs Dean's premises, at Winton, and on the charge of having caused ite death, she was found guilty and executed. During the search a , letter was found, dated February 28th, 1895, addressed to the accused from, Helen Scoullar, then in Wellington,/announcing the death of C!olin McLachlan, and expressing wishes for the welfare of the boy Scoullar or McLachlan.' At the inquest evidence was given as to the'child having been brought to Mrs Dean's about ,five years previously from Oamaru, and as to the name of the child's mother being Helen Scoullar, and that of its' father McLachlan. The child disappeared, about two years before the inquest, and .the excuse given by Mrs Dean at the time was that it had been taken to some other people. The clothing of the child, however, was seen in Mrs Dean's houso, after its disappearance, and >t transpired tnat it was customary for Ler to keep the clothing of infants she had done away with. In ite oni>iion ot thr> principal, witness the child Scoullar was identical with the Colin Scoullar McLachlan referred to in Helen Sooullar's letter, Bnd meiitioried in the codicil to Colin McLachlan's wi11... ■ ■ •

■ The case concerning the will having been presented by counsel, his Honour made an order declaring tJfif? ••'e gift to the child never took -effect, the child having died before the cbclicil was made. No doubt, , he added, the infant was murdered by Mrs D©am