THE DEAN CASE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 7388, 11 June 1895, Page 2

THE DEAN CASE.

fPfilt PBKSS ASSOCIATION.]

Invkecabqill, Last night

At the inqueat on the skeleton of the child found in Dean's garden at Win ton, Margaret CatnoroD, who had lived with the Deinj for 14 years, deposed that a child named Cyril Sooullar was brought from Oamaru by Mrs Dean about five years ago He remained at The Larches about three 5 ears. One day in April about two years ago when all the grown-up people about tho were absent he disappeared, and Mrs Dean said he had bean taken away in a buggy by a lady from Gore. Witness saw Mrs Dean give tho child laudanum that morning, but never heard of anyone being seen about the place with a buggy that day, Mrs Dean afterwards said the child had gone to Sydney, and showed witness a photo of him, but she did not believe it was his. She remembered a boy named Henry being brought home by Mrs Dean five years ego. Ho was there eight or nine months, and disappeared in some way when no one but Mrs Dean and the,children wero about the house, the said a lady from Wallacstown had taken him. Mm Dean afterwards snowed her a photo of tho child, on tha back of which wa3 written, "From Henry S, Thomson, with love to Mrs Dean." The writing was Mrs Dean's. Witness also remembered the boy Sydney M'JlerQon being brought to The Larches four years ago, Mis Dean said from Dunedin. He was a few weeks old. A woman came twice to enquire for that child. That would be two or three years ago next Kovetnber. Constable Rasmuesen came with her the second time. Sydney had disappeared about twelve months before. Witness was at Mataura at tha time, and wa-i told the child had gone to a lady abut Woodlands. Mrs Dean did not like this child S'le said the had denied to the mother that she had the child, as a solicitor in Eunedin had told her he did not want tbe mother to know anything about it, and she had written to the solicitor telling hitn where the child was. She al.-o said a sister of the Woodlands lady w.uld Jike to take another of the children. Another child, Willie Phelan, Mrs Dem brought from Dunedin five years ago. He was then about two years old She had a case ia Court in Invercargill about him, and afterwards took him to Dunedin, but brought him baok, Mrs Olson was Willies mother. The child remained at The Larches a few months after September, 1893, and disappeared when no one was about the house but Mrs Dean, who said a woman from laveroargill oame for him. Witness never met anyoue who saw them about the place. Mrs Dean diJ not treat this child well She woald knock him down occasionally, and seizing him by the hair bump his head on tha floor Mra Dean was in the habit of getting drunlt, but was always sober when she abused the the child. Home chi'dren she treated well, others not so well. She used to get drunk by laraelf. Cyiil Sconllar was about 4years of age when he disappeared. ' He had d rk hair, but witness did not think he had lost teeth, neither had Willie Phelan. Witness saw the skeleton, the hair was like Willie Phelan'a, but his was curly. M'Komo_'s hiir was fair, and Henry's reddish, tbostill thought the skeleton was that of Willie Phalan, Henry disappeared when he had been there about 12 months. Esther Wallace corroborated Csmeron's evidence re the disappearance of the children, and said she was sent out of the way on all occasions. She never heard anyone say they had seen people come on the days the childron went away, and saw no traoks of a buggy to the house. All his olothing. was about the place afterwards. She did not beli<-ve the photo shown her by Mrs Dean was Cyril's. Mrs Dean made her take the oh'ldsen with hor, and only the one that disappeared was left behind in the house on each occasion Judging by the hair she thought th« ske'eton was Willie Phelan's, whose new velvet suit was in the house after he disappeared. Mrs Dean was unkind to kcoullar and Pha!a_ _3 desoribed by the previous witness.

Sergeant M'Donnell said the girl was not so willing to give evidence as she had been. Charles Dean, after his liberation, had forced himself into the Charitable Aid Board's Home and communicated with htr, although warned not to do so.

Mary Caroline M'ljernoa, of sha Bluff, deposed that she was a single woma. Bae had a boy ohild in Dunedin on the 14th March, 1892. The child was gii'en to a woman giving her name as Minnie M l_ellar. Witness balisved she was paid a premium She afterwards made enquiries aud visited The A arches twice. She saw a man thore once; also got her baby on the secoad occasion. Mrs Dean abused her and denied that the had got the child from her.

Mary Margaret Olsen, Dunedin, deposed that she was the mother of Willie Phelan, who would be 6 years old if alive. Mrs Dean got JS2O and legrally adopted the boy. Wit&eas had not seen him since 1893. He had fair curly hair and all his teeth. Mrs Hogan, who was said to havo got the ohild from Mrs Dean, denied ever seeing him.

Constable Basmussen deposed that Mrs Dean would never give him any information about the children. He knew all the children, and was of opinion that the skeleton was that of Willie Phelan.

Dr, M'Leod deposed that the sHeleton was that of a four-year-old child. The baok teeth were out. They might hivo dropped out.

In reply to the ooroner, win asked if ihe wiahed to give evidence, Mrs Dean made no reply.

The jury returned a verdict that the identity of the skeleton was not established, but that the evidence pointed strongly to the remains being those of Willie Phelan, who had been adopted by Minnie Dean.