MOTHER CHARGED WITH NEGLECT.

Evening Post, Volume LXIX, Issue 55, 7 March 1905, Page 6

MOTHER CHARGED WITH NEGLECT.

AX ADoM'KD CHILD, Lucy Maud O'Connor, v yining married Kcniiin abiding u( I'lireniatn, wn.s befoio the Stipendiary .Magistrate yesterday on a ch.ugc of having neglected » ten inonllis old child, placed in her elm rjfi* , in ,\ iniiiini'f likely lo cau.«o unnecessary sulfeiing. Defendant pleaded not guilty, and was deieiuletl hy Mr. Wilford. Hub- Inspector O'Duiovun prosecuted. The admitted facts scorn to bo that defendant hud a seven months old child of her own; i lt.it the ten months c>\<\ child is mi adopted ono, obtained by defendant lluough the Miigistinto's Court in October List, with v premium of £10; that on the d.iy of the alleged offence di'fi'ndanL went fiom I'a i env.it a to J'ahautunui, about four miles distant, Inking the seven months' fluid, and leaving the ten months child iilono in her liou-o. There was a little difference as to the length of time tho inf.mt was left alone. The police witnesses swore tv a period from 10 a. in. to 4.30 p.m. Defendant lulinittud being absent from 11 a.m. till 4 p.m. A neighbour deposed that hearing the child ciy during riefemlnnl's absence, she went into the house and attended to it. Constable II lit ton deposed thnt defendant admitted to him tlu.t she left tho house about 10 or 11 a.m., and came home about 4 p.m. She admitted that hlic left the eluld in the house while she went to I'ahautamu to ti \>ie:iic\ mid that she left it on ii pievious occasion when a ball was given. Witness mi id the child was nther thin and small for n child of (hut age, but. by no mean* emaciated. Mr. Wilford Mibmitted that defendant might have been guilty of thoughtlessness. Cnielessness did not iin,ily wilful neglect. When defendant went to the (lance, Mt was at I'areinatft, and her husband went over to the house between the dances to see 'that tho child, was all right. When she >vcnl to l'alinHti'inii she wn« on a, sewing expedition, and intended to return by Uio tiap thnt runs fiom Palmutmuii lo P.iremata, so that she M'oulJ have been absent only an hour or two; but she missed the Imp, and returned at 4.30 p.m. instead of when she oxpected. Dcfendiint regretted very much her thoughtlessness, and assured the Court it would not occur again. The child had not mi IT l1l 1 red in condition. His Woiship considered it w«s an act of thoughtlessness — he huped that was the length of it. Defendant was liable under the Act for neglect; it was only ft question of degu'C. A woman should be .specinlly careful when she hid adopted .i child and at such a sni.il! pwmium • ' F>lo. Unkind peoplo mJ^ht vv 'l |f| t «!•- f iW iuK die how scijn hhe gol nd of it. Defendant : I am ju"t a!, fond of it ab my own. His Worship: It i\fi"- ,v.st though'.lc-r ne*s. You t.ike youi own and lea.vu tht other. lam only telling you what pci^.L may .>>«y. 'Die infot uia(ion was fli«ni.':t;(l.

At deceased's rosido'icn this morning Mr. J. Ashoroft, Cily Coroner, held an ih(|uc*L on the bo !\ of William Anderson, of 55 AuNtin-st'ieei, who committed suicide yositciduy. Uuth Anueiw»n, v daughter of dcivasud, said that deceased j>..d had bieakfn>>t jeaterdny jnorniiig uilli \mUu^'.'k niothw :a Ir.ilf-jj.ii't ei^ht. o'clock. Alter breakfatt deceased had gone up to lib mom, nn'l then to the iiiitlnooiu, where he i m.imcd, ulkiug aloud moil of the time, for thn'o-q'iiuteis of an liuur Wit in tlien heard v .■•hut, bni <it (lie time thought that it might lii- a biu-'li laUnij.' into Uu- bath. The talking eeiued, and about ten lninutw» later witness went to the bathroom and knocked for admittance, but tlw door was locked. Witness bloke th<> <lnor with tt hatehit and ciliated with bur mother. Mid found diiceascd lying m the b.ith with b'.ood on his face, nud quite (h-ad. Dr. Eljiott wan then m\t for. and on In* arrival pronounced life extinct. 'lUert luul been no quarrel m di ceasied's family. Tltr father had alWtiy.i been "strango," and liable If. Inko offence cn.sily. He bail an ulcer in hi.i temple, and watt iilwiiyn woirying about it. Ho hid no financial trouble an far at witness knew. Flon-iico Laura An-dci-hon, wifu of deceased, con'obota(ed the daughter's evidence, and nddnl tliat t'eceasi'd ww nlwnys worrying, hiho did not know he had lh& u-volvci in bin jiofweNs-ion. After hiK death ulie found in the wife n letter adihffsed to her by her husband, who said tluil he felt it wan better to die n<»w limn to die, perhaps in I lift near Ititure, in an a.°yluin. The ""iioral tenor of the letter watt lo tl.e nlfi-ct llnl dec-co-ed fell I li.it he hud b'«n mute fir less insine for years, and dtc.ideil ending in <i lunatic asylum. DrcnflciV had taken a iccmt trip to Sydney, and hail tnnipl.iincd th.it he \\*k much uor*e. Dr. Klliott uiive evident that lie had intended deceased for a icitlcitt ulcer on the left temple in July nf lait year, and a wrek'H treatment by X vajV hfid hfnlcd the ulcer, leaving only a rear. Hdmt- six weeks later lie li.vi met decfiiNed, who then said the ulc-.T was belter. Ife did not nee. him till hi> wns called in at 10.5 a.m. yestcidey. when lie /omul deeiwwtl lying dead in the bath, partly dressed, and holding a reYo'vrr in his right h.md. Ther* wim a bullet wound in the left temple, erinVntly inflicted by the revolver. The hair was ringed round, the wound, which was mich m would bo emwed by the icvn'ver xhot. Constable O'FMloran, who nriivod at the scene, of tho tragedy at 10.30 a.m., deposed to finding the* body a» Dr. Kllioll had depcribed. One eluimb-r of the revolver —a fivecha inhered one— bad been discharged, and the other elianibciH contained cartridges. The jury returned a verdict that deceased had committed xuicido when temporarily insane. Mcshm. Macdonald, Wilson and Co will unll nt their rooms to-morrow, at 1.30 o'clock, contents of seven-roomed dwelling removed for convenience of Hale; nlce>, on account of other \endon, household furniture and mindricK Mnsarn. llarcourt and Co nnnounee tho postponement of their ornamental lla-wor plant «alo advertised to tnko place yeHorday Tho sale will bo held nt their rooms tomorrow, the Bth inH.. at 230p in At the i<amo time they will nlno jell a «olection of spring floworing bulbo. An nelvcrtiner wants to purcha«o a caigo steamer. Memra Sidoy, Meech and Co. advfliti»o that they havo reoeivod inntructionii from the- Iwiliff to sell on llw piemine., 24, CollfKC-ntreot, to-nionow, coinnisiieinK lit [130 shurp, tho whole of tho contents of i r OJi.ei^Ul-roonaed ho.uno.