A MOTHER CHARGED WITH MURDER. AN AUCKLAND CASE

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 41, 18 February 1908, Page 3

A MOTHER CHARGED WITH MURDER. AN AUCKLAND CASE

til TELEGRAPH.— PBESS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAJTD,' 17th February. The charge of murder preferred afeainßt ITlprenoe Farndale, a r young "tnarrjeu woman, was commenced at Supreme Court to-day 'Ihroughaut the •proceedings the prkoner kept up -a continual sobbing ir tho box. ■ Mr. IVle, ' K:C./ Crown" Prosocuior, in opening tho case,' said the charge was ono preferred " against ■ Mrs. tfarndale for "tho 1 : 'ifiuraer " of an infant child only a few Veefcs^old. The priEoner, he said, was the wife -of a medical man, who, for the last' f&w years, had been absent in Scmthl Africa.. JSarJy.in 1907 the prisoner came 'to' Auckland district, and, after living f or ,a .while in the \Vaikato ! with her parents,- came to Aucjdand ' She took up her residence' at. a '.Jttoardinghoiise known as Sunnyeide, She "was expecting motherhood at the time,., and on- 11th November went, into a maternity' home kept by Nurso West." There s&e fea,ve birth to * healthy' child, but -there Could bo no 1 doubt" it was illegitimate. ", It typuld appear/ said Mr. Tole, • that sbe 'displayed none ' of that ' attachment trhich might be' eipectbd on the part of a iiaolh'er. Moreover, sbe' seemeiL anxious to £et rid of . the thild', and to have it put mto a home. .On.o.ie occasion she got into a. cab, and wc&t to -three .different homes,, but failed t? have' this child taken m. Later, she went to Mrs. M'DonaJd, the police matron, and told 'her that tho child pelongqd to a- woman" w,ho was dead, and she (aeruied)' «-as ' desirous of getting it into a home. Tins statement' the cvi. denes would proro to bo uiitruo. Several ' nights -afterward^' BCCUEPd" left 1 the boardinjhoufo with the child. Late at night fhe'z-eturued t • She. remained at the house for Eoma , time, ( but tljo baby had d.isappear>e!. Her demeauour was just- th« Mmc as usual, thoupjlv at all times there was a mysterious quiet, reserve about her. Accused was ' asl>ed once 'how the baby was getting on,' mid she replied: "Oh, it is getting on finely." , ' The uoit development, said the Crown Prosecutor, was on 6th- Dcc'eipber, wKeii a lad found 1- dead baby at the high-water jnar-fc, Ponfonby. Evidence wcruld'toe produced to nhow that th,o body was that of Mrs. Farmkle's tyby Mr?. Farndale, indeed, ' admitted the fact, and' had told the police a story that when she was tra-velling-in a ferry boat the "boat gave a lurch , and the, baby ' fell overboard, but she told no one ah',«t it at the time. The case stands partly "heard.