ABANDONED BABY

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 November 1926, Page 5

ABANDONED BABY

A MOTHER’S CONFESSION. (Special to “Star.”) CHRISTCHURCH, November 26. The little mystery, which confronted the authorities of the Salvation Army Maternity Home Bealey Avenue when they found on the night of November 16, an abandond baby on the doorstep of the home, was cleared in the Magistrate’s Court, to-day, when a woman, aged 36, pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawfully abandoning her baby on November 16. The case had tragic features, and the Court decided that her name should be suppressed. Mr. F. H. Christian and W. E. Simes, J’sP., were on the Bench. Chief Detective Gibson prosecuted, and Mr. Batchelor appeared for the accused. Ronald Leslie May, employed by Pope’s Motors, said that he drove a car between Christchurch and Kaikoura. At Kaikoura, he met any passengers transferring from Blenheim. He remembered taking over the accaused at Kaikoura. She had only a wiener basket for baggage and a baby She asked to be put down at O’Malley's Hotel, in Bealey Avenue. It would be between 5 and G o’clock when she went there. Senior Sergeant J. F. Clarkson, Blenheim, said that he went to Canvastown on November 22, where he interviewed the accused. In her statement "she said that she was a married woman,- living apart from her husband. The baby was born in a motor car between Wharanui and Nelson, when she was on the way to Wairau Maternity Hospital. She went from trie Wairau Hospital to Canvastown, wnere she secured employment in an hotel. On November 16, she left for Christchurch. After leaving the baby at the Salvation Army Home, she returned to Blenheim. The Matron of the Salvation Army Maternity Hojne, Bealey Avenue, said .the baby, which was about a month old, was found in a basket on the doorstep of the Home about 9 p.m on November 16. It was a small baby, not very well nourished. On the baby’s breast was pinned an envelope upon which was written “Phyllis Brown. Please keep baby until I call for her.” The baby was well wrapped up. There were some clothes in the basket. It was raining that night and the child was damp when .found. detective J. Thompson said that he was present last night at an interview between the accused and her father. The woman told her father that her husband was the father of the child. She said that ..she had been with her husband in the North Island between last Christmas and the New Year. She had four other children, three of which were in homes, and the fourth was being kept by relatives. In reply to a question from Mr. Batchelor, witness said he knew accused’s family very well. He knew that accused had been in a mental hospital oh three occasions following the birth of children. Mr. Batchelor entered a plea of guilty, and the Bench committed the accused to the Suprme Court for sentence.