MINNIE DEAN'S STATEMENT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 10079, 21 August 1895, Page 3

MINNIE DEAN'S STATEMENT.

Wellington, Tuesday. The statement left by Mrs Dean and 0 forwarded to the Government occupies 57 n closely written pages of foolscap. Ib U f ungramraatical, and contains many faults R of spelling, and portion of it is of a quasi 1 religions character. The writer gots on i to detail her movements by rail, and the 1 whole point of her argument is that she J always gave children laudanum when travelling, as crying infantß were snch an annoyance. She gave the child several doses at various times, but merely for the purpose of keeping It quiet, and wheu it died was so frightened that Bhe bnried it and invented the story about ptantinc bulbs to avert suspicion. She says: "I know I was the cause of tho child Carter's death, bnt) I had to elve her an overdose , of laudanum, but with no intention of causing her death, and God knows I have been punished for my negligence, bnt a hair of baby Hornsby's head I never mii Jured. The baby wbb not ten minntea alive in my care altogether." Farther on Bhe Bays : " The drag was given to cause slepp nob death." The rest of the state ment is devoted to minute details of various children committed to her care, j some of them several years ago, and alive now. There Is frequent reference to names and initials. It would be impossible to follow her in these details under several columns. Mrs Dean desired bhe statement to be published, and the proceeds given to her husband, after deducting £5 for Mrs Taylor, a widow.'