CHARGE OF MURDER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIX, Issue 14610, 18 February 1908, Page 3

CHARGE OF MURDER.

[Per Pbkss Association-.] AUCKLAND, February 17. The charge of murder preferred against Florence Farn.dale. a young married woman, was commenced at 'the Supreme Court to-day. Throughout the proceedings the prisoner kept up a continual sobbing in the box. Mr Tole. in opening the case, said the charge was one preferred against Mrs Farn.dale for tho murder of a child only a few weeks old. The prisoner, ho said, was the wife of a medical man who had been living in Fiji, but for the la.st few years had been absent in. South Africa. Early in 1907 the prisoner came to Auckland, and alter living for a while in the Waikato with her parents, oa.me to Auckland. She took up her residence at a boardinghouse known as Sunnyside. She was expecting motherhood at the time, and on November 11 went'into a maternity home kept by Nurse West. There she gave birth to a healthy child, but there could he no doubt it was illegitimate. It would appear that she displayed none of that attachment which might be expected on the part of a mother. Moreover, she seemed anxious to get rid of the child and have it put into a home. On one occasion she got into a cab and wont to throe different homes, but failed to have the child taken in. Later she went to Mrs M'Don aid, tho police matron, and told her that the child belonged to a woman who was dead, and she (accused) was desirous of getting it into a home. This statement tho evidence would prove to be untrue. Several nights afterwards accused left the boardingbouso with tho child late at night. She returned and remained at the house for some time, but tho baby had disappeared. Her demeanour was just the same as usual, though at all times there was a mysterious quiet reserve about the accused. She was asked once how the baby was getting on. and she. replied, "Oh, it is getting on finely." The next development was on December 6. when a lad found a dead body at the high-water mark at Ponsonby. Evidence would be produced to show that the body was that of Mrs Farudale's baby. ' Mrs Farndale, indeed, admitted the fact, and

had told tho police a story that when she was travelling in a ferry boat the boat, gave a lurch and the baby fell overboard, but she told no one about it at the time. The case stands part heard.