OFFENCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8693, 9 October 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

OFFENCES.

The dead body of a newly-born male child was found at tho Thames on Saturday, the 12th September, : by, three boys who were engaged in frog hunting along the railway lino at Parawai. , The discovery was made in one of the ditches alongside the line, the body being wrapped up in a couple of shirts. Information was at once given to tho police) who had the body removed to the Shortland police station. From appearances, it had evidently been placed in the ditch immediately after .birth, and had lain thero in 22 inches of water for about 21 hours. An inquest was held on Sept. 14 on the body of the. child. The evidence of Dr. I'ayne, who made a pott mortem examination, 'went to show that the child was stillborn, and had probably been in the water for about 24 hours before it was discovered. ; The jury returned the following verdict —"That the stillborn body of a child had been concealed in a drain, but by whom there was no evidence to show." As a result of inquiries made by the police regarding the parentage of the. child, a young woman named Kate Odium, daughter of a settler residing near Kikutaia, was on. September 15 arrested at her father's place, on a warrant charging her with concealment of birth. Tho unfortunate girl was brought to town by coach, and, incarcerated in Shortland Gaol. Accused was brought up at the Thames Police Court and committed for trial.

On the arrival of tho s.s. Glenclg at Kohukohu on Monday, the 23th September, William Vereker Bindon was arrested by Constable Hogg. He . had brought, it is alleged, distilling apparatus with him, which he is said to have thrown overboard upon learning that the police had information. Constable) Hogg has, it is stated, in his possession a case containing a six or eight-gallon copper still and portion of worm, two brass cocks, and a brass coupling screw. Con&tablo Hogg, of Rawene, has telegraphed to Inspector Brollatn the following particulars concerning a case of concealment of birth : — An unmarried woman, Essie Beazley, was. confined of an illegitimate male child in the bush, some six miles from Rawone, about the middle of last month. The child lived nearly a day and a night, and was buried, it is stated, close to their whare in tho bush. No report was made of the birth. The constable ascertaining the facts," went and took possession of the body of the child, and reported the matter to Mr, Bishop, R.M., with a view of holding an inquest. An adjourned inquest was held on Sept. 30 near Rawene on the body. Dr. Hall gave evidence to the effect that lie had made a post-mortem, and the child had lived aftor birth. Tho jury returned an open verdict. At the conclusion of the inquest, Constable Hogg arrested Elizabeth and Jessie Beazlcv, on a charge of alleged concealment of birth.

Joe Dicks, formerly hotelkecper at Sydenham, was arrested at- Oamaru with £973 on him. He was committed for trial on Sept. 24 on a charge of attempting to leave the colony with property worth over £10, he being adjudicated a bankrupt at the time.

A mysterious jewellery robbery took place at Devonport on September 19, some £20 worth, consisting of bracelets, brooches, and a diamond ring, being abstracted in often day from a bedroom in tho romance of Mr. Peyton. At the time of the robbery Mrs. Peyton was engaged in some domestic duties at tho back of the dwelling. A man named George Atkins, with several aliases, was arrested for the ofTonce.

Tho body of a child was found in a hedge on the roadside near Milton on Sept. 25. The body, which is believed to be that of a six months' old child, was much decomposed, and is supposed to have been in the place where it was found for some six woeks.

On September 29 tho polico authorities received information that certain apparatus alleged to be suited for the process of distillation were in' premises' in Customs-street West branching off from the factory of Mr. Edward Downing, ;eratect water ana cordial manufacturer, and it was determined to search the premises, which was done, and in consepvence Downing, Simpson, Davis, and Keatly were taken into custody. William Cooper, hotelkeeper, at Waire ngahika, near Gisborne, left home at ten o'clock on Sunday morning, September 27, and lias not since returned. In the evening his hat and • coat were found on the river bank, and also footsteps leading into the water. It is supposed he has committed suicide. Cooper suffered severely from pains in the head, and told his friends ho was afraid these would cause him to do something desperate. He was worried a great deal over business matters. The body was found on Oct. 7 close to where ho is believed to have plunged into the river. The body was found fully dressed,

William Thomson, a retired publican, committed suicide at Dunedin early on Sunday morning, September 27, by shooting himself with a revolver, the muzzle of which he placed in his mouth and then tired. The reasons for the suicide are not known. He was a widower with no family, but lie had adopted two boys whoso father died somo years ago. He was in very comfortable circumstances, though it is understood ho had sustained losses recently. Ho atone time kept the R6d Lion Hotel, and afterwards the Criterion. On retiring he advanced' money to various institutions on condition that the interest was paid during his lifetime, tho principal not to be repaid at all. The Masonic Hull, it is understood, had money on these terms, and also the defunct Free Thought Lyceum, in which he took great interest. Deceased on retiring on Sept. 26 appeared as cheerful as usual. Next morning ho told one of the boys adopted to keep the fires in the vinery. He said he had been a' little worried about a Supreme Court action which came up in Chambers on Sept. 25, when a summons was applied for calling on Thomson and Brew as trustees of the late Charles Roberts to show cause why a statement of accounts should not by' filed. Thomson submitted himself, and expressed his readiness, but stated that all the books were in Brew's possession. Brew did not appear. It is somewhat singular that, the pistol which Thomson used is the same with which Roberts committed suicide.

A bushman named William George Todd attempted suicide in the Katno Hotel at three a.m. on tho Ist October by cutting his throat with a razor. Dr. Hall was away at the time, and the local chemist bound fclio wound up. Tho bleeding was stopped shortly after the affair, And the local constable telegraphs to Inspector Broham that Todd is now out of danger.