THE WINTON CHILD MURDER CHARGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9832, 29 May 1895, Page 5

THE WINTON CHILD MURDER CHARGES.

THE INQUEST. [by tklkgraph.-—press association.] Invkroargill, Tuesday. The inquest commenced to-day on the body of Dorothy Edith Carter, one of the two babies first found in the garden at Larches, East Winton. With tho murder of this child Minnie and CharlosDean are charged. Louisa Cox, Christchurcb, deposed that, in accordance with arrangement through a Mrs, Isitt, she brought the deceased child, which was born on the 23rd May, 1894, and was the offspring of her daughter, Mary Louisa Carter, a married woman, to the Bluff by steamer on the 30th of April, and there in a private hotel delivered it to a Mrs. Gray, to whom she gave an envelope. The child was in good health. Witness identified Mrs. Dean as Mrs. Gray. She also identified the clothing found at Larcho'B as that given to Dean with the infanb.

The chemist ab the Bluff deposed that he gave a woman who signed herself " W. Gray" in the poison 9 book, sixpennyworth of laudanum about noon on the 30th April. He could not identify the woman as MrsDean, but a girl who lived many years with her said tho writing in the poison book was Dean's.

Esther Wallace, another inmate of Larches, aged 15, deposed that Mrs. Dean told her on the 29th ulb. that she was going to the Bluff for a year-old baby, and that she brought it home on the 30th. The child remained till the 2nd insb., when witness carried it to Barkby station, tho firsb station north of Winton, and there pub ib on the north-bound morning train with Mrs. Dean, who had a lighb tin box with her. Mrs. Dean returned on Saturday, the 4th, without the child. The box was much heavier than when she lefb. Mrs. Dean said ib contained bulbs given her by Mrs. Cameron, ab tho Mabaura Hotel. (That [lady, being called, denied that she gave her anything bub slips of flowers). On the way home through the paddock Mrs. Dean told witness to pub the box in the rushes for the night. Witness wenb for ib next morning, and brought it to Larches. It was still as heavy as on Saturday. Mr. Dean pub ib under the bed, and witness next saw ib on Wednesday, the Bth insb., ab the door, opon and with a little soil in ib. In the other parcels brought by Mrs. Dean were tho clothes worn by the baby Dorothy ; also those of a smaller child. Witness identified the oilcloth in which the body was wrapped when exhumed as that which had been on the table at Larches, on which a new cloth Dean brought home had since been placed. W. G. Everett (guard) and McKellar (rabbit inspector) gave evidenco to tho effect that Mrs. Dean and child travelled to Loighton. Both know her.

T. Baker deposed that he assisted Mrs. Dean to the hotel at Dipbon and back to the evening train. She said she hud come off a boat. She carried a bin box both ways. It was quite light. Ayling, an hotelkeeper, corroborated, and said that Mrs. Dean toid him the reason why she loft the train was that the child was ill. •--

C. Davis, guard of the evening north train to Lumsden, knew Mrs. Dean, and saw her and the child get on the train at Dipton. Ho wont through the train to collect tickets shortly after, and saw her and the child alone in the carriage. Returning soon after to the van he saw the child lying on a cushion, with a tin box between her and Mrs. Dean. He passed through again, and saw no child, and at Lumsden Mrs. Dean left the train without the infant. He saw her next morning on the Lumsden platform without the child.

A boy of 12 years, who carriod the tin box to an hotel at Lumsden, and two servants of the house deposed that the box was much heavier than ib now was, the boy saying that it took him all he could do to carry it. F. Martin, railway guard, knew Mrs. Dean. She travelled with the train from Lumsden to Gore on the 3rd. She had no child, but carried a tin box.

Further evidence was givon of her return to Clinton, where Mrs. Dean stated that she had been to Clarendon station (whore the Hornsby infant was last seen alive). She stayed ab Mataura on Saturday, and the fact that she had no child with her was also deposed to. Messrs. Hanlon and Hunan, who appear for tho accused, pub no questions. Mr. T. Macdonald, for the police, suggested an adjournment, which was agreed to. He said he hoped to finish to-morrow, unless ib should be decided to be necessary to examine Professor Black, who had returned to Dunedin.