BODY IN A FURNACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17845, 28 July 1921, Page 3

BODY IN A FURNACE.

CONCEALMENT SDF BIRTH, PKISONEE ADMITS OFFENCE. The discovery of the chaired body of a newly-born child in the fornaee of the boiler in the laundry, women's division, of the Mount Eden gaol on Sunday, July 17, had its sequel in the Police Court yesterday, when Flora Ellen Waite, aged 31. was charged before Mr. W. S. McKean, S.M., with having disposed of the dead body of her child with intent to conceal birth. The adjourned inquest en the death of the child -was taken simul fcaneously with th e hearing of the chargn. Senior-Sergeant Rawle conducted the cist for? the police. Jane Caroline Poulton, matron in charge of the women's division of the prison, said she visited the laundry after church, but saw nothing amiss. " Some time later she was called, and found in front of the furnace the blackened body of a child. As a result of suspicions regarding the condition of accused, witness ■went to her and found her in another prisoner's cell. Accused admitted having put the body in the furnace, and sa:S the child was born on Friday, but she was too ashamed to tell witness about it. Mary A. Hodgson said that on the Sunday afternoon in question, when she went to stoke the furnace, she saw ac cused on her knees pushing something into the fire. Accused said, " I wait to bum these," and witness thought they were rags, and went away for a lew minutes. On returning witness said to some women near the furnace, " Excuse me, ladies, you must let me put some fire on now."' The accused looked up and said, "It will be ail right in a minute." On the day before witness saw accused standing in front of the furnace, and s ha concluded she was putting something in the fire. Witnefes saw blood on the floor when accused moved away. Emma Neilson gave evidence that she raked th e body from the fire, and this was corroborated by Rose Brown, to ( whom accused had stated that the child was born on Friday. Dr. D. N. W. Murray medical officer of the prison, said h« was called tc> examine the child. Its body was charred - It was about an eight months' child, and there was no sign of violence on it. -It was impossible to tell from the burnt lungs if it had breathed or not. He saw accused that day, and she said the child was born dead, and had not cried. The magistrate said regarding the inquest that there was no evience to show that the child was born alive. Accused pleaded guilty *to the charge and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. She broke down and wept sUently at the conclusion of the case, and was assisted away by a wardress.