THE CHILD-MURDER CASES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1213, 31 May 1895, Page 19

THE CHILD-MURDER CASES.

CORONER'S INQUEST. | THE EVIDENCE AGAINST MRS DEAN. Invercargmli., May 28. The inquest was commenced to-day on the body of Dorothy Edith Carter, one of the two babies first found in the garden at the Larches, East Winton, and with whose murder Minnie and Charles Dean are charged. Louisa Cox (Christchurch) 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 child of her daughter, Mary Louisa Carter, a married woman, to the Bluff by steamer on the 30th 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, also the clothing found at the Larches as that given to Dean with the infant. A chemist at the Bluff deposed that he gave a woman, who signed "M. Gray" in the poisons book, sixpence worth of laudanum about noon on the 30 th April. He could not identify the woman as Mrs Dean, but a girl who had lived many years with her said the writing in the poison book was Dean's.

Esther Wallace, another inmate of the Larches, aged 15, deposed that Mrs Dean told her on the 29th ult. that she was going to the Bluff for a year-old baby; that she brought it home on the 30th; that witness met her at the Gap road Station; that she carried the child home; that its name was Dorothy Edith. Among Mrs Dean's parcels was a piece of new oilcloth. The child remained till the 2nd instant, when witness carried it to Barkley Station, the first north of Winton, and.there put it on the north-bound morning train with Mrs Dean, who had a light tin box with her. Mrs Dean returned on Saturday, the 4th, without the child. The box was much heavier than when she left. Mrs Dean said it contained bulbs given here by Mrs Cameron, Mataura Hotel. [That lady being called denied that she gave her anything but slips of flowers.] On the way home through the paddock Mrs Dean told her to put the box in the rushes for the night. Witness went for it next morning, and brought it to the Larches. It was still as heavy as on Saturday. Mr Dean put it under the bed, and witness next saw it on Wednesday, Bth instant, at the door, open and with a little soil in it. In other parcels brought by Mrs Dean were clothes worn by the baby Dorothy, also 'those for a smaller child. Witness identified the oilcloth in which the body was wrapped when exhumed as that which had been on the table at the Larches, on which new cloth Dean brought home had since been placed. W. G. Everett (guard) and McKellar (rabbit inspector) proved that Mrs Dean and child travelled to Dipton. T. Baker deposed that he assisted Mrs Dean to the hotel at Dipton and back to the evening train. She said she had come off a boat, and carried a tin box both ways ; it was quite light. Ayling, hotelkeeper, corroborated this evidence, and said that Mrs Dean told him the reason why she left 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 a child get on the train at Dipton. He went 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 the cushion with a tin box between her and Mrs Dean. Later 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 carried the tin box to a hotel at Lumsden, and two servants of the house deposed that the box was much heavier than it now was, the boy saying it took him all he could do to cari'y it. T. Martin, railway guard, deposed that Mrs Dean travelled with the train from Lumsden to Oore on the 3rd. She had no child, but carried a tin box. Three guards who are to trace Mrs Dean further could not be called to-day, being absent on dtity. Further evidence was given of her return to Clinton, where Mrs Dean stated that she had been to Clarendon station (where the child Hornsby was last seen alive); that she stayed at Mataura on Saturday, and that she had no child with her. Messrs Hanlon and Hannan, who appeared for. the accused, put no questions. Mr T. MacDonald, for the police, suggested an adjournment till next day, which was agreed to. He said he hoped to finish to-morrow, unless it should be deemed necessary to examine Professor Black, who had returned to Duuedin.

Inveecaegill, May 29. The inquest concerning the death of the child Dorothy Carter was continued this morning. Detective Herbert deposed that when Charles Dean was shown the bodies of the two infants just after they were dug up he said, "My Cod! I suppose I'll be brought into this. I know nothing about it." Witness found in Minnie Dean's bedroom, under the mirror, a bottle containing about half a teaspoonful of liquid, labelled <c Chlorodyne," and also another bottle. These had been handed to Professor Black. The head of one infant when dug up was bent forward on the breast, and the back was curved. Mr Macdonald, Crown Prosecutor, stated that Professor Black, a most material witness, was now engaged on a grave matter in Dunedin. An adjournment was granted till Tuesday afternoon, by which time, it is expected, the inquest on the other child, Eva Hornsby, will have been completed.