BRUTAL BAIRD

NZ Truth, Issue 116, 7 September 1907, Page 5

BRUTAL BAIRD

DENIES HIS LOVER.

Leaves His Child to Die Unattended. ,

Gets Six Months' for Perjury,

The outcome of one of the most scandalous cases that has occurred m Christchurch was the sending to gaol at the Supreme Court on Wednesday of an inhuman and inhumane fellow named David Baird, for having committed gross and bare-faced perjury. Baird has been employed at the Addington workshops for ten year's and is a man of 31 years of age. Although he is reputed to have always borne an excellent character, he proved a callous brute when the occasion arrived t 0 show whether he was really a man or a coward, and he proved a cur. Baird got a woman named Margaret Hogg, aged 32, into trouble, but the fact was suppressed even when she was confined m the house of her own people. They suspected nothing, although the t event happened while they were m the place when the child was born. She wrapped a blouse it, leaving its mouth qMite free. Soon afterwards Baird, HER BEAUTIFUL LOVER, arrived, and he was shown into her room at her own request. ' She told him of the birth, and the child cried while he was there. He got a shawl to place round the infant, and sug-

Mr. A. S. Malcolm, M.H.R. (Clutha). A calico Jimmy right through, sir, Is Malcolm the member for Clulha, You can see by his crown And his awfu' Scotch frown That lis'] 1 stick to his guns just righb through, sir. gested that assistance should be called, but the girl de-mured. It transpired afterwards that the reason why she did so was that her men folk would manhandle Baird. . Welh, the fellow 'brought her some l tea, and then coolly had te<a with the family, while the unfortunate victim of his lust was ly-in-i- on a bed of suffering m the next room. After the swine had gorged himself with tea, toast, and tarts, he saw the girl again, who said the child's head was hot, but she thqught it was sleeping. He told her to allow it to sleep, then he mooched round outside for half an hour, and went back, saying he would bring a doctor ; but he brought no doctor, nor dii-d he tail anyone m - the house what had happened until the poor youngster had pegged out. Then he informed' the sister, and her brother

TELEPHONED FOR A DOCTOR, but it was too late. No dodbt the child, which was a fine healthy one, would have 'been saved but for the criminal negligence of baneful Baird, a monster of the worst type, a cruel, callous criminal, if there evef was one, for any person of the meanest intelligence would know what action to take under such distressing cir-. cumstances. But what did this unspeakable cur do ? Later on he volunteered evidence at tlie inquest, and- swore that he wasn't the father of the child, although he had been keeping company, with Miss Hogg. The Coroner warned him, but he persisted m the statement that he never had immoral intercourse with her. As there were suspicious circumstances about the case Coronet Bishop adjourned the iwq/uiry. In the interim, beastly Baird became absolutely alarmed and consulted Lawyer Russell, telling him the true .facts. Mr Russell advised him to act m A MANLY MANNER, and hanig) the conse-qjuences, so when the inquiry was resumed he admitted having committed perjury. The jury returned a verdict that the child died of suffocation, brought on by the neglect of the mother and the putative father, and then Baird was arraigned for perjury .' : He pleaded guilty, and he came before Judge Chapman for sentence.' Counsel Russell told the Judge that prisoner was dull-witted and that he didn't know what to ' do when the youngster arrived, also that he had intended marrying the woman the next month, believing her, to be as good as gold, but it happened to be an eight months' child, and during the ensuing month he intended making a home for her and marrying her. However,, as the fool had committed perjury, Judge Chapman gave him six months, j having regard to his previous good character.