THE NEWLANDS MYSTERY

NZ Truth, Issue 898, 10 February 1923, Page 5

THE NEWLANDS MYSTERY

COOPERS CHARGER WITH MURDER Evidence % The AWticn Charges THE OPERATIONS OMUffIM SPECIALIST No case m recent years is l*kely to command such interest and attention as that which has become colloquially known as the "Johnsonville Baby Farming Case," which arose out of the sensational discovery of the dead body of an infant buried m the grounds of a house at Newlands Johnsonville, occupied by Daniel Cooper, a self-styled health specialist with an office In town, and his wife, Martha Elizabeth Cooper. Both are m custody.

The third . morning, the Court assembled, and the typewriter commenced to click away as a depressed-look-ing little married woman from Paparangi, near Khandallah, told her tale. She first met accused, she said, when she was advised to see him at Newlands m regard to treatment for her child's hair. In August last she consulted Cooper again, as she thought she was pregnant. He said it was probable that at her age (witness is 42 years of age and looks more) the irregularity m health might be due to other causes. However, he examined her and later operated, and witness was charged £7 for the service. An entry m accused's diary referred to her dealings with him, she said. The operation took place m her own home. The next witness was Beatrice Irene Beadle, whose name has already appeared In "Truth" m connection with two other charges preferred against Cooper, namely, that of having unlawfully detained at different ■ dates TWO CHILDREN OP THIS WOMAN. She resides m Elizabeth Street, she said, and had known accused for four years. She was m his employ from some time m 1919 until May of last

, A WITNESS.. year— about 3% years altogether. She acted as canvasser for an inhaler and certain ointments. She recognised Cooper's writing! m a diary produced, and mentioned that he was a very poor speller. She was known to him as "Blanche," and an entry m May last, "BLANCHE LEFT ME," referred to her. The Court was pretty well used to seeing distressed people m this case, and when the next witness, ft young man, blew out and had' to be revived with a glass of ■ water and have his collar loosened, ibe Court quietly adjourned for five minutes to allow him to recover his composure. This witness was the husband of an earlier witness, and was called to identify handwriting m certain correspondence. On the resumption of the proceedings the. Magistrate took an opportunity to inform witness that he could speak the whole truth without fear. Whereupon witness said: "I omitted something. The trouble was that we were trying to make arrangements all along to get rid of the child, but we could not. I got my holidays and came to Wellington, where my wife was confined and the child born." Detective Lewis then intimated that the man's wife was now prepared to give evidence additional to that she had already given. Lawyer Treadwell sprang to his feet and submitted that such a course could not be allowed. It was most regrettable that witnesses should come forward and later change their minds.

Magistrate Pago said he would consider the matter, an* m the meantime the case could proceed. At a later stage, he said, the addition could be made m the Supreme Court, when the case was finally heard. Accordingly, another witness was called, an elderly lady, a widow, who said she had introduced a young woman to Cooper, for 'whom she had occasionally sold remedies for minor ailments, with tho object of helping the young woman, who was single, and HAD BEEN INDISCREET, out of her trouble. Cooper agreed to help the girl conditionally on witness writing him a letter, as he said ho always required a letter "m case of trouble." Witness consented to do bo, and at his dictation wrote: Dear Mr Cooper, — I have a girl friend stopping with me and she has got herself into trouble. I am doing my best to get her out of it and 1 havo made a mess ot.it. For God's sake come and give mo a hand. I don't want to call m a doctor. Come at once. Witness signed the letter and Cooper took it away with him. Later, however, ho declined to have anything to do with it and said the sirl must havo her child m tho usual way. The young lady mentioned m tho above letter — no*v married — said, whon called as a witness; that following Cooper's expressed disinclination to do anything for her she had herself written a lottor to him at bis dictation and which contained an untrue statement. It was to the effect that as he had declined to do anything to help her' out of her trouble she hud operated on herself and desired him to come at onco. Ho still declined to do anything, however, and though witness's husband made repeated applications to him to return the letters he refused to do so. The Magistrate: Was there any mention of payment at this time?— No. Hln attitude was that he was out to help everyone for nothing. The commencement of something sensational occurred when Dr. Harris, of the Wellington Public Hospital, waa called. Hlj» Appearance was an outcome of the discovery of a letter found m accused's office from a girl named MoNauuhton. who died In the hoaplUl

since the letter was written, as the result of AN INCOMPLETE ABORTION. The letter, bearing the date September 6, sought an appointment with Cooper, and the writer mentioned that ahe had heard Cooper could get girls out of trouble. Lawyer Treadwell entered an emphatic protest. He urged that the evidenoe was quite irrelevant. In any case there was nothing to connect C«oper with the death. The letter was there, certainly, and the girl died m the hospital from an incomplete abortion, but there was certainly no evidence that there was any connection between these events as far as Cooper was concerned. The Magistrate thought the evidence was admissible, but assented to Lawyer Treadwell's objection being noted on the depositions. ! - The" " doctor j stated ; that when" ad* rnitted on Octpber 13, 1322, at about 10 o'clock at night, the girl was suffering severely from hemorrhage as the result of an incomplete abortion. An operation was .performed immediately, but though the patient survived the operation she' died about three hours after her admission.

A WITNESS. • Lawyer Treadwell : How" long had she been pregnant?— Considering the con-, dition she was m when I made the examination it is very difficult to say. Can you give an approximate idea? —About four months. The doctor added that it was impossible to say within a month either way. Were there any indications as to how the abortion had been brought about?r-No. Was there any indication that it was not caused by a jump or a strain? —No. It might have been a miscarriage brought about unintentionally, then? — That is so. In reply to Detective Lewis, witness said It was quite probable that if the girl had been tampered with BY AN EXPERT ABORTIONIST there would be no signs at all. A brother of the deceased girl said he was a married man, a fishmonger. Latterly, up till her death, the deceased girl, his sister, had lived with him.. Her health was satisfactory up till a few days before her death, when she complained of having slipped at work and hurt her leg. She treated it with iodine. The girl continued her work, but at 11.30 on the morning of October 13 the girl went to bed. Witness wanted to call a doctor, but she protested against such a course. About 3 o'clock m the afternoon the girl seemed to be considerably better, but at 7 o'clock she was very ill, and

witness rang up a doctor. Aa a reßult of the doctor's visit the girl was sent to the hosptial, where sho died. Witness identified the writing m the letter as that of his sister. Detective Harold said he was m the detective office when Cooper wag brought m after his arrest. Accused handed him a packet of letters and asked him not to allow them to come into the hands of the detectives. If they were allowed to he would fall, and so would "a LOT OP OTHER GOOD PEOPLE m Wellington," but without them tho police could do nothing with him. Detective McLennan said that when arrested accused said, "Fancy that. That is what a man gets when people come to him to do that sort of thing and he turns them down. They should toe put on their trial." Witness asked him whom he meant, and he replied, "Those people who said I aborted them." Detective Jarrold, who participated m the arrest, confirmed the statements. He added that subsequently he asked Cooper if he knew the girl who had died, and he said, "I cannot say I do." When the discovery of tha letter was mentioned to him, he said. "Any letters I receive like that I take no notice of." This witness, as well as Inspector Mcllvoney, also gave evidence m regard to the discovery of a couple of diaries m accused's residence at Newlands. , Dotective Lewis read a lengthy statement made by accused, m which he stated ho was 39 years of ago and a builder by trade. He had been m tho : "health specialist" business for the past ftve years, first starting In Dunedln. His office was m No. 243 Lambton Quay, and he specialised In ointments, hair restorers, face creams and such stuff. Women frequently appliod to him for treatment for ailmonta Peculiar to their sex. He always recommended tho use of the douche, and the douching apparatus found m his office was kopt there for demonstra-. tion purposes only. People frequently , came to him with medicines and pill* ] for analysis, and quantities of pins and medicines found In his office had been loft there by these people. In regard to the Instruments, ho used them solely for diagnosing complaints In women. On about five occasions he had been approached to take Illegitimate children into his domqmlotx and I

have them adopted, but he had always declined. This concluded the evidence. Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. It Is probable that when the case comes up for hearing at the next session Lawyer Treadwell will make an application to have it postponed until the next on account of the brevity of the time' which remains m which to prepare a defence.