THE INQUEST ON THE LATE CAPT. CAIN,

Otago Witness, Issue 1824, 5 November 1886, Page 18

THE INQUEST ON THE LATE CAPT. CAIN,

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

Timaeu, November 3.

The convict Thomas Hall, now undergoing a life sentence for the attempted murder of hiß wife, arrived from Christchurch to-day in charge of Gaoler O'Brien and a warder. The visit was an unexpected one, as it was understood generally that Hall was not to be brought down till the last train this evening. There were a good many people on the station platform, and excitement soon spread among them as to the cause of Hall's sudden visit, the rumours, at once getting wind being of a most startling kind. So far the only truth is that Hall, being interested in the inquest on Cain, has a right to attend at the court tomorrow. I am informed that learned counsel will also be present on his behalf. Hall's personal appearance is most wretched, his face since I last saw it in the Supreme Court, Christchurch, having undergone a very startling change. He will have an opportunity of seeing his one-time fellow prisoner, Margaret Graham Houston, at the inquest. She has been subpoenaed as a witness. This latter is a significant fact, and should at once silence all rumours respecting her and Cain's last hours. It was decided to-day to exhume the body to-morrow morning, and to take it to one of the sheds in the cemetery ground, where the jury will view it at 11 o'clock. The jury chosen is a good one, and the whole proceedings will be patched with great interest.

£)EATH FROM STARVATION. A SHOCKING STATE OF AFFAIRS,

Inveecaegill, November 3.

An inquest was held to-day on the body of the four-montii-old infant son of Arthur Russell, a gardener residing at South Invercargill, who was alleged to have died of starfatftfn. Witnesses deposed that the mother

was scarcely ever sober, and that she left the child locked up in the house alone for hours together. The medical evidence went to show thsit the infant had been starved, there being no organic disease to account for death. The body weighed 51b 12oz. The doctor to whom the child was shown by its mother stated that he told her the child was not getting sufficient nourishment), and gave instructions for food to be gi?en. The mother stated that she gave the child all it would take, and that it rejected the food ordered by the doctor, and had diarrhoea after it. She had applied to the Charitable Aid Board for help, but her complaint at the office was chiefly that her husband had deserted her. She was told to call when the board was sitting, but did not attend, and was intoxicated when she made the application. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the child had died from starvation, but they could not say who was to blame, it not being clear that the husband had not supplied funds for the maintenance of the child. The woman seemed (always to have money to spend in drink, and it was proved that she had bought several quantities of milk, but not continually.