FURTHER PARTICULARS.—THE SKELETON OF A CHILD UNEARTHED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2151, 16 May 1895, Page 28

FURTHER PARTICULARS.— THE SKELETON OF A CHILD UNEARTHED.

(By Ova Special Reporter.) Invebcabgill, May 13. Another discovery was made to-day in connection with the baby farming case at Winton, the skeleton of a child, appareutly between two and three years of age, being found in Mrß Dean's flower gardeD, clo3e to where the bodies of the two othor infants were discovered. A j)ost morttm examina'ioa of these two bodies was made at luvercargill thi« morning by Drs Macleod and Young, Dr HuUtr also being present. The pcl'ce do not think it advisable to make known the result of the medical examination in the meantime. The inqutsb on the todies will be formally opened' to-morrow afternoon, and then adjouncd in order to give time for the collectioa of e/idence. Both the "bo I ie« have been id entified as those of children Mrs Dean had iv her care. Mrs Horneby (<hegraudtnoth<r) aud the nur^e who had charge of the child Eva Horn-. by arrived here on Sunday night frooa Dauedin, accompanied by Dettcfive M'Ghain. On Saturday they came as far as Clinton, and completed their j >uruey on tho following day, driving over heru from the Ustinui'imed placo. Since tb/ir arrival Mr» Homsby aud the nurse hue idmtifled the body of one of the children found as that of tho child which the former gave over into the keeping of I Mr« Dean on the 3rd inst. By this evening's train Detective Hmberb brought from Wi-.toa six illegitiraite children who bad been adopted by Mrs Dean. The eldeat is a girl ab ut 15 years of age, and the youngest is a baby about five weeks old. There are also two little boya aud two little girls, the whole four being nearly of one ago— betweeu five and six years. The children have been comfortably housed in Invercargill pending efforts being made to fiod their parents. If the folice ara no t successful in their ssarch, the clvMren will probably be committed to the Cwersham Industrial School. Great sympathy is felt for the poor little creatures, aud great attention was tho/vn them in the train oa the way down here from Wiutou by tao pasiengers, who provided them with cakts and 6 wee t meats, and otherwise sLowed a kiudly interest iv them. The children ssemed quite happy aud contented. They do not appear to bs very well provided with clothiug, but were strong aud healthy ljtkiDg, and seem to have been well fed. The police here have been very energetic in their search for the bodies. On Satuiday morning DtteoHve Herbert, arompanied by Constables M'Donough, Barret, Burrows, and M'lheney, left here by the morning train for Winton, where they were joined by Constable Ristuussen. The party then procured picks, spades, aLcl shovels and preceded to Dean's land, thiukiug the garden to be an unlikely place. They first searched through the bufh and the open laud at the buck of the property. They then turned their attention to the g»rden in front of tho house. One spot in a flower bed seemed darker than <he resfe, and a closer exHmiantion showed a buuch of cut flowers stuck in the soil. Constable Barret, wbo had observed this, at oecj fokaspade, and in digging up the soil came across a baby's bare foot. He at onoe iuformed his comrades, who assisted him to clear the earth away, and the bodies of two babies were exposed to view, at a depth of about 15in below the surface of the ground. AfUr the bodi-s had been recovered, Detecfche Herbert saw the necessity of arresting Dean, and despatched Constables Raimussen and M'llveney to the pace where he was known t3 be employed. There the constables arrested him, aud he wai subsequently charged at Wiuton before two justices with the murder of the two children, and remanded to luverctrgill. The police afterwards conliuued tbeir di|fgiug operations with more vig iur than before, but fouad nothing fu tber that day. On Sunday they «g> iv set to work, and on continuing their operations to-day Constable M'Don jugh, at 10.20 a.m., unearthed a child's fku'l alout 2ft from tbe surface. On the earth being cleared away the skeleton of a child wa* revealed, but the police were unable to recover it intact, only sure oding in getting tbe bones, which were brought to luvercargill this erecting. The Deans have been living at Winlon for over 10 years. Some years ago they lived in a two-atorey house known as The Larches. TLis, however, was destroyed by fi.e, and they being in poor circumstances were uuable to replace it, but built in its stead a small two-roomed hcuie with a lean-to. In this hou«e they have been re&iuing for some time. It is situated within about a mile of the town of Winton, on the noith side, and withiu s^methiug like 200 yards of the railway line running to Kiugston. The ground belonging to the Deans contains an area of about 40 acres, about half an acre of which |is laid out as a flower garden, orchard, 1 and vegetable garden. A few sheep, a cow, a couple of pigs, and some fowls constitute their stock. The furniture th°y have in the house is of the poorest description, and the whole surroundings of the place seemed to indicate that the owners were in very poor circumstances. Mrs Dew, au adopted daughter, and the infant before referred to slept in one room, 7ft Bin by lift 4iin. A girl 15 years of age and the four other children were accommodatad at night in the lean-to, the dimensions of which are lift tym by 7ft 6£in; and the remaining room, which was also a email one, was occupied by Dean. The house is situated in rathor a lonely place, no other residence being nearer than half a mile, and the Winton Cemetery is within a few yards of the boundary of the Dean's section. The property is held in the name of Mrs Dean. It is said to be heavily mortgaged and that the Deans were pressed for money.