CHARGE MURDER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2761, 13 February 1907, Page 38

CHARGE MURDER.

YOUNG WOMAN ARRESTED. WELLINGTON. February 8. A single woman named Matilda. Morri<* has been arrested at Otaki on a charge of murdering her infant. Morris left the house she was staying- in at Otaki on January 21. taking her baby vi ith her. She returned the same nis-ht without the infant, and in reply io a question explained that the baby had been left with some people who would adopt it. The matter was roportoil to the police, and yesterday Detective Cassel* discovered the dead l>ody of the infant buried in the bu«h. The mother was then arrested. Matilda Morvi«. who <-tand-> charged with the murder of her three weeks old son. was brought down from Otaki toliiErlit. and lodged in the Terrace Prison. The magisterial hoaring of the case and the inquest on the remains of the infant were formally adjourned until Friday and Monday of next week respectively. The accused woman is well known in the Otaki district. She had spent the 26 years of her life there, and her father had been a well-known man in the settlement. The baby had been missing for a fortnight, and tilie mother had given no satisfactory accounts of what had become of it. At last she showed a detective a spot in a bush whore a little body lay buried. The place of burial wa.s concaaled by dead leave 3 . February 11. The ad|ournc«l iiicjiie~r on the body of the infant winch was found buried in a bush near Otaki lant Thursday was held to-day. The alleged mother of the child — Matilda Morris — was present. She ia under arrest on a char-ge of murder. The fvi denee given showed that the mother lefr the place at which she had been living one morning with the child, and arrived that evening at another house without it. Suspicions were aroused, and as it was found -that the mother's story was unsatisfactory the police were communicated -with, the result beinpr that the mother showed where ihe body was buried. The medical evidence was indefinite, and the jury returned the following- verdict: — "Tliat Albert Morris met his death on January 21, but there wa? not sufficient evidence to sho-.v the actual cause of death." The Money Club lent upwards of £600 during- January to members, and received t'\cial application!) for shares.