ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER. CASE BREAKS DOWN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2779, 19 June 1907, Page 38

ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER. CASE BREAKS DOWN.

AUCKLAND, June 13. A ni.ddle agrod married woman nainrd Eliza Da vies was charged before All Justice Dfniuston in tho Supreme Court with havrng on February 11 committed manslaughu-r by killing one Douglas Allen Campbell. The Hon J. A. Tole, K.C., appeared for the Crown and Mr J. R. Lundon defended. Accused pleaded " Xot guilty." The Crown Prosecutor informed the jury that a'scu&ed was charged with having caused tho death of an infant. The mother of tho child ananged with accused to tako it from birth and keep it always, subject to a payment of £10 by the mother. Half of tins sum was paid on account, and the baby was taken away from the mother gq December 23, the day after it was

born. It would be shown that the child was normal and healthy when born. When it had been under accused's care for some time it seemed to get thinner, but accused did not cadi in a doctor, and on. FebruarjJ 11 the child died. Dr King- was cailed, and said" accused! told him she had been feeding the cnild on Nestles milk. The dead infant was just a bundle of akin and bones, but there were no signs of the wasting disease known as marasmus. Witness had Jor 15- yeaia been in charge of the Costley maternity ward, where nine-tenths of the children were artificially fed. He could not re* member any death there trom rastinjp disease. He considered death, was due to starvation. For the defence. Dr Bull and Dr Lindsay said it could not be proved that death was due to starvation without a post mortem examination. The judge stopped the case, statin? that it had broken down. At the same time he made «omo strong remarks on rhj adoption of infants for small sums of money, considering legislation was needed to prer\ent abuse.