A BABY ABANDONED.

Otago Witness, Issue 3911, 26 February 1929, Page 76

A BABY ABANDONED.

YOUNG GIRL’S FOOLISH ACT. A sad story was unfolded at the City Police Court on Wednesday when a girl named Pearl Caroline Hislop appeared on remand before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., and was charged with having unlawfully abandoned a child under the age of two years. Mr G. T. Baylee appeared for the accused.

Mary Jane Clark, a married woman, residing at 570 Anderson's Bay road, said that on the morning of February 14, about 6.45, she went to the back door, when she heard a baby crying. At first she thought it was her own child, but on investigating further she found a baby lying outside the back gate. It was fully dressed, and partly rolled up in a piece of blanket. Witness took the child inside, rubbed it and fed it. and then notified the police, who took charge of the child.

Dr W. Evans gave evidence that he had examined the child at the Police Station on the morning in question. It was a female child, and had apparently been well looked after, as it was clean and well developed, and weighed six and three-quarter pounds. Its age would be approximately 14 days. The child was at present in the Karitane Home, where it was doing well. Rubina Christiansen, a nursing sister at the Salvation Army Maternity Home, Redroofs, stated that on January 28 the accused gave birth to a female ’child at the home. She left again with the baby on February 13, about 8.30 in the evening, saying she was going to friends. Witness recognised the clothes produced as those which the baby was wearing when it left the home.

Detective Sergeant Nuttall gave evidence as to being called to Mrs Clark’s, home, and with the police matron took charge of the child. On February 15 he interviewed the accused, who admitted giving birth to the child on January 28 and leaving the home on February 13. In detailing her subsequent movements she said that after she left the home she went by tram to the Anderson’s Bay road, and, after walking a short distance down the Portobello road, left the child at Mrs Clark’s gate. She had no special reason for leaving it there other than that she knew Mrs Clark lived there. She then went to the house of an aunt, where she stayed for the night, and went to Balclutha the following morning. °

The accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, bail being allowed on her ow-n recognisance of £5O, conditional on her remaining under the charge of the Salvation Army. An application for suppression of the name was refused.