THE WAIN CASE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3140, 26 April 1883, Page 2

THE WAIN CASE.

[By Telegraph.]

Dunedin, April 25.

In the Wain case to-day Elspeth Mitchell, the nurse, was further examined. She said that on the night that Mr Oag fetched the deceased (Henry Wain) back, Mrs Wain got quite upset about the boy being brought home. She called to Job, the elder brother, (who was in bod), several times to “give it to that Henry.” When Job went into her room she said that Henry had done all this to her, (meaning that he had excited her.)

Mr Denniston—l hope that it will appear in the depositions that the witness was recalled to give this evidence. In a day or two, no doubt she will have something else to say. Mr Haggitt—That is an insinuation that the evidence is invented.

Mr Denniston—l will put it much more strongly than an insinuation, if you please. I heard the evidence given at the Coroner’s enquiry. She was closely pressed for full particulars before, and said nothing of this. Witness continued to say that next morning Mrs Wain came into the kitchen and witness expressed surprise at seeing her there so soon after her confinement. She said that she had come into the kitchen for the purpose of looking after Henry ; that she would have him under hf-r control ; that he would not get any mure going away, and that he would not expose her again. On one occasion after this, when she was complaining about him the witness said, “If he were my boy, I would send him to the Industrial School.” She replied that she would have no hand with him, as he was not her boy. Mrs Wain further said, “When he was very young he used to call out in the middle of the night, ‘I want you daddy,’ and I bad hard work to break him of it.” During the last week witness was there, while the hoy was in his bedroom, and the accused in the kitchen, she (Mrs Wain) used to call out in a mocking way, “ I want you daddy.” She complained that the boy was the cause of all her upsets with Mr Wain Dr De Zoucho gave evidence as to the state of the boy when brought to the Hospital, and the cause of bis death. He said that while the boy was in the hospital in October last he was wellbehaved, and was not troublesome at all. Witness had no reason to suppose, either from his own observations or any reports from the wardsmen or .patients, that the boy had bad habits or was uncleanly. He was spare in appearance. When the boy was again brought to the Hospital a few weeks before his death, be was very thin. The boy told him his mother bad broken bis arm with a broom. About a week after his admission to the Hospital the brain became affected, and after this had ran its usual coarse the Boy died. Witness made a post mortem examination in conjunction with Dr Drew. He. found that death was occasioned by acute consumption. There was an extensive tubercular deposit in the brain and the lungs, bowels and liver, and there was some in the kidneys. This disease was induced by a variety of causes, ■ such as poor living, the want of exercise, depressing influence, &c. He considered the boy predisposed to it, . To-morrow Drs Coughtry . and Alexander will give evidence.