THE ILLEGAL OPERATION CHARGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 194, 8 September 1900, Page 2

THE ILLEGAL OPERATION CHARGE.

EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE. m FBBSS ASSOCIATION. Weiainotoh, September 7, The inquest on the girl Luke to likely to last all day. It came oat Is the evidence of the arresting detective that Mrs. Henderson told him she did not uss any instrument on the girl, Litis. The evidence of Detective Nixon at the inquest on Miss Luke was of a startling nature, as, according to him, when the police went to Mrs. Henderson's shop the accused was caught with the blood-smeared instruments of her trado in her hands, the two girls being in the house at the time. The deceased's mother was among the witnesses. She said she became jM nearly demented when she discovered lier daughter's condition, and weat to Mrs. Henderson to see if she oou\d do anything for her, and paid her £5. Slie was assured there was no danger, tie accused saying she had never Tost a case. The Coroner reprobated Mrs. Luke's action in very severe terms. From the line taken by the orouquestioning, it would appear that til* defence will be that all the mischief . had aotually been done when tbe girt came to accused. The jury brought in the following vordict: —" We find that the death of Mary Alice Winifred Luke was due to peritonitis, caused by injuries arising from an illegal operation performed by Mary Henderson," to which was added a rider severely censuring thy mother of the girl for the part played briber.