THE WINTON MURDER CASE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2825, 6 June 1895, Page 4

THE WINTON MURDER CASE.

Invercargill, June 3; At the inquest on Eva Hornsby, infant,, for the murder of whom Minnie and Charles Dean are under arrest, much of the evidence was the same as that given at the inquest on Dorothy Edith Carter, the most noticeable thing being that no witness could say that they saw the famous tin box from the time the woman j left Lumsden to go to Milburn until her return to Winton. Mrs Rennett, Fort Chalmers, identi-fied-the >body of the infant by a birthsore, and by the mark of a slight burn on the hand, accidentally caused while the infant was in her keeping for a month. Witness identified the clothing found at The Larches as that of the infant.

William Gibb, railway guard, identified Mrs Dean as the woman who got on the train at Clarendon on the 2nd May. '> She had no child with her.

Guard Kay and' Mrs Horasby proved that Mrs Dean got off the train at Clarendon in the " six foot " between the main line and the siding, not on the platform, with a baby. Constable King, of Milton (whose evidence was looked forward to with much interest) oould only depose that he-saw Mrs Dean in the South bound train in the " evening, through the carriage window: that.she was sitting with her handß in her lap, and that he saw no child. His evidence showed that the woman had not time to leave the carriage, nor did she transfer a baby to anyone at Milton as, she alleged she did when charged. She did not leave her Beat.

Detective McGrath doposed that when he first questioned Mrs Dean at Winton, she denied that she had got a baby at Milburn on the 3rd May, or that Bhe had had correspondence with Mrs Horusby, but when questioned as to receiving a child at any time in May between Invercargill and Dunedin she admitted that sho had, but Baid she had handed it over to a person at Milton for whom she was acting as agent. She told McGrath afterwards that she would have told him all about the child, but ho had gone too far and he would now have to find out for himself.

Jane Hornsby deposed : I am the wife of John Hornsby, living at Kaikorai. On the 31st March last my daughter gave birth to an illegitimate child —a girl. On the 2nd of April I gave the child to a Mrs Bennett, of Port Chalmers, to nurse. On 'that day I saw an advertisement as follows: —"A respectable married woman wants to adopt a child; comfortable home in the country. Address«Childless.' Times Office.,' I addressed a letter in reference to the advertisement and got the following reply : "East Winton, April 11, 1895.—T0 'ABC,' from ' Childless —ln answer to j yours re child to adopt I Bhall be pleased to hear from you in reference to same. All correspondence will be Btrictly private. Please address—Mrs C. Deane, East Winton, Southland." On the 20th April I received thefollowletter in reply to one I wrote about the adoption of the child : "East Winton, 20th April; Mrs Hornsby, Dear Madam, Am quite willing to accept the terms offered by you, and accept your assurance that the child is healthy and of healthy parents, and for the sake of all concerned I should like to get baby as soon as possible. I will register the birth in our name as our little child also christen her as.such; will also have, to register the adoption to make it legal, so my solicitor informs me. I will also give you a receipt for £lO as being payment in full of all demands, present and future. If this is agreed to I am ready to go for the little one as soon as you are ready, but would be very. : pleased if you could meet me pari of the way, say as far as Milburn. You could deduct the amount of your expenses from the £lO, but please understand that I wish the child to be entirely my own. I wish her to grow up in the belief that I am in truth her mother. I wish it kept out of anyone's power to tell the child that I am not in truth her mother, or that the stain of illegitimacy is on her birth, so I wish no one but those interested to know where the child has gone. I will do my best, with God's help, to train the child to become a good useful woman. I pledge the word of a mother who has loved and lost her own, that 1 will be a mother to the child, in weal or woe, in sickness or in health; a mother's loving watchful care will be bestowed on her. If accepted please name an early date. I live about' five miles from P. 0., but will send daily until I hear from you. The little one will have plenty of milk and will soon grow up to be a big fat girl. Truly yours, M. Dean." On the 3rd May I went by train to Milburn. 1 received a telegram from her saying thai; she could not get by tho train to meet me in the morning, but would come on by the next. It was about 10 o'clock when I arrived, and 5 o'clock when Mrs Dean's train arrived. On arriving I said, " Mrs Dean ?" and she replied, " Mrs Horusby.'"' I told her to come on to the next station, as there was no time to apeak. I gave her the baby and went into the waiting room for a parcel. Mrs Dean went into the carriage of the train she had come by and I followed. I gave herthe money I had promised her—£9 10fc, less my expenses, 10s. She gave me the Allowing receipt ;-*- IK - u 2nd May, 1895; Received . „ r-« Hornsby the sum of ten from Mrs Jauo fnJ j of aJI pounds, being paymc. TsJjo hereby demands present or future. _ *«gal agree that I will adopt the child in a . I manner, register the child's birth in my own name, also register the adoption as required by law, and in every way aot towards the child as a mother should.— (Signed), Minnie Dean. The inquest was adjourned till Tuesday. June 4. At the inquest on Eva Hornsby to-day, the medical evidence was to the effect that death was caused by asphyxiation by mechauiogl means. There were two marks on either side of the skull, which might have been caused by the pressure of a finger and thumb. The organs were those of a healthy child, and the appearances were not inconsistent with suffocation by external means. The Crown Prosecutor stated that the organs had been sent to Professor Black, but no indication of poison had been found. The jury after au hour's retirement returned a verdict thai in their opinion the child had been wilfully murdered. At the inquest on Dorothy Edith Carter, this afternoon, Professor Black deposed that he found sufficont morphia in the infant's stomach to cause death. The medical ovidonce was to the effect that tho post mortem conditions were consistent with death from opium poisoning. The jury roturned a verdict of wilful murdor against Minnie Doan.