THE WINTON MURDER CASES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 1777, 11 June 1895, Page 3

THE WINTON MURDER CASES.

*. FOUR BOYS DISAPPEAR. (By Tele&raph.) IN\ ERCARGILL, June 10. At the inquest on the skeleton of the child fouud m the Deans' garden, at Winton, Margaret Cameron, who had lived with the Deans over 14 years, deposed that a child named Cyril Seoullar was brought from Oamaru by Mrs Dean about five years ago. He remained at the Larches to about three years. One day m April, about two years ago, when all grown up people about the house were absent lie disappeared, and Mrs Dean said he had been taken away m a buggy by a lady from Gore. Saw her give the child laudanum that morning. Never heard of anyone being seen about the place with a buggy that day. Mrs Dean afterwards said that the child had gone to Sydney, and showed witness a photo of him, but she did not believe it was his. She remembered a boy named Henry being brought by Mrs Dean five years ago. He was there 8 or 9 months, and disappeared m the same way when no one but Mrs Dean and the children were about the house. She said that a lady from Wallace-town had taken him. Mrs Dean afterwards showed her a photo of the child, on the back of which was written " From Henry S. Thomson with love to Mrs Dean." The writing was Mrs Dean's. She remembered a boy, Sydney McKernon, being brought to the Larches four years ago, Mrs Dean said from Dunedin. He was a few weeks old. A woman came twice to inquire about that child, two or three years ago next November ; Constable Rasmussen came with her the second time. Sydney had disappeared about 12 months before. Witness was at Mataura at the time, and was told that the child had gone to a lady about Woodland. Mrs Dean did not like this child. She said that she had denied to the mother that she had the child as a solicitor m Dunedin had told her that he did not want the mother to know anything about.it, and that she had written to the solicitor telling him where the child was. She also said that a sister of the Woodland lady would like to take another of the children. "Another child, Willie Phelan, Mrs Dean brought from Dunedin five years ago. He was th'en about 2 years. She had a case m court m Invercargill about him and afterwards took him to Dunedin but brought him bad?. Mrs Olsen was Willies mother. The 1 child remained at the Larches a few months after September, 1893, and disappeared when no one was about the house. Mrs Dean said that a woman from Invercargill came for him. She never met anyone who saw them about the place. Mrs Dean did not treat this child well. She would knock him down and seizing him by the hair, would bump his head on the floor. She had a dislike to the child. Mrs Dean was m the habit of getting drunk but was always sober when she abused the child. Some children she treated well, others not so well. She used to get drunk by herself. Cyril Scoullar was about 4 years old when he disappeared. He had dark hair. Witness did not think that he had lost his teeth, neither had Willie Phelan. She had seen the skeleton. The hair was like Willie Phelan's, but his was curly; McKernan's hair was fair and Henry's reddish. She still thought that the skeleton was Willie Phelan's. Henry disappeared when about 12 months. Esther Wallace corroborated this evidence. Sergeaivt MacDonnell said that this girlj was not now so willing to give evidence. Charles Dean, after his liberation, had forced himself into the Charitable Aid Board's home and communicated with her, although warned not to do so. Mary Caroline McKernan, of the Bluff, deposed that she was a single women and had a boy child m Dunedin m 1892, which was given to a woman giving her name as " Minnie McKellar." She visited the Larches when Mrs Dean abused her, and denied that she gpt a child from her. Mary Margaret Olsen, Dunedin, deposed that she was the mother of Willie Phelan, who would be six years old if alive. Mrs Dean got £20 and legally adopted the boy. She has not seen himsince 1893. Mrs Hogan denied ever getting a child from Mrs Dean ; although she had offered her a child two or three years ago by letter. Constable Rasmussen said that Mrs Dean never would give him aiiy information about the children. He knew all the children, and was of ppjnion that the skeleton was that of Willie Phelan. Dr McLeod said that the skeleton was that of a 4 year old child. The back teeth might have dropped: out. In reply to the Coroner who asked if she wished to give evidence, Mrs Dean made no reply. The jury returned a verdict that the identity of the skeleton was not established, but the evidence points strongly to the remains being those of Willie Phelan, who had been adopted by Minnie Dean.