INFANT’S DEATH

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21095, 22 July 1938, Page 7

INFANT’S DEATH

MOTHER CHARGED WITH MURDER CASE FOR CROWN By Telegraph - Press Association AUCKLAND. July 21 The murder of her five-months-old female child by drowning in the Northern Wairoa River in April was charged against Hazel Frances Evans, of Aratapu, aged 21, in the Supreme Court to-day, before Mr Justice Fair and a jury. Mr V. R. Meredith prosecuted for the Crown, and Mr R. A. Singer appeared for the accused. Outlining the evidence for the i prosecution Mr Meredith said the accused girl lived with her parents. On October 27 she gave birth to an illegitimate child, and when she and the child returned to her home from a nursing home she made several unsuccessful attempts to have the child placed in an orphanage. There was some unpleasantness in the home over the child, which culminated in a quarrel between the girl and her father on April 2. She told her father to "go to hell.” He replied that if that was the way she felt she had better get out of the home with the baby. Accused went to a neighbour’s place. She said she was going to send the baby away, and that night she was going to Te Kopuru to meet a lady, who was going to adopt the baby, and asked that a girl of the neighbour’s should help her to carry the baby. That night accused and Miss Alves walked to Te Kopuru with the baby.

The accused said she was to meet the lady at the Te Kopuru Post Office at 8 p.m. When they arrived there no lady was there. Miss Alves went on to the Old Men’s Home, where she worked, and went to bed. About an hour later the .accused came to her room. She said the lady had come and taken the child. As accused was very wet she stopped there that night, and returned home next morning. She arranged to stop at Mrs I Alves’ home, but in the meantime she I answered by telephone an advertisement. and got a housekeeper's position, j She told her mother that the baby had been taken and adopted. That was on April 4. Ten days later a man. Keith Warmington, was working on the river bank, at Te Kopuru when he noticed the body of a baby on the grass near the water's edge. It was decomposed, but it was identified as accused’s child. "I am satisfied.” said counsel, "that the evidence will force you to the conclusion that the accused, upset and desperate with shame, and the position in the home, took the baby to Te Kopuru that night with the intention of putting it in the river. If it had ’ not been for the high spring tide possibly nothing more would have been seen of it.” Counsel added that an admission made to Detectives Findlay and Miller would no doubt satisfy the jury of what had happened. After hearing the evdince of the girl’s father, the case was adjourned till to-morrow.