Charges of Murder.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5272, 31 May 1895, Page 2

Charges of Murder.

• { The Invercargill correspondent) of the •; Olago Daily Times 6aya ; — A.B might be ; expected, very groat interest is taken here in the alleged murder of children in ooh- , neotidn with the Deana'a baby farming ftt ■ saat Winton. It ia the absorbing topic of ! conversation, and rumours are rife Concerning tha network of evidence that has been procured. Of course nothing official can be ascertained before its divulgence at the coroner's inquest, i the police being exceedingly reticent, i but, with all possible caro, a little leakage 1 j is unavoidable, and there is generally a ■ substratum of truth in rumour. If this I should be bo ia this case, then some ' etartling revelations will be made. It is Baid that; the purchase of laudanum has been traced to Mrs Dean, and that the Bsms drug baa been found in the body of one of the children, the cause of whose death is now under investigation. What the value of this may be, if trne, of course remains to be seen, bat; its BuggesfciveneHS admits of no doubt. The researches of the police have been pretty widespread. It will be somewhat but*prising to most to learn that the coroner's inquests in such cases are almost absolutely futile, but such is be case. Under { tbe code there is no power to commit for trial on the finding of acqrooer'a jury, and the verdict io simply to show tbe cause of death, and nothing more. A. verdict of natural death or wilful murder ia simply the opinion of so many people, and has no legal effect whatever. This being so, it is probable that only sufficient evidence to show the cause of death will be produced before tbe coroner's jury, and that the bulk of the evidence will only be disclosed when the accused are charged before the magistrate at the Magistrate's Court. This was the course adopted by thn Grown Prosecutor (Mr Bell) in the celebrated Chemis trial in Wellington. The duration of the cor oner' b inquest is therefore very uncertain. Professor Black left here on. Monday \o complete hie analysis, and is to return- on Saturday next, and one of , the inquests stands adjourned till Monday next.