Charges of Murder.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5281, 11 June 1895, Page 4

Charges of Murder.

THE WINTON CASE 3.

[Per Press Association. j INVEBCARGILL, June 10.

At the inquest on the skeleton of a child found in tne Deanß' garden, at Winton, Margaret Cameron, who had lived with the Dean* for f oar teen years, deposed that ft child named Cyril Scoullar was brought from Oamaru by Mrs Deaa about; five years ago. He remained at The Larches aboat three years. One day in April, about two years ago, when all the grown-up people about the house were absent, he disappeared, and Mrs Dean said he had been taken away in a buggy by a lady from Gore. Witness saw her give the child laudanum that morning. Never heard of anyone being Been about the place with a buggy that day. Mrs Dean afterwards said that the ohild had gone to Sydney, and showed I witness a photo of him, but she did not believe it was his. She remembered a boy named Henry being brought by Mre Dean five yeara ago. He was tnen eight or nine months old, and disappeared in the same way, when no one but Mra Dean and the children were about the house. She said that a lady from Wallacetown had taken him. Mrs Dean afterwards showed ber a photograph of the ■ child, on the baok of which was written, "From. Henry 8. Thomson, with love to Mra Dean." The writing was "Mrs Dean's. She remembered a 1 boy, Sydney M'Kernon, being "brought to The Larches four years ago, Mrs Dean eaid from Danedin. He was a few weeks o'.d. A woman came twice to inquire . about that child two or three years ago next November. Constable Basmussen came with her. the second time. Sydney had disappeared about twelve : months before. Witness was at Mataura at the time, and was told that the child had gone to a lady about Woodlands. Mrs Dean did not like this child. Mrs Dean said that she had denied to the mother that she had the child, as a solicitor in Dunedin had told her he did I 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 Woodlauds lady would like to take another of the children. Another child, Willie Phelan, Mrs Dean brought from Dunedin five years ago. He was then about two yeara of age. She had a dase in court in Invercargill about him, and afterwards took him to Dunedin, but brought him back. Mrs Qlsen was Tf iWie'a, mother. The c&ld tema.uwsd at The Larches a few months &i ter September, 1893, and disappeared when no one was about the house but Mrs Dean, who said that a woman from Invercargill came for him. Shef never met '- anyone ' who caw such a woman about the place. Mrs Dean did not treat this child well. She would knock him down and, seizing him by the hair, bump his head on the floor. She had a dislike to the child. Mrs Dean was in the habit of getting drunk, but was always sober when Bbc abused the child, dome children she treated well, -others not so well. She used to get drunk by herself. Cyril Scoullar, who- was about four years of age when he disappeared, had dark hair. She did not think he had lost any teeth, neither had Willie Phelan, She caw the skeleton. The hair wae like Willie Phelan'e, but his was ourly. M'Kornan'a hair was fair and Henry's reddish. She still thought that the skeleton was Willie. Phelan's. Henry disappeared when about twelve months old.

Esther Wallace corroborated Cameron's evidence regarding the disappearance* of the children, and, said that she was' sent out of the way on all the occasions. She never heard anyone s*y they h ad seen people come on the days the children went away. She saw no tracks of a buggy to the hou'.e.. All Cyril's clothing was about the place afterwards. She did not believe the photo shown by Mrs Dean was Cyril's. Mrs Daan made her take all the children with her, and only the one that disappeared was left behind . in. the house on each occasion. From the hair ehe thought the skeleton was Willie Phelan's, whose new velvet suit was in the house after he disappeared. Mrs Dean was unkind to Scouliur and JPhelan, as described by the previous witness. Sergeant MacDonnell said that the girl 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 M'Kernon, of the Bluff, deposed:' that she had a boy child in Dunedin on March 14, 1892. It was given

to a woman giving her name aa Minnie

M'Kellar. Believed she waa paid a premium. Afterwards made inquiries. Visited The Larches twice and saw the woman there. On the second occasion Mrs Dean abuaed her, and denied that she got a child from her. ,

Mary Margaret Olsen, Dunedin, deposed that she was the mother of Willie Fhelan, who would be biz years of age if alive. Mrs Dean got JB2O, and legally adopted the boy. Had not eean him since 1893. He had fair curly bair and all. his teeth. ;

Mrs Hogan, who was said to have got the child from Mrs Dean, denied ever Beeing him, although she had offered her a child two or three years ago by letter. Never wrote to her. .

Constable Raemusaen deposed that Mrs Dean never would give him any information about the children. He knew nil the children, and was of, opinion that the skeleton was Willie Phelan's.

Dr M'Leod deposed that the skeleton was that of a four-year-old child. The back teeth were ont, but they might have dropped ont.

In reply to tbe Coroner, who a eked if Bhe wished to give evidence, Mrs Dean made no reply.

Tbe jury returned a verdict that the identity of the skeleton was not established, but. that tbe evidence pointed strongly to the remains being those of Willie Phelan, who had been adopted by Minnie Dean.