TO-DAY’S PROCEEDINGS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16987, 10 March 1923, Page 13

TO-DAY’S PROCEEDINGS.

THIRD MOTHER GIVES EVIDENCE. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON. March 10. Further evidence was taken, this morning in the charge of murder ; against Daniel Richard Cooper and j .Martha Elizabeth Cooper before Air E. j Page, S.AL. at the Magistrate’s

{ Court. The first witness called was John | Kennedy, clerk of the Magistratei Court, Palmerston North, who stated i that a search of the records for 1920, | 1921 and 1922 disclosed no record of a child belonging to Lily Lester and Hugo Lupi having been adopted. Similar evidence was given by Frederick William Hart, clerk of the Magistrate's Court. AVollington. and the clerk attached to the office of the Re-gistrar-General of Births. Deaths and ATarriages. At this stage Air Macnssev stated * that lie proposed calling evidence in re I -peot to Beatrice Irene Beadle’s child. , The mother, a slightly built, well dressi ed young woman, housemaid in AYe! j liiigton. told the Court that she had i first met the Coopers in Dunedin four ! years ago. In October. 1919. she • aine to live with them in Island Bav. The witness, in reply to Air Alacasi Fry. said that as the result of her J intimacy with Cooper, of which Mrs i Cooper was aware, she became pregAir Ala -assey: AA’here wore you actually confined? At Airs Olsen’s at Lyttelton. I Did you know for wliat purpose you were going to Lyttelton ? ! f'ooji-T told me he was taking me j there so no one would know anything l ill:out it. • AYlio paid expenses? i Air Cooper. j AVhat name did you go under? ! I don’t remember : it was nut my ' own. Cooper told me to take it. : A fortnight after her arrival, con- J • j tinned the witness, a healthy baby hoy ! j wa% horn, and about- a fortnight later ! • j she returned to AA’ollingt on in erinpanv ; p ' with Cooper, who paid all expenses. i he child was left at some Indy’s house • i at Chri-itrhureh by witness and Cooper, I | ! the latter making all arrangement*. j Later, however Cooper received advice i ' 1 • come south, that the child was not . well, and in company with. itn«'s- he \ ■ ; vi.-iie<l Lvttclton and brought it hack j I I l • > \\ eliioglon. Cooper next told her I that a lady intended to adopt the child. | and an inquiry as to the identity of j tbit pm son elicited thi- answer: “ She does not wish you to know her name. ! -lie does not want to know you." About three days after their return j I to iT?e Adelaide Road house Cooper i toM iier that people had railed for the AVI,S greatly upset, hut the everything was all right, and the best . | thing had been done under the circumAlr ATneassey ; Had you not believed . ■ that the child was to he adopted, would . you have allowed these people to tak.- ! ] j In-* child ? No. • : Have you seen it since or heard of its -! wh.-mahouts ? The witness added riiat for a period ! * .he had worked for Cooper as a ran- - va-iser in connection with his business

ii, Lambton Quay, but the engagement terminated in Alay, 1920. The child had been handed over for the represented purposes of adoption early in July, 1920- but she had signed no adoption 4>nper<?. A written demand for the production the child had proved fruitless. The Afagu&Pate: Did Cooper tell you how it was taken away or where it had gone ? Only that it had gone to the country. Evidence concerning the confinement of the previous witness was given by Lily Olsen, registered midwife, practising at Christchurch in a registered nursing home. The fees, she said, had been paid by Cooper, who had represented himself at the time as being Aliss Beadle’s husband. AY hen interviewed, stated Detective Al’Lerman. neither of the accused had anything to say. and made the same answer when the charge of the unlawful detention of the child was prefe rrecl. This evidence was corroborated by Detective Jarrold. who added that ail the demands were preferred at the same time, and Cooper liad # replied that it was impossible for him to produce tho children while ho was; there in gaol. Advised that, if he would advance any information the police would endeavour to find the child, the accused had held his peace. Senior Detective Lewis stated that Cooper, in a statement, had said that the girl Beadle had approached him in Dunedin for assistance with reference to certain irregularities in the state of her health. He said he had told her that lie had nothing to do with that sort of thing and had advised her to go home, and later hail assisted her to a home in Timaru. where she had a child, which he believed was in the care of the State. Cooper .added, the witness, had made no reference to the other two children which Aliss -Badle had had. Formal evidence was again called to show that there was no record of the adoption of Aliss Beadle’s other child. Beatrice Beadle, recalled, describing the circumstances attendant upon the birth of her second child, which was born on November 27. 3921. said that Cooper was the father. A month before its birth she arranged to meet a lady at Cooper’s office. Air Macassey : AVhat did she say to If or some minutes the witness, who appeared to he in a nervous condition, was unable to find her voice, after which she com me need weeping. Given a glass of water, she soon recovered, and continued her evidence in a quiet voice. The lady she met at the office, she said, was introduced as Mrs Rigby, to whose house she went io be confined, and where she met Airs King. Preferring the attendance of All's King, .-he mentioned the matter to Cooper, who told Airs King that lie would procure a house if she w'ould look after witness. The house was obtained and Cooper made arrangements in connecI tion with the confinement. The child was a girl. Cooper had said that he had some person in Palmerston who would adopt the child. The\people were said t-o be w r ell off. and it- wae mentioned that the child would be taken away by motor-car. Cooper and Aliss Adams called for witness and the baby, and train was taken to Johnsonville. During the journey Cooper said that he would like one of them to come over the hill with him. ns people would be waiting at the “ crib.” Miss Adams was carrying the baby when they left .the station, and was walking a few paces ahead with Cooper. AA’itness waited at the bottom of the hill and re joi ned Aliss Ad ams and returned to AA’ellington with her. “That was the last I saw of my child,” added the witness. “.1 would not have parted

with it had I known that it was not going to a good home. 1 was unable to look after it myself.” She had never signed adoption papers, she said, and on January 27 last she had served :i written demand on both of the accused for the production of the child. Minnie King testified to ‘Asking after ” At is Beadle for some six weeks during the period of her confinement. Cooper had paid the doctor. Dr Smythe. who attended the confinement. stated that Airs King had paid the fees. He had not seen Cooper Describing her visit to Johnsonville vth Mis Beadle’s child, Effie Muriel Adams told the Court that after leaving tlie station she proceeded up the hill with Cooper and the baby, while Aliss Beadle remained at the bottom. AYitness handed the child to Cooper when a fence was reached. Cooper remarking that “ liv would take it now*, as he.didn’t have far to go.” AA’itness joined Aliss Besadle and caught the 3.0.20 p.m. train hack "to AYellington. The Alngistrate : AVhat was lie going to do with the child that night? He said someone was waiting at •Johnsonville to adopt it. Air Alacassey stated that the remaining evidence would he that of police officers and would occupy only a short time. “ T am satisfied.” lie added. “ that T have brought out the evidence (•iid that, it will he sufficient to reWeair the depositions in the other The Court adjourned until Afondav morning.