DEAN MURDERS RECALLED.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 12024, 8 July 1914, Page 3

DEAN MURDERS RECALLED.

BY A WILL CASE,

CHILD LEGATEE'S DEATH,

WELLINGTON, Tuesday.

The Dean'murders of 1895 were recalled by a case heard in Chambers at the Supreme Court this afternoon, before His Honour, the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout). Under the will of Colin McLachlan, contractor, late of Oam am, who died in 1894, certain money was left to a child named Colin Scoullar McLachlan, believed to be identical with a child known as Scoullar, who was in the custody of Minnie Dean, and who disappeared about the time that certain infants were murdered by her. Tho estate* was insufficient to pay all the legacies in full, and application was made on behalf of the surviving legatees that the amount reserved for the child be available for payment to them.

The plaintiffs were Sarah wife of Joseph McCartcu, metal merchant, of Ibrox, Glasgow, and Agues Dallas, wife of Robert Dallas, of Maryhill, Glasgow. The defendant was the Public Trustee, as executor of the will and codicil of the testator McLachlan.

The child was the subject of special inquiries by the police when searching for the bodies of other children who were done away with. The circumstances were described in an affidavit sworn by Detective-Sergeant Mcllveney, who, at the time of the investigation was a police constable in Invercargill. Minnie Dean conducted a '' baby-farming establishment at Winton, Southland, and in May, .1895, was arrested on a charge of murdering two infants named Hornsby and Carter. The remains of the child Dorothy Carter were exhumed by Detective McIlveney at Mrs Dean's premises at Winton, and on the charge of having caused its death she was found guilty and executed. During the search a letter was found, dated February 28th, 1895, addressed to the accused, from Helen Scoullar, then in Wellington, announcing the death of Colin McLachlan, and expressing wishes for the welfare of the boy Scoullar or McLachlan. At the inquest evidence was given as to tlie child having been brought to Mrs Dean's about five years previously from Oamaru, and as to the name of the child's mother being Helen Scoullar, and of its father McLachlan. The child disappeared about two years before the inquest, and the excuse given by Mrs Dean at the time was that it had been taken to some other people. The clothing of the child, however, was seen in Mrs Dean's house after its disappearance, and it transpired that it was "customary for her to keep the clothing of infants she had done away with. Tn the opinion of the principal witness, the child Scoullar was identical with Colin Scoullar McLachlan referred to in Helen Scoullar's letter, and mentioned in the codicil of Colin McLachlan's will.

The case concerning the will having been presented by counsel. His Honour made an order declaring that the gift to the child never took effect, the child having died before the codicil was made.' "No doubt," he added, "tho infant was murdered by Mrs Dean."