The Child-Murder Case.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XIII, Issue 2373, 31 May 1895, Page 4

The Child-Murder Case.

«. CORONER'S INQUEST. Invebcakoill, May 28. The inquest was commenced today on the body of Dorothy Edith Carter, one of the two babies first found in the gnrden at the Larches, East Winton, and with whose murder Minnie and Charles Dean are charged. Lousia Cox (Christchurch) deposed that in accordance with the arrangement through a Mrs Isitt she brought the deceased child, which was born on the 28rd May, 1891, and was a child of her daughter, Mary Louisa Carter, a married woman, to the Bluff by steamer on the 80th April, and there in a private hotel delivered it to a Mrs Gray, to whom she gave an envelope The child was in good health. Witness identified Mrs Dean as Mrs Gray, also the clothing found at the Larche3 as that given to Dean with the infant. A chemist at the Bluff desposed that he gave a woman, who signed "M. Gray" in the poisons book, sixpence worth of laudanum about noon on the 80th April. Esther Wallace, another inmate of the Larches, aged 15, deposed that Mrs Dean told her on the 20th ult. that she was going to the Bluff for v year-old baby ; that she brought it home on the 80th ; that witness met her at the Gap road Station; that she carried the child home. Among Mrs Dean's parcels were a piece of new oilcloth. The child remained till the 2nd instant, when witness carried it to Barkley Station, and there put it on the north-bound morning train with Mr 3 Dean, who had a light tin box with her. Mrs Dean returned on Saturday, the 4th, without the child. The box was much heavier than when she left. Mrs Dean said it contained bulbs given her by Mrs Cameron, Mataura Hotel. That lady bing called denied giving her anything but slips of flowers. On the way home through the paddock Mrs Dean told her to put the box in the rushes for the night. Witness went for it next morning, and brought it to the Larches. It was as heavy an on Saturday. Mr Dean put it under the bed, and witness next saw it on Wednesday, Bth instant, at the door, open and with a little soil in it. Witness indentified the oilcloth in which the body was wrapped when exhumed as that which had been on the table at the Larches. C. Davis, guard of the evening north train to Lumsden, saw her and a child get on the train at Dipton. He went through the train, and saw her and the child alone in the carriage. Returning soon after ; he saw the child lying on the cushion with a tin box between her and Mrs Dean. Later he passed through again, and saw no child, and at Lumsden Mrs Dean left the train without the infant. He saw her next morning on the Lumsden platform without the child. A boy of 12 years, who carried the tin box to a hotel at Lumsden, and two servants of the house deposed that that box was much heavier than it now was, the boy saying it took him all he could do to carry it. Further evidence was given of her return to Clinton, where Mrs Dean stated that she had been to Clarendon station (where the child Hornsby was last seen alive) ; that she stayed at Mataura on Saturday, and that she bad no child with her. May 29. The inquest concerning the death of the child Dorothy Carter was continued this morning. Detective Herbert deposed that when Charles Dean was shown the the bodies of the two infants just after they were dug up he said, "My God ! I suppose I'll be brought into this. I know nothing about it." Witness found in Minnie Dean's bedroom, under the mirror, a bottle containing about half a tea3poo iful of liquid; labelled " Chlorodyne," and also another bottle. These had been handed to Professor Black. The head of one infant when dug up was bent forward on the breast, and the back was curved. Mr McDonald, Crown Prosecutor, stated that Professor Black, a most, material witness, was now engaged on a grave matter in Dunedin. An adjournment was granted till Tuesday afternoon, by which time, it is expected, the inques on the other child, Eva Hornsby, will have been completed.