SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF A SERVANT GIRL.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 151, 1 June 1877, Page 6

SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF A SERVANT GIRL.

Considerable excitement has during the past fortnight prevailed in Dunedin, and indeed throughout the country, by the revelations brought to light by an inquest held by Dr Hocken and a jury at the Hospital, touching the death of a servant girl named Margaret M'lntyre. An inquest was commenced on Saturday week, when, after several adjournments, it was only concluded on Monday last. It appears that the girl had gone as a servant to Mrs G. F. Reid on 16th February last, she being then in robust health. She died on Wednesday, 16th ult. Dr Batchelor was called to see her before her death, and found her in an extremely emaciated state, and with many scratches and bruises about her head" ana body. She was lying upon a mattress on the floor, without sheet or blanket, in a cold room, with broken windows, and everything in the most filthy condition. In their evidence at the inquest Drs Bakewell and Batchelor, who had made a post mortem examination, gave it as their opinion that the girl died from congestion of the lungs, brought about by exposure in a cold room whilst suffering from inflammation. They also considered she was in a state of starvation. The following, amongst other evidence as to the treatment the girl had received, was given : — ■ Isabella Esplin deposed : I am in service with Mrs Bell, of Upper Walker street. My father and mother live at Port Chalmers. About 10 or 12 days ago I was in the garden with Mrs Reid's baby, and I saw Mrs Reid's servant girl on the verandah shaking some carpet. Mrs Reid came out and said something to her. She pulled her hair, boxed her ears, and thumped her with her fists. She also kicked her, and shoved her down on the verandah. The girl was screaming. Mrs Reid took her by the hair of the head, dragged her into the house, and slammed the door behind her. This was about 11 o'clock in the morning. Mrs R.ii pulled the girl's hair with one hand. She thumped the girl on the back. The girl did not do anything*. Louis Harris deposed : I am a miner, at present working at the railway goods-sheds. I live in Maitland-street. About three weeks ago I had occasion to rise about midnight, and my attention was directed to a scuffling noise in Mrs Reid's house. I heard the sound of blows and some loud cries. After a while the noise ceased, and was followed by groans and moans. The nature of the cries made me think they emanated from an adult. When I re-entered my own house I asked my wife what sort of person was at Mrs Reid's as servant. I asked because, from the sound of the voice, I was satisfied that it .was . not one of Mrs Reid's children" that was being beaten. I saw a light in the house, but I could not see what was going on. I should think that the cries and blows kept up for fifteen minutes. From the sound I should think that the blows were being given with a stick or a whip. I did not do anything, as it was late, and I did not want to get into a neighbour's preI mises, and perhaps* get into trouble. I | told my wife tbat the girl was getting a most unmerciful thrashing I noticed the matter because there was a current report that Mrs Reid ill-used her servants and starved them. About a fortnight ago I was bringing in some coal at my place when I heard a moaning from Mrs Reid's premises. I did Dot hear any words. At the conclusion of the evidence on Monday the Coroner summed up as follows : — I need hardly ask you, gentlemen, to divest your minds of all re- J

ports you have heard outside this room, and to return a verdict solely in accordance with the evidence before you. You are to say how Margaret M'lnfyre's death occurred — whether from the result of disease arising in a natural way, or whether by the unlawful act of any person. The evidence of the parents and of the sister Mary shows that, up to the time of her entering Mrs Reid's service, which was un the 16th February last, deceased was in good health and fair condition, and, with the exception of an attack of measles a year or two previously, had always been in good health. Evidence was given to i the same effect by Mrs Sheppard, of | Portobello, in whose service deceased was. She does not seem to have been a good servant, was rather dull and inactive, and had been in several situations. Two days after she entered Mrs Reid's service— on Sunday, the 18th February— she was visited by her sister Mary, who thought she seemed quite well, thae she was very comfortable, and that she liked Mrs Reid very well. This sister, who seems to be the only visitor to deceased, had called for the second time on Easter Monday, the 2nd April, and found Maggie looking much thinner. She gave her evidence in a very clear and trustworthy manner. From her evidence, there would seem to be a reasonable presumption that the deceased had some cause for unhappiness, and this would seem to be confirmed by the evidence of Louis Harris, which was also given in a very fair way. He says that, about 12 o'clock at night, he heard a noise coming from the side of the house facing the bay, and from the evidence of Detective ISeil, it would appear that the noise did not come from the servant's bedroom, which was close to Harris's house. About a fortnight after he heard another noise. Harris's wife also gave evidence, some of which, however, showed bias. The part that was without bias was that she heard, on occasions different from those mentioned by her husband, noises of moaning, groaning, and muffled cries, as of a person getting beaten. There is no direct evidence, but it will be for you to find out to whom and by whom this severe treatment was administered. '1 hen there is direct evidence of brutal ill-treatment on the part of Mrs Reid, which was given by Isabella Esplin. Other evidence of illtreatment is found in Miss Stewart's evidence, who saw Mrs Reid strike the deceased twice with her fist after speaking angrily. This was a month before her death. A few days afterwards | Miss Stewart saw her dragging a bag ! containing* wood, staggering a step or two, and then stopping to recover herself. John Henry Stephenson's evidence is not merely of great importance as showing the deplorable condition of the girl, in which In* was confirmed by Mrs Russell, but the joint evidence of the two flatly contradicted the statement of Mrs Reid and her daughter. Mrs Reid's description ot tbe personal appearance of the deceased differed considerably from that of the other witnesses to whom reference bad been made. Mrs Reid said that Maggie caught a slight cold a fortnight before her death while at a fiie, where she remained about two hours, or for certainly more than one and a half. Mrs Stephenson said the girl was only away twenty minutes. This did not interfere, however, with her work, which was done just as usual until Friday afternoon, the llth, when Mrs Reid found, on her return from town in the afternoon, that Maggie was ill, suffering from headache and giddiness, for which she was sent to bed at once. Miss Reid said the same thing, but these statements are directly contradicted by Mrs Russell and Mrs Stephenson. After this, little seemed to have been seen of the deceased, excepting by Mrs Reid and her daughter, whose evidence mainly agreed. Young Stephenson, as before stated, saw her on the following morning. The milkman's evidence goes to show that Maggie had slept in the room from the window of which the milk was latterly taken from him, and not for the one day merely before her death, where, as Mrs Reid said, she was then removed for the convenience of rendering her assistance and of preventing injury to herself. On Wednesday morning, the day of her death, Mrs Reid for the first time procured assistance, in the persons of Mrs Brooks and Mrs Lennon, and subsequently, about midday, in the persons of Drs Batchelor and Reimer, who found deceased in a collapsed and dying state. The medical evidence brought was given most lucidly, and the post mortem examination was evidently made in a most accurate and exhaustive manner by Drs Batchelor and Reimer. You will probably depend in a great measure for your verdict on the evidence of these gentlemen. There was remarkable unanimity in their opinion as to the cause of death. [The Coroner here read the important parts of the medical evidence] From the medical evidence you will be entitled to judge that death was not the result of death occurring in a purely natural way, but was induced by the treatment which deceased underwent. If this be your conclusion, you must next decide by whom this treatment was pursued ; whether, in other words, tbe girl voluntarily subjected herself to starvation and the effects which followed it; or whether her mistress, Mrs Reid, was culpable in the matter, ; If you decide the latter-r-that Mrs Reid was so culpable— you must

next say, and on this point depends the I important point of your verdict, to what ! extent Mrs Reid is blameable — whether I trifling-ly so or being* guilty of man- | slaughter, or even murder. It is important that I should define these terms to you. Murder as defined by Lord Ooke is where a__ person of sound I memory and discretion unlawfully kills | another person with malice aforethought either express or implied, and ! manslaughter is the unlawful killing of any person without malice. You will observe that malice then forms the distinction between the two — manslaughter and murder. Malice in law means something more than is understood in the ordinary acceptation of the word. Ordinarily it means a settled anger in one person against another, and in a desire only of revenge. But in its legal sense, it is not so properly spite and malevolence to the deceased in particular, as an evil design in general, the dictate of a wicked, depraved, and malignant heart — a disposition to do a foul deed. In the grosser cases of murder, stabbing, drowning, and the like, the malice is self evident, or as the law calls it " express." Bufc there is a large class of cases where the malice is not so evident — where it is, as the law calls it, implied, presumed. You can easily see that in this large class there may be many, and the case before you appears to me to be one where it is difficult to say whether malice, the distinguishing criterion, is or is not present. There are the transition or intermediate cases, gradually leading* down from murder to gross and culpable negligence, without malice, which characterises a large section of manslaughter ; and for the purposes of your verdict, I will draw your attention to this section only where a person involuntarily kills another by culpable neglect. .It is for you, then to say, in the case before you, whether the slow starvation, accompanied as a consequence by inflammation of the bowels and congestion of the lungs— those bruises and scratches and abrations, inflicted but a few days before her death, and which Drs Bakewfill and Batchelor considered could not all have been self-inflicted— the compulsion (for such you may presume it) to drag the blue-gum branches — too heavy to carry up Manor Place — and to be engaged in this work whdst staggering . and exhausted from undoubted illness, at 9.30 on Friday night — five days before death ; and the following* morning at 7.30 — four days before death — to be seen on the verandah with a bucket -of water, when Mrs Reid said to the deceased, if she did not be quick she would box b.9r ears j the neglect to get medical or any other assistance, when Drs Batchelor Bakeweli both state that the girl might have lived had medical advice been obtained ; and the removal of the girl to a cold, damp room, for, according to Mrs Reid's own account, at least some hours before death :— I repeat, that it is your duty to say whether these facts, taken altogether, indicate culpable negligence and that only. If you will consider this to be the case, the law is that you must return a verdict of manslaughter. But if you consider these facts indicative of more than culpable negligence— of malice— of barbarity— of indifference to the life of a human being — the law is : it will be your duty to return a verdict of murder. In deciding* upon your verdict, you must give great consideration to one fact which appears, and that is the deceased madeno attempt to escape from her situation. Here, as a rule, masters and mistresses are the servants ol their servants. The deceased was evidently ho prisoner, and had opportunities of running away to her home, which was not far distant, and where according to the evidence of her sister and mother she was sure of a welcome. Apparently she remained of her own free will. You must examine the evidences on this point carefully. The sister, who gave her evidence remarkably well, said, in speaking of the interview she had with her sister on the 2nd April, " She seemed frightened of Mrs Reid." And again, " I think she was too frightened of Mrs Reid to run away." Tbe butcher, who knew her eighteen months or two years ago, also said she was very soft, easily led, and a girl who might be compelled to do what she was told. You will therefore have to consider whether, with mental characteristics of this sort, she was courageous enough to exercise her free will and run away. It is very important that you should give this question great consideration. You will recollect Dr Bakewell's evidence on this point, who thought it probable that her character would be deficient of energy and firmness of will. I suppose you must also presume that starvation would produce weakness of mind as well as of body, whereby the deceased would not have heart and courage to escape. It will now be for you to consider your verdict. Putting them to you in a few words, tbe points you will have to consider are : Whether the g-irl came to her death by natural disease, or whether the disease was caused by the act of any person, whether that person was Maggie herself or Mrs Reid: If you consider that it was Mrs Reid it is your duty to say in accordance with the definitions I have laid down whether she is guilty of murder or manslaughter. After the Jury had been locked up about half an hour, the Coroner was apprised that they had agreed upon a verdict.

The Foreman stated that the Jury had given great consideration to their verdict, and found : Firstly, that the deceased did not come to her death by natural causes ; secondly, her death was caused by treatment received at the hands- of Mrs Reid ; thirdly, we find that Mrs Reid lips been guilty of culpable negligence to the extent of manslaughter. The Coroner : lam sure, gentlemen, the evidence bears out your verdict. I must thank you for the great attention you have paid to this case. If there is one pleasure in so painful a case, it is in having so excellent a Jury to assist me. Every question possible has been put, and the public, no less than myself, will feel obliged to you. Gentlemen, I will prepare your verdict. The next thing is to commit Mrs Reid for trial in the Supreme Court. The inquest then terminated. •