WARKWORTH TRAGEDY,

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1794, 5 July 1913, Page 6

WARKWORTH TRAGEDY,

INQUEST HELD. MRS, HALL'S MENTAL 6TATE. (By Tologmph—Press Association.) Auckland, July 4, Th!e tragio doatb of tho girl Isobol May Hall, aged ton years, was tho subject of inquiry this morning before Mr. French, (acting coroner) and a jury. Her mother, Mary VYinohester Hall, aged 31 years, is now in custody on a Charge of having murdered the child. The first witness was Stanley Ernest Hall. He described the eoeno in the barn, where, at their mother's suggestion, thoy hod "played at gaol." Their mother picked up some hay, and tho children pretended to stoal it from her. She t'hen asked them to eland on gome boxes. Thero wcra three swing ropes hanging from a beam overhead, and, as Lennio vras too 6mall to climb on to tho box, his mother lifted Mm up. She then tied a rope round each of their necks, and then pulled tho boxes away. "Both Lennio and .1 called out," said tho witness, "but Isobol did not call out at all. Mother then ran. out, but, soon' afterwards, .oamo i back, and untied tho'ropes round Leiinio ana me. Mother then said to mo, 'You run to the house and get the brnik-knifo.' I ran to tho house and got it, and faro it to mother. I then man out of • tho barn crying. She then said, 'Go and toll father that a want him) I havo hung Belle.'" Witness ran oil ahead, and brought their father back. At this stage of tho proceedings Do-tectlvo-Sergoant Hollis handed in a telegram whioh ho had roooived from Auckland. Tho cllcct of tho communication was that the gaol surgeon at Auckland hod examined Mrs, Hall on Juno 29, and was of opinion that she was of unsound mind at the time of tho tragedy. Slio was, at tho tiino of tho examination, still Y«y unstable, principally through grief. The reason whioh sho gavo for her act was 'that sho did not like to Bee tho children grow up ill sin. Dr. P, W. Menzies, of WaTkworth, 6tated that, when he examined tho body of tho ohild Isobol at 2.15 p.m., life was extinct. Accused seemed etupified, and said, "Doctor, bring back my Isobell Sho also said: "Doctor, 1 suppose thoy will hang mo for it. Before that sho said: "Thoy can't say I did it.' Witness was of opinion that accused was suflering from shock, and was then juat realising what had happened. To tho corouor: Ho did not believe that Mrs. Hall was, at the time, capable of realising that sho had hanged hor child. Ernest Hall, father of tho deceased child, said that Mb wife had been in delicate health, and was subject to fits of depression, during which sho expressed conoorn about tho future of her children. She feared that they would starve or meet with somo other calamity, and frequently said that it would bo bettor to remove them from life. Tho ooronori What sort of a mother was your wife? , , , Witness: A very good one-a most do. voted mother. „ , ~ , The coroners Had you any fear that she would do anything from her remarks? ... Witnoss: I always kept an oyo on Her during theso fits of depression. Tho jury found that deceased met her death by strangulation, caused by her mother whilo suffering from temporary close of tho inquost Mrs. Hall was charged, before Messrs. French and Richards, justices of tho peace, with having murdered Isobel May Hall, and also with having attempted to murder Stanley Ernest Hall and Leonard Francis Hall. Constablo Johnson, who arrested accused, deposed to finding a bread knife and a rope in tho barn. Next day, when taking the mother _ to Auckland ty steamer, sho said: "Sit down near mo. I want to toll you why I killed Belle. Wit ness replied: "Never mind telling mo. Keep quiet and rest yourself." Sho rejiiiod; "I want to toll you. I killed tho child owing to family history. I thought it beßt for hor to die. She will bo better Accused was committed for trial at tho Auckland Supreme Court.