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DEATH OF INFANT

Woman Charged With

Murder

Dominion Special Service.

PALMERSTON N„ October 13.

A married woman with five children, residing in Palmerston North, was charged before Mr. iH. P. Lawry, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court today with the murder of her newly-born male child on September 3. She pleaded not guilty and reserved her defence and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail of £lOO was allowed, a condition being that she report daily to the police and reside with her parents. Dr. S. G. Aitken,. who conducted a post-mortem examination on the body of the child, said it was well formed and the infant had breathed air. In his opinion death was due to asphyxia brought about 'by external agencies. The child had lived for some minutes. Dr. K. H. Dean said that on the morning of September 4 he visited accused, who was in bed. She told him she had given birth to a baby the previous night. The baby had lived, she said, but she had put it into a suitcase which was under the window. In the suitcase was the body of a dead male child wrapped in a sheet. There were no marks of violence nor any abnormalities. The closing of the lid in addition to the wrapping would be sufficient to cause asphyxia. Evidence was given by the landlord from whom accused rented a room that, subsequent to their return home on the evening of September 3, as the result of a conversation with his wife, he called a doctor to accused. Detective Long detailed the result of his investigations. When he inspected the room the suitcase was locked, and when opened he found the body of an infant child. On September 8 he interviewed accused at the hospital and obtained a statement from her which she signed. In it she stated she was. separated from her husband, who was in the army till three months ago. Some time ago she became friendly with a soldier, and as a result of their association she became pregnant. She had informed him of this. She had not lived with her husband for three years. She ffas in bed when the baby was born. She attended to herself. She heard the baby make a funny noise. About a quarter of an hour later she wrapped the baby up, the statement continued, and put it into the suitcase. She knew the baby would suffocate, but did not know what to do at the time.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19431014.2.96

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 16, 14 October 1943, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
419

DEATH OF INFANT Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 16, 14 October 1943, Page 6

DEATH OF INFANT Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 16, 14 October 1943, Page 6

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