TEVIOT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 261, 26 April 1867, Page 3

TEVIOT.

An inquest was held at the Tcviot Junction, on tho 18th inst. by J S. Hickson Esq. Coroner for the District, upon the remains of a newly born infant, found by a man named Maudsley, while clearing out a water closet at the * Ballarat Hotel, kept by a Mr Richardson; the remains were wrapped up iu a red petticoat the head was separated from the body. Catherine Pichardson, the wife of -the

proprietor of the Hotel, deposed that about the Hth Feb. 186 j a young woman named Eliza Stewart, since married to a Mr Alexander came to live with her as a servant, between the seventh and tenth of May, she wamnwel and confined to her bed, witness noticed that she was in the family way. On the 10th, she got up > about three weeks after that, all signs of pregnancy had passed away; did not think it possible that she could have given birth to ft child without witness knowing it, believed her to be bad with a cold. Adam M'Clusky, Sergeant of Police ( sworn, deposed that the hotly was apparently that of a full grown child, it was wrapped in a red petticoat, the petticoat was wrapped round the head, and pinned, it was twisted round the neck; when he witness took the the twist out, he found the Head was separated from the body, the head might have been separated by putrifaction. John D. Niven, a duly qualified medical practitioner, sworn, deposed, owing to the decomposed state of the body, he could not discover the sex; was of opinion that the body was that of a thoroughly matured child ; could give no opinion as to the cause of death, or whether the child was bom living, but it must have been alive up to the time of birth. Ihe body might have been in the closet from eight to ten mouths at least. The jury returned a verdict that the remains in their opinion were those of a child, sex unknown, and that, how and in what manner the said child has come by its death, is to this jury unknown. On the 20th inst. Eliza Stewart, now Mrs Alexander, was charged before Mr J. S. Hickson, as Resident Magistrate, with unlawfully concealing a birth. Mr W. L. Baily conducted the case for the defence; Sergeant M'Clusky prosecuted on behalf of the Crown. 'I he case was gone into at some length, but no important facts, beyond what was stated on the jury, were elicited, when !\'r Paily submitted that the necessary proof had not been given, as in order to establish the'offence, proof of the birth of the child must be given, also the secret burying, and the endeavour to conceal the birth. His Worship however considered there was a prima facie <ease, and decided to commit the accused for trial; accepting hail, the husband in £IOO, and two sureties in '£.so each.