INQUEST.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1281, 27 April 1878, Page 2

INQUEST.

Verdict or Manslaughter against Mrs Steel. The inquest on the boy W. H. B. Steel which had been adjourned from last Monday, was continued yesterday afternoon before Dr. Coward. Mr Wynn Williams appeared to watch the case for Mrs Steel. The following evidence was taken : Sarah Elizabeth Nieholls, wife of Isaac Nicholls, a shunter on the Christchurch Railway, deposed—l live near Mrs Steel. On Saturday last my attention was attracted about half-past one by screams. I was in my house. The screams came from Mrs Steel’s garden. I opened my door and asked my son to go out. He refused, as he was frightened, so I went myself to see what it was. I went round Steel’s garden and there saw the deceased boy lying on the ground near the artesian well. He looked to me to be dying, and bleeding very much from the side of his head. He vomited blood and brains three times. There was no one near him at the time. He was lying on the ground. I wort and called Mrs 'Thomas, my next door neighbour, and I sent my little boy for the doctor. Mrs Thomas returned with me to the boy, and Mrs Sims, another neighbour, was there then. Mrs Steel was sitting on a chair outside, and near her back door, 1 saw her come out and sit down in the chair. We asked her how it happened, and she said the boy fell on a piece of glass by the closet, Mrs Thomas and I walked down to the closet. There were only about half a dozen sprinkles of blood on the ground where she said he fell. I stooped and picked up a hat which belonged to him. It was by the [closet. The hat produced is the same. Mrs Thomas picked up the poker (produced), I took it, and it was just about the depth of my forefinger from the tip covered with dry blood. We then looked at the hat and saw blood and brains on that. We told Mrs Steel that there was blood on the poker, and she said, “ Then it must have been (hat that killed him.” I noticed no sign of grease upon the poker. There was no clay adhering to the poker. I have known" Mrs Steel since this boy was six months old. I have often heard her say that she would knock his brains out with the poker. I never saw her use violence to him with the poker. I have seen her beat him cruelly, but not with the poker. I never saw her use any weapon to the boy or any of the children. She is a woman of very violent temper. To the Jury—The screams I heard, and which first attracted my notice, were of the mother. She has left marks on her children. I don’t knew that she has injured either of them with a tomahawk.

To McWilliams—When I’saw the boy, the mother knew he was injured. When I first saw him, his body was on the ground and hia head on two sacks.

To the Jury—Mrs Steel kept screaming u Oh my boy. Oh my boy ! He is killed!” Alter about a quarter of an-hour she appeared to become indilferent. Her arm and hand you could not see for blood, and all down her dress was blood, caused, I suppose, when she picked up her boy. The few sprinkles of blood near the closet were on a poplar leaf. To Inspector Hickson—Tho poker was lying on the ground, near the hat, and not farther than a foot and a half from the closet. There|is a dry stick in the fence, just touching tho back of the closet. Tho poker was about a foot and a half from that.

To the Jury—l did not notice any hole in the ground. To Mr Williams—There was no earth upon tho poker. Jane Maria Thomas, wife of William Thomas, salesman at Spensley’s boot shop in Cashel street, deposed—l lire next to Mrs Steel. I can see from the bottom of my garden everything that occurs in hers, except it is so low on tho ground, when the fence might prevent me. The fences are poor. Between one and two o’clock on Saturday last I heard a little child, I caunot say whether a boy or girl, say—“ I won’t; I’ll go away and stay all day.” I heard nothing for some little time, and then a very short time, a moment or two after, I heard the mother say—“ The young b , I’ll dash his brains out with a poker.” Immediately upon that she ran down the garden. I saw her, but could not see whether the child was in front of her. Immediately afterwards I heard her scream out, “ My boy is dead.” I did not see her with a poker. We think nothing of her using such language; she uses it habitually. I did not think of looking to see whether she had a poker in her hand. She screamed uveral times, and her screams were so dread* ful that I went over into Steel’s gaaden. At that time the boy was lying on the ground, with his mother and several neighbours near him. As soon as we could get her composed so as to leave off screaming we asked her what had done it. She said she supposed he must have fallen upon a piece of glass. He was bleeding and insensible. I asked her “Where?” She said near the closet. We went, and I picked up the poker produced. [The witness corroborated the evidence of the other witnesses as to tho appearance of the poker and of the ground.] I looked for a hole in the ground on which the poker might have stuck, but could find none. I have known Mrs Steel for a great many years —ever since before this boy was born, or very shortly afterwards. She was a woman of violent temper. She often threatened her children, but, as I said before, we did not think she meant it, as it was so common for her to do it. I can’t say that I ever knew her punish her children unduly. I have repeatedly heard her say “IT! take tho poker to you” when threatening her children, but we always treated this as a threat and nothing else. When I showed her the poker, she said “ Oh, Mrs Thomas, you will stop with me, won’t you ?” I said I would if I could be of any use. To Mr Williams —The fence between my garden and hers is a quickset. It is low and very thin, so that you can see a person from his knei s up comfortably. When I first heard her use the expression threatening her sou she must have been at the back doer or up that way. The closet is nearly in the middle of the section, at about half a chain from tho door. I did not see her in tho act of throwing anything. I could not see her back door on account of a little greenhouse intercepting the view. I hare never been on bad terms with her, I have been in her house only three times. About eighteen months ago was once, when her child had an accident. It had run a nail into its foot. To Inspector Hickson —I saw her lift the boy up. To the Jury—l have no doubt that it was Mrs Steel’s voice which uttered the threat. Elizabeth Wright, ten years old, who could read and write, and said her prayers at night, deposed—My father is Alexander Wright, a cooper, living in Hazeldean road. I recollect speaking to Lizzie Steel about twelve o’clock last Monday. [Mr Williams objected to the witness being questioned as to what Lizzie Steel said, and the Coroner declined to further examine the child.] Inspector Hickecn proposed to re-call Elizabeth Steel, sister cf deceased, but the

Coroner declined to call her, as he could not trust her evidence. John Mitchell Walker, detective, deposed— On Saturday last I went to the house of Mr Steel to make enquiries touching the death of deceased. I saw Mrs Steel, and enquired of her how the child became injured. She told me ho must have been up on the closet and fallen on the poker. She said she had sent him to grease his boots. She had missed him and had gone to look for him. She had found him holding on to a rail near the closet. That was all the explanation she gave. I examined the sides and roof of the closet for marks. This was by daylight on Sunday, as it was rather dark on the Saturday. I saw no marks of climbing on the closet. I don’t think it is possible that ho •ould have climbed upon it from the rail, to which his mother has seen him clinging, because there was nothing on that side for him to catch hold of. I found the hat and poker in the house. To the jury—l saw no glass near the closet. There i» ft hawthorn-tree with haws upon it growing quite close to the closet. I did not 860 anything to indicate that a child had elimbed upon it. It was very thorny and was on the other tide of the elotet from whore tae boy was said to have been found, I saw no firearms. The boy could not have fallen from the tree on to the spot where he was found. The Coroner, at the request of the jury, read out the depositions of Mrs Steel, Mrs Sims, Mrs Baxter and Lizzie Steel, sister of deceased. On the Coroner’s remarking on the unsatisfactory nature of the girl’s evidence, the foreman said his belief was that the child was instructed not to answer questions. The jury, after consulting together for half an hour, returned a verdict of “Manslaughter” against Sarah Steel, mother of deceased. Mrs Steel was called in and informed of the result of the inquest, the Coroner saying that it would be his duty to commit her for trial at the next quarter sessions. She made no remark. She had previously been on bail from the Magistrate’s Court, and she was admitted to the same bail by the Coroner.