THE WAIKIVI TRAGEDY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1359, 6 December 1872, Page 4

THE WAIKIVI TRAGEDY.

The trial of Caroline Witting for the murder of her three youngest children at Waikivi on the 19th October, took place at Invercargill before Mr Justice Chapman. Four witnesses were called for the defence. Dr Grigor attended the prisoner at her confinement twelve months before, when she was very much depressed, dull and desponding, but he suspected nothing wrong with her intellect. Mrs Harrop, matron at the Invercargill hospital, said when prisoner was there she complained of her head, and general low spiritedness. She said more than once that her head would bring her to something that she was not aware of." AMr Thos. Perkins said he and his wife often called on the . prisoner at the time of her confinement, that she evidently had great trouble on her mind just then, -and that he came to the conclusion that her mind was not properly balanced. In the hospital afterwards, he observed tho same flightiness and inability to connect two ideas. Mr Morton, who found her in the bush after the murders, also stated in his evidence that " she then looked wild, like a wild animal, with a glare in her eyes. Her superior faculties appeared to bo suspended. She appeared as if she had lost her reason. She always broke the conversation, and tnrned it to something elso. Sho said she would get into trouble •with her husband for staying away so long ; that he would beat her. Thought Bho was mad, and treated her something like a lunatic, speaking in a soothing manner." After the lapse of an hour and a-half, tho jury returned to Court. Great interest was manifested in the result, and before the Judgo took his seat on the bench, every available portion of the building was crowded ; and perfect silence prevailed throughout the numerous audience when the foreman, after the usual formalities had been gone through, returned a verdict of "Guilty." The prisoner (who appeared for the first time i,o realise her position), exhibited manifestations of great nervousness, and in reply to the usual question, said that ahe remembered going out in the afternoon with the children, but that after . that she remembered nothing more. . His Honor, who seemed much affected, then, addressed the prisoner, in scarcely articulate tones, as follows :--" Caroline Witting, the jury hove found you guilty of the murder of your three youngest children. Concurring as Ido in tho verdict, I have to say that the question was raised as to whether you were in a sound Btate of mind at the time you committed the act. The jury have negatived that defence, and, I think, properly. They could hardly have come to the conclusion that you were bo deranged as not to know what you were doing ; or knowing it, not to know that it waa wrong. I have to pass upon you the sentence of the law, which is that you bo taken to the place from whence you came, and thence to the place of execution, and there be hanged by the neck until you be dead, and that your body be buried within the precincts of the gaol. May the Lord have mercy on your soul!" The prisoner was removed in a hysterical condition. The Southland Times says a memorial of the inhabitants of Invercargill and the vicinity, for the commutation of the sentence is being prepared.