KAIKORAI TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 26 November 1925, Page 3

KAIKORAI TRAGEDY

, -i MOTHER CHARGED. [■BT TKLKOJIAI’H —I*KR ?ItKSH ASSOCIATIwS.] 10 DUNEDIN, Nov. 20. At the l’olicc Court the hearing of charges of murder or her three children, against Ellen Hart, in connection with the Ivaikorai tragedy, coni- .. inented hefore Air Bartholomew S.M. ,1 The children and their ages were Lindsay Hart, aged 5 years; Andrew Wile limn, aged ,'i years A months; Nola, I I months. Air Callan appeared for the accused. 'I he inquest was taken concurrently. .Margaret Upton, a next door neighhour. stated at 8.20 on Monday morning, Nov. Olh. .she heard something fall on the roof of her house. She went out and heard accused calling I her crying; "Come quickly.” Accused ■ had a handkerchief in her hand, and she stated she had killed her children. Witness asked accused to come to her house, hut the latter replied: I didn’t want to leave the children,’’ adding: “I couldn't come like this." A\ itness noticed cuts in accused’s throat. She called her cousin to as ■it, and they brought the accused into witness’s house. Accused said: "We had an argument last night,’’ adding "I suppose I’ll hang for this.” Witness sent for a doctor and asked her husband to go to Hart’s place to ‘ee it any of the children were alive. I hey found the haliv. Nola, in a pram in the front lied room, with her throat ■ ut. Andrew and Lindsay were on the kitchen floor in the same condition. l’rior to this, the accused had stated -he had loft, n note for her husband. He hail told tier in the morning that lie wanted her, hut she said slit* could not stay on his terms. After Dr Evans had arrived, the accused said. "W e confessed our sins j

hist night.” She stated her lutshaml had said the children would have to • idler for her sins. She had replied •he didn’t want them to do that. To .Mi- Callsin—Witness noted that the accused appeared very fond of the ■hildren. O.inoiul Tiurnard I’pton, liushaml of lie last witness, corroliorated, and dated he had noticed nothing peculiar about the Marts as neighbours. Cilactys Hlanche Newall, stated she vent to Mrs fpton’s house on Xov. Uh. Accused was in the sitting room mil threw her arms around witness’s ■ lock, slating. " Whatever you think, t’s nothing lint religion made me do I. I was getting the children ready for school and on the spur of the moment 1 did it. hut they did not want to go. We had decided to live a hristian life and confessed our pasts ‘o one another. My husband said lie would forgive me everything, hut that there were things (hid would never lorgivo me for.” Doctor Kvans deposed as to the fatal wounds, and also to minor wounds in accused’s nock. She had been crying Imt was calm and collected. She told witness she didn't know what had imm' over her to kill the children, hut she now realised it was a wrong thing to do. latter at the polite station, accused told him that coming from elmreh the previous night her liushaml said that (hid would forgive her all her sill'-, hut there was one which Me could not. and therefore her hnshand eottlil not. She also -aid before leaving on Nov. !)th her husband kissed all Ihe children and asked whether there were to he any more (pnirrels. She said. no. She also said that a fortnight previously her liushaml and she agreed to confess their past sills. Mo came home one evening and told her I hat after hearing a preacher he attended another meeting, which changed his views of religion. The accused was unnmittod lor trial, •lie ■Magistrate recommending to the Minister her detention in a Mental Hospital pending her trial. ITis verdict was that the children died of iniitries iulliet'd hv Kllen Mart, there living iusiitlieieiit evidence to show her mental condition at the time.