Alleged Child Murder.

Manawatu Herald, 2 April 1898, Page 2

Alleged Child Murder.

A. preliminary inquiry into a Case possessing some most ppculiar features and of a more than usually sensational character was commenced at Hastinga on Tuesday, when Mr D. Bilby, Acting Coroner; assisted itir ft jury, of whom Mr A. A. George JM chosen foreman, eat to inquire into the cause of death of an infant de* Bcribed as Charles Henry Tyeon or Charles Henry Moran. From the evidence adduced by the police it appeared that Elizabeth Rosa Moran, a young woman employed aa waitress at one of the hotels, gave birth on the lOt&of December last to twin boys. The mother was not married at the time. They appeared to be fine healthy children. Some weeks ago the mother, who had been living in Havelock since the children were born, came over to Hastings, owing, it is stated, to the fact that the people she was living with had left the district. While in Hastings ffae occupied a room at the house of a settler named Charles Catton, where she kept the two children. On Sunday morning Oatton reported to the police that one of the children had died during the night, and on Constable Smith going to the bouße in company with the young man Tyson, he found the deceased child/ on the bed. Having made certain inquiries, he directed the mother to wash the child and then call in a medical man. Dr Nairn was called in, but he declined to certify as to the causo of death, as although he had once or twice attended the child he had nofe seen it for some time. Later on the Coroner directed that an inquest be held. Police, Coroner and jury were fully under the impression at the time that it was a mere case of misadventure, and did not expect to be engaged more than half an hour, the festivities in connection with the Governor's arrival being in progress. During the examination ot the first witness, however, there were mysterious messages passed from the premises where Dr Nairn was conducting the post mortem, and a few minutes afterwards it came out that certain discoveries by Dr Nairn had induced him to call Dr Linney to his assistance, and the result of their consultation was that the alimentary tract, heart, liver, spleen and some of the other organs were placed in jars and sealed up for further investigation. It was also rumoured about this time that the second child had died that morning, and that about nine o'clock Miss Moran and Tyson had been married at the Catholic Church by the Rev Father Smythe. Tyson is not a Catholic. The medical evidence went to show that the root of the tongue appeared to have been scalded ; that there was a mark on the shoulder as if some corrosive substance had been spilled there ; and a considerable perforation in the wall of the stomach and 'the passage beyond, which both medical men alleged could only have been caused by the introduction into the stomach of some corrosive or irritant poison. Eventually tne jury returned a verdict "That the child Charles Reginald Tyson died from the effects of perforation of the stomach, caused by irritant or corrosive poison, but there was no evidence to show how or by whom such poison was administered." Later in the day Tyson and his wife were arrested, charged with murder and remanded. The Coroner had in the meantime ordered that the body of the second child be taken in charge by the police, and an inquest before an entirely fresh jury was held on Thursday. The result was the same as in the previous case. Both accused have been remanded until the 7th April. Mr S. Charlton and others offered bail to any amount, but the offer was refused. The affair has, of course, created a great sensation, both accused are well known. It is stated that the case will possibly present some novel features, as, owing to the marriage, neither can give evidence in the case against the other. The evidence went to show that the, mother treated the children with all possible kindness, as did the father when he visited them. There are some peculiar rumours, of course, going abdmt tending to implicate others in the affair, and the friends ot both accused are satisfied at present that neither of them administered the poison which it is alleged caused the deaths of the children. Meanwhile both prisoners have been removed to Napier gaol. — N.Z. Times.