DEATH UNDER EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 123, 26 May 1877, Page 4

DEATH UNDER EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.

Our telegrams have informed us that an inquest, is being held on the body of Margaret Mclntyre, aged 17. , At this it appears that some extraordinary statements have been made. Her father said she had been in the service of Mr Gr. F_ Reid since February, 1877. On Wednesday night at Il he was sent for to see deceased. She was quite unconscious, and moaning eacehe lay on the mattrass, and was quite cold. There was. not sufficient covering on the bed. She was speechlass. There were three marks on her head, two of them being open cuts. Hermanns and legs were also cut, though the marks on the latter did not appear to have been recently done. She was like a skeleton, being extremely thin. Before she went to Mrs Reid- she. -was in good health. Mrs Mclntyre said when she called to see ber daughter on Wednesday morning the latter was lying oil a mattrass, without a blanket, like as if she was hurt. She was in a deplorable state, and never spoke. Her face was bruised as though with weapons. Mrs Reid 8/Md she had been tumbling abo^t the room during the night. Her legs and feet were scratched down to the toes. Her back was blue and marked. She did aot not notice this till after she was dead,, not having turned her over until death. The chest was discolored. She $as as thin, as any skeleton could be. Before going to Mrs Reid' a she was a stout, healthy girl, and was not subject to fits. When I got to Mrs Raid's she was crying; Mrs Reid took me lo the girl, and when I found she was lying like a brute beast I could do nothing. I said ''Do you think I would come and see my daughter lying like a beast." Mra Reid said "Don't speak to me like that," and tore my bonnet from me. Thinking the girl was dying, I begged Mrs Reid to keep quiet. - Mrs Reid further said that she had shifted my daughter from the servant's room, and laid her down on tbe mattrass in the room in which Ii found her. I went to the servant's room, it was io a very dirty state. Mr Mclotyre recalled, said •" When D(lrs Reid paid my wife yesterday, she wanted to give her £2 more than my daughter's wages. She said she would give £500 if I would not briDg it to light, bhe hoped I wouid not divulge the matter for the sake of her father and family. I said that I would not take ail New Zealand, and would bring it to light. I told her that money was no qbject to me. When I was in the passage coming away, she said she would give £2000 down sooner than have the matter brought to light. Mrs Reid offered to pay all expenses. She did not appear to be unduly excited. I told her that I did not want to prosemi te ber. All I wanted waa the matter brought . to justice. Tbe time I told her I considered the child was murdered was after she spoke of the money offers. Mrs Rsid offered £2000. Mrs Brooks gave confirmatory evidence of the state of the room, and said when Mclntyre threatened to have an inquest held, Mrs Reid said she would sooner give £2,000 than the matter should have occurred in her house. Mrs Reid's evidence went to show that the girl was delicate, melancholy, ahd came to her in an emaciated condition. She caught cold by going to the fire a fortnight ago, half naked. She never complained till Friday last, and then of giddiness, and afterwards of diarrhoea. Up to the time of her death she ate heartily. When getting worse she offered to send her borne, but the girl expressed a desire to stay her month out, saying her mother would be frightened otherwise. Lsst Tuesday she was seised with increased giddinesss, from which she had several falls, causing the marks found on her hody. As she got worse and delirious, witness put her on the mattrass in the nursery. The girl was not of cleanly habits. ».1.. ' !.HU WL-_-—__s_j»