A NURSEGIRL DROWNS TWO CHILDREN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 226, 22 September 1881, Page 1

A NURSEGIRL DROWNS TWO CHILDREN.

Our readers will remember that some weeks ago a cable .Omassaje announced the drowning of two ehildreo at Rcckhadaptoo, in Queensland, by a nuisegirl. The children were the daughters of Mr Birnetti ofQlifton Statio'p, -Martborpugh. They were ag;ed respectively six and two year^. The following is the stßtethent made by the girl before the tQagiatratea:--Oa las^ ; Thursday week; (^Jat Jaly!) aboat hajf-paet -3rMrs Baraett seat hdr to4he etsre for a .haoomeir and ' sooaja cails, and when at thestore she- (mioes?) told lhechil,d.Fipra to goldowa towarda the waßbpool and she wodijd come directly. She then went to shb w.ooltbed to JQok for eg^s, and theb went' towards 'the waehpoo!,; seeing the - children go in that direotion. Shje went with theaa from tNere to the place where they were drowned. She atooii. there for a few (mantes, and while a aadiog there "baby" rolled dowbthe bank into the water. F;ora balled her attention to 4he baby falling iq. WUness went' to wbere',.ahe fell in, anid saw her sinking. She knew that if sb|e went in ahe coald not save her; she felt frightened and stupid, and djd not k.ngw what io do. She caught podr Gerti6 and threw her into the water. She also threw Flora into the | water', bot ; pulled her our again. She theii weut away soma distance -to where (here was a log, and sat down for a little bit crying for a quarter of ah hour; Flora was with her. She 'theb went back towards the hooea to ao-, other wat«rhple wfith Flora, took oj_i her shoes aad atock ings, and took Fior|a inte fb'e'waiter, and ducked her a liiille I bit, end afterwards took her out on thje sand end sat her there. §be rwss ndt dead. She then eat on the bank, crying for about, five minutes and came to the house; where she saw^ J^rsßarneti,. and told her the childr;Qu were dcowned. | She -took; G'Bctie'o clatbea off befork throwing her iatb the wttter. She wa|s atiipid when ehejhrewr her in; she wqs. nearly fainting, and want back to :pull her out, but she w"as dtowned. Wheir she oatne to the boose she would have told the truth, bus was so frightened. Witness was 17 years. old, and had' been with Mrs Barnett fW the past foujr years. She haii made the foregbini i statement by her own wish. ;