A STRANGE MURDER SUGGESTION.

NZ Truth, Issue 140, 22 February 1908, Page 8

A STRANGE MURDER SUGGESTION.

! DAVE CHARD AND MAGGIE REES.* Alleged Incitement to Kill a I Baby. i ' l | A Poisonous Powder Potion. [ A sensation has been caused m Terang, an agricul-turr " township, located between Camperdown and Warrn&jnbool, Victoria, by the publication of a diabolical proposal made Iby anonymous letter to a young unmarried mother to poison her baby girl. Some time ago a man engaged m farming pursuits, named Dove Chard, was keeping company with a girl rfamed Margaret Rees, who loved not wisely, but too well.; The swain proved faithless when Maggie became a mother, and she sued him m the local court for the maintenance of her child. The Bench made am order for 7s 6d per week, with the usual sureties to guarantee compliance, or gaol, so that David had to part up ; but on the 15th ult. the girl was startled by receiving an extraordinary letter containing a murderous proposal for the destruction of her child, and AN INSTRUMENT OF DEATH in' the form' of a powder. The communication came through the post, and was handed over to the local police,, who reported to the Criminal Investigation Branch, .with the result that Detective Burvett' was despatched to make inquiries. The anonymous writer of the letter posed as a woman friend of Chard's, and' inferred that she was desirous of arranging a marriage between that individual and Maggie -Rees, of whom she was ' mot anxious to make an honest woman." It was alleged that i Chard was buying a ,plauj for himself, and that his people wanted him "to do' the right thing" towards. Maggie, viz., to marry. ; her and install her as lawful mistress of the aforesaid home. Tlie groat' bar to Chard- falling m with the wishes of his friends, it was stated, was the child. Although he was prepared to marry her without . , PRE-NUPTIAL ENCUMBRANCE he coul!d not undertake to receive a ready-made family nucleus. If the clrKl were to die he would marry her, tiut not otherwise. Having got through that humane preamble m clumsy ungrammatical diction, the writer, who called herself "a sincere friend," proceeded thus with. a fiendish proposal :— i • . If I was you I would do away with the baby, and get married to Mm, for it" is better for you. to marry Dave and have a good home ( than to be bothering with the baby, j for if Dave was to die you would ■have to keep yourself and the baby. If Dave was to pass you on the j road he would speak to you, for he said he could not help speaking to | you if you was to psiss him. I got myself into trouble the same way (before I came to Terang, and I done ' away with the baby with some pow^der I got from a chemists So I am sending you some of the N powder to give to the baby. After penning THIAT INFAMOUS INVITATION to the perpetration oi afoul,/ coldblooded crime, the writer hints that Ohard is not belieyed by many people m Terang to be the father of the child, .notwithstanding the decision of the magistrates. Another young man was mentioned as the possible paternal relative. This was a bad move' on the part of the villainous writer, because Maggie herself should be the very best judge concerning such a question, and accusations of * plurality of lovers would not.Vonduce to her continued admiration of the magnanimous Dave. Anyhow, she was 'advised to write to that individual, asking him to meet her, and m the meantime to KJLL-HER LITTLE- BABY as if it were a kitten. When she had accomplished that atrocity, and had met. Dave, it was. stated, m all ap J parent seriousness, "She would find out for. herself if he would marry her." "The letter then went on to say :— . ■•-."• ■ ■ ' • Ask Dave to meet you on the road, as he told me he would not go to the house while your aunt was there, or till he had made up with you. lam certain he willcome if you write, for he loves you yet, and I know that you. love him, too. I will tell you some day, when you . get married to Dave, who sent this letter to you.. PUT THE POWDER INTO A 1 CUP,- : and two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and then half fill the cup with hot water, and when cold give the baby two spoonfuls at a time through" the day or on going to bed at niglit', for it wall die m its sleep. Be sure and put it into a bottle, so no one else can get it. Best give' it on the day when you are going up to Terang. When the baby gets sick call-ia a doctor,, so that when it dies you can get a certificate from him to bury it ,wdth. Dave will have to pay for the , funeral expenses.. The first step the police took was to have the powder analysed, and when the Government Analyst reported that it CONTAINED ENOUGH STRYCH^- • : NINE to kill several persons, Detective Burvett commenced his inquiries. The result of the inquiries pointed to Ohard so persistently that a warrant was taken out for his arrest charging Mm under section 11 of the Crimes Act as follows :— That David Chard, on or about the 15th day of January, 1908, at Terang, did feloniously attempt to cause to 'be administered to Janet Rees a certain poison (strychnine), by sending a letter and package containing strychnine addressed to Margaret Rees, with directions, to the said Margaret Rees that the said poison be administered to the said Janet Rees, with intent thereby, then feloniously, wilfully, and of nisi malice ■aforethought, the 'said Janet Rees TO KILL AND MURDER. The accused was arrested at his farm, wlu-u milking cows. He did not