Some Sinister Hints of Foul Play In Triple Tragedy

NZ Truth, Issue 1212, 21 February 1929, Page 8

Some Sinister Hints of Foul Play In Triple Tragedy

What Led To Death

A Large Bundle

Explored By Police

ASSUMING the orthodox procedure of post-mortem examination m such cases to be absolutely infallible, and that the Infants were each still-born and several weeks prematurely born, there remain certain significant circumstances which should keep the police on the alert for that social octopus, the "baby-farmer." On Wednesday, January 30, a little boy who was playing with some companions beneath a road-bridge near the mouth of the Leith Stream, picked up a water-logged sack. On emptying the bag, the little chap was horrified to find it contained the partly- decomposed body of a newlyborn infant. The police were informed and the matter was put m official hands. Two days later, on the opposite sido of the harbor, two schoolboys made a similar, though far more terrible discovery. The lads were sailing a toy yacht m

Looked Like Parcel

the sea-going channel of a large stormwater drain. Their tiny craft struck something which looked like a "parcel" beneath, the surface of the water, and on reaching out with a stick the boys were shocked at the sight of a baby's head. On the arrival of the police, it was found that the "parcel" was made up of two dead infants — male and female — tied together with string and with a window-sash weight attached. There were traces of the grim package having been originally done up m brown paper, and a canvas bag was found m the water about four feet away front the bodies. At the inquests following the two distressing discoveries, medical opinion was to the effect that none of the infants had breathed after birth, and each was most likely a month or so prematurely bbrn. To anyone fully cognisant of all the cireuVnstances surrounding these two ghastly finds on the shore stretches of Dunedin harbor, it was not anticipated that detection of those responsible was humanly possible. Nor did the evidence at the inquests provide grounds for any direct suggeßtion of foul play. Nevertheless, the trained mind of our police investigation units, though essentially practical, makes theory its ground-work, not always dependent on medical and all other factors m coroner's verdicts. It is, therefore, no idle alarmistry to suggest that these two ugly discoveries, though devoid of any concrete evidence of heinous crime, .have supplied the police with the substructure of a very feasible theory. Directly it was known that a seoond "parcsl" had been found, the possibility of the three dead

IS BABY- FARMING THE SOLUTION?

Mysterious Finding of Bodies of Three Infants On Foreshore Suggests Criminal Acts That Call For Inquiry DO POLICE BELIEVE THFcOINCIDENCE THEORY?

(From. "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative)

Three weeks have elapsed since the finding of three dead infants m the vicinity of the Dunedin foreshore, and as nothing further has been t heard, it is fairly safe to assume that the scant material available for police investigation has been fruitlessly exhausted. From a material point of view the gruesome discoveries were practically due-less, and beyond the obvious evidence of concealment of birth, other criminal aspects seem to have been quickly dispelled by the medical section of the coroner's inquiry.

infants being the human victims of some well-hidden den of malpractice m the city became obvious to both police and public. It is now a question as to whether the authorities, accepting as absolutely conclusive the medical evidence at the inquests, have made use of the everhandy exculpation of "mere coincidence" to, discard the collateral solution of "baby -farming" and sinlilar baneful practices; or have they very wisely accredited the hideous incident with its full measure of significance? - Very strong reasons can be put forward m support of "N.Z. Truth's" contention that no stone should be left unturned by the police m making a thorough inquiry into every aspect of the matter at present m their hands. Firstly, is ithe method adopted m post-mortem examination for the purpose of ascertaining still-birth absolutely infallible, and can there be no vestige of doubt that an infant was born dead? .The post-mortem lung test is generally supposed to be conclusive and infallible m all cases. But inquiries by this journal disclose the" .very disconcerting fact that it

would be an exceptionally clever feat of medical examination that detected certain forms of suffocation applied before the infant had actually commenced respiration. For instance, a pillow clasped tightly to the .child's face immediately on its birth would necessitate a far more searching examination than that required m the case of an infant whose body was found m water. Still, the ' fact has to be borne m mind that pathologists know their job and have methods of arriving. at definite conclusions as to the actual cause of death which do not come within the knowledge of the layman. , "N.Z. Truth" is not so much concerned with the purely medical aspect of the deaths of these in*

fants as it is with the contributing factors that caused death m the first place. It is really immaterial how they died. What is important is the fact of their death. Were these unfortunate babies suffocated by shamed and frightened young mothers, or were they the victims of a systematic policy of drastic removal which has its roots m some sinister and, as yet, well-concealed baby farm?

The latter hypothesis certainly cannot be ruled out altogether. One fact of the mysterious deaths which has impressed the public of Dunedln is the brief intervals of time between the discoveries. Further, the sinister suggestion of the actual location of the discoveries'. The drain suggests, at least, that the dead infants may have floated down from some little distance to the outlet, rather than that they were merely left where found.

Then, again, three such discoveries came as a shock to the city, the populace of which may be excused for imagining that the mystery is capable of nothing but a criminal interpretation. This, however, must simply be regarded as a possible explanation, as there is no evidence as yet that warrants the definite statement that the infants were the victims of ruthless and merciless babyfarmers.

This aspect is brought under notice by this paper m accordance with its declared policy of allowing nothing to pass that may, directly or indirectly, be capable of sinister and criminal interpretation — as this mystery most certainly is. The opinion of a prominent medical man m Dunedin strongly supports "N.Z. Truth's" contention that infanticide cannot be entirely dissociated from the tragic discoveries. Several themes put forward by

"tfruth" the doctor ratified as being, unfortunately, likely solutions of the mystery. Moreover, certain other remarks made by the professional man bolstered up the likelihood of the three infants having placed m the drain and then failed to reach their destination at the bottom of the sea. The possibilities of drainage passages having been chosen as an expedient and convenient means of delivering each ot- both of the infants to the harbor bed is not endorsed by city council engineers. A senior officer has assured "Truth" that articles of such bulk, if deposited m a street drain by the lifting of the gully-trap, would be caught m the "pan" and would fail to reach the main drain. However, m the case of the "parcel" found m the drainage channel at Anderson's Bay, the big concrete, waterpassage, near- the mouth of which the infants' bodies were found, runs for half a mile along a barren area of reclamation situated on the shortfront. This huge drain provides the get-

away for practically all ? the stormr water from South Dunedin, and along its concrete sides "are a number of which were "blown" some time ago to cope with a, severe flood. Any of these holes would take quite a large bundle, so also would- the iron traps or "man-holes" which are located at intervals along the top of the structure. It would not, of course, be without some physical effort that one of these traps could, be lifted to give access^ tq:,the. c di:ain r^ ;.;-._ The council officers further deprecated the drain theory on the score that the fall m the Anderson's Bay drain is almost infinitesimal, and the accumulation of , large quantities of silt was suffi-

!IIIIIIIIIU!lllllllllllllllllllllllllll!llllllllllllllll!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIU)llllllllillllllllllllllllll cient evidence to discount the possibility of a weight-laden and bulky . article being propelled to the mouth. "With, reference to the spot' where the firßt child was found, the Leith Stream is a tidal creek, and as an unusually blgr tide was experienced about a week before the* discovery, ten chances to one the tide was responsible for the ! "parcel* 1 found thirty chains upstream from the mouth. On the other hand, the tide sometimes reaches the Forth Street bridge,, fifteen chains farther upstream — thus forming the lower stretches of the Leith into a very serviceable "dump" for an article which must be got rid of: quickly, silently and surreptitiously. However, the question of drainage having been part of a supposed organised infanticidal practice is important only m the fact that an investigation of its practicability might lead to incidental knowledge which would establish beyond all doubt the capacity of

the city's subterranean channels for carrying such a. terrible traffic. Obviously, this prospect of information would be thoroughly explored by the police, and when all said and done the "parcels" could have been transported from any part of the city before being- consigned to the waters of drain, creek or sea. • The main question is: Would the apprehension of the person or. persons m connection with these discoveries lead to more startling disclosures? In. cases of this' kind the police always must be confronted with thft greatest difficulty m solving such mya« teries. ; But the fact remains that owing to those difficulties efforts to arrive at the truth might conceivably be relaxed to the extent of casually regarding all such discoveries of' dead infants as the evidence, not of intentional, and organised criminal practice, but of fear-stricken girl-mothers who face their crisis m secrecy, concealment, and, not infrequently, solitude," and then, finding their born child dead from ignorance and improper care, dispose of their offspring as quickly as possible. This is the logical explanation m. the-:iriajority':pf-;su,cli-casesj-but-rthere'are always the exceptions to the general rule. Are these three sinister discoveries to be relegated to the category of "the majority of cases" or are they the mute and lifeless exceptions? If the latter, ■ then a grave .scandal exists m Dunedin, and to satisfy the public on the question "N.Z. Truth" suggests that the triple mystery of these unfortunate babies should be searchingly investigated by the police. ll!i!llllllllll!lll!lllllll!llll!ll!llllllllillllllll[||il!llllIii|||||||||||||||||lll||||||||IIHIIII|