ALLEGED CHILD MURDER.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1028, 30 April 1883, Page 3

ALLEGED CHILD MURDER.

[per press association.]

WANGANUI, This day. The Supreme Court resumed this morning. The charge of murder against Phoebe Veitch is now proceeding. Mr Hutchison appears on behalf of the prisoner. Arthur Fitchett, telegraph lineman, deposed to finding the body of the child Phoebe Veitch, the daughter of the prisoner, outside the Heads, on the 27th February. The river was then in fresh, and very muddy. Dr Earle examined the body, which he said could not have been dead more than 24 hours. It was healthy, and had no marks of violence. The child appeared to be a half-caste Chinese. In crossexamination witness said if the child was drowned in fresh water it would bo in the vessels, notwithstanding afterwards being in salt water. He had not examined internally, however. The skin had contracted in appearance, indicating that the child was alive when immersed. The father of the child might have been only a half-caste himself. Eliza Blight said that on the Monday before the enquiry prisoner had told her that she had sent the child away to her aunt at Peilding who was to bring her up, and she (prisoner) would never see her again. Prisoner would not tell the aunt’s name. A few days after the said prisoner had (old her she dreamt that the child had been drowned arid picked up at the beach. The cross-examination of Eliza Blight showed that the statements made by prisoner as to the events prior to the drowning were correct. The crossexamination was still continuing at lunch time, and was likely to last another half hour.