SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST TWO WOMEN.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1259, 26 January 1883, Page 3

SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST TWO WOMEN.

(From the Melbourne Leader.")

Ar the City Police Court on Dee. 27 Mrs Taylor end Mrs Monichan appeared to answer to a charge of conspiring to procure abortion. Detective Duncan asked lor a remand which was granted; then bail was applied for, and Detective Duncan drew the attention of the bench to the fact that Mrs Taylor wm on bail, awaiting her trial on the charge of manslaughter and asked that the amount of the bail should be fixed at a very high rate. The Bench allowed bail, the prisoners each in £lOO and one surety in an equal sum. The ease is a very peculiar one. The prosecutor is a Mr James Frost, teacher of the Gembrook State school. He is a

widower and has a family of three children : Alice, the eldest | Celestine, a young girl of 18 yean of age: and a Httle boy of 8 years, 4 The children reside in Grattan-street, Prahran Mr Frost being with them every week from Saturday to Monday, and at holiday times, Some months ago the girls wen introduced to Mrs Monichan, and soon after this introduction Mrs Monichan’s husband left her, end she went and stayed with the Frosts for nearly three months, afterwards returning to her husband, betwee n whom and herself a reconciliation had tali en place. Some two or three months ago the girl Celestine got acquainted with a young- man, a medical student who was always known to them by a false I name. The girl states that being one day with tins young man i he was drugged, and on coming to herself ft >und that she had been criminally assaulted. She appealed to the woman for aid, who hold her she would be all right. The girl di< 1 not inform her father of what had taken p lace, and lately, not being in very good health, she consulted with Mrs Monichan as to what course she should pursue. Mrs Monichan, she says, advised her to go and see Mrs Taylor. This advice she followed on the 22nd ultimo, and was ;ta the bedroom with Mrs Taylor, when her father rushed in, seized hold of her, and dragged her out with such energy that she fair ted on the sidewalk. It appears that Mr Frost arrived home from uie country and fo> and only one of his girls (the elder) at home. She was strangely perturbed on account of some remarks that Mrs Monichan had made to her, and having told her father, they be th got into a cab and drove to Mrs Mould urn’s house, Wang-aratta-street, Richmond . Mr Frost then forced her to get into the cab and show them where the girl Celestine had gone. They were then driven to Waxman’s cottage, Bridge-road, Richmond where they found Mrs Taylor, her youngi wt daughter, and Miss Frost. Miss Tayloi ', who was In the passage, attempted to stay Mr Frost's forcible entrance, but he pushed her aside, and searched two bedrooms without success, but hearing voices in another room, he bunt lhe door open without ceremony, and found his daughter with Mrs Taylor, After he had taken her away, he proceeded to the detective office, end Detectives Duncan and Wilson, on a warrant signed by Mr Call, P.M., apprehended the two women, Taylor and Mon iehan, and took them to the City watchhou se, where they were lodged about one o’oloc k on Thursday morning. Mr Frost states that he has brought the matter before the j eolice for the purpose of finding out the ma n, who, it is alleged, nvisbed the girl. Nothing up to the present is known as to who o r what he in, but strenuous efforts are being n isde, and if the story be true, it is unlikely he will escape detection.