DIED FROM STARVATION. A SHOCKING STORY. CAREER, OF A EUROPEAN WOMAN AMONG THE CHINESE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 299, 15 September 1888, Page 5

DIED FROM STARVATION. A SHOCKING STORY. CAREER, OF A EUROPEAN WOMAN AMONG THE CHINESE.

iNVKJiCAKIiIIiL, Sept. 13. Amom; the deni/ens of the unsavoury .spot known us Round Hill, or Canton (so called fiom its being 1 tno headquarter." of tlie Chinese in .Southland), l.s a European ( woiiuin named Elizabeth Carlolta Allen, alms Elizabeth Phemister, alias Elizabeth Wong Sou Wun. She came under public notice a tew weeks ago as mother ol a child which died under circumstances, rendering' an inquest necessary. The evidence on the occasion disclosed a sad state of aflair.-. but nothing criminal. Since then, howe\oi, a second child, an infant u tew month* old, has died, and on this an inquest was held at Rhertonon Monday, when the following" evidence was adduced :—: — Eh/abeth Carlotta Allen deposed thai .she was living at Round Hill with a Chinaman named Lee Chun. The child wus bom on 18th of I une last. Mary Llewellyn deposed : I urn a widow, residing- at Kound Hill. I saw Mrs- WongSee ivJuec, or Lizzie, as slie i.s called, on Sunday at Ly Cheng's Hotel. She had with her the baby. She was undei the inthience ot drink, but was not drunk. I .saw hei leave Canton between 9 and 10 0 clock that night She left in company with Yape Yet. L saw her again on .Monday morning at 8 o'clock at Ly Chong's, 1 was in her company all day. She was drinking oil and on all day. ' \a/Ac could nol <ro home. Atueaih 10 o'clock at night she wa<> in the parlour at Ly ('hong's when 1 went asleep, ami hud a bottle ot whisky. When I awoke she wa*- still in the pai lour, and had the whisky nearly finished. f lemember Yape Ycl coming to Ly Chong's on Monday e\ening and talking to Lizzie. He told her the baby was dead. She would not go home until he bought halt a bottle ot whisky. She was pretty u oil on at that time. Ellen Wi«eman, a married woman, iesidingatßoundHill, living with Chumßam, deposed : I know Elizabeth Linn Quee. I confined her on the 18th June of a female child It was a very healthy, strong child. I live about half a chain from her house and used to sec the child every da\ It looked healthy ,-md well till it was se\en weeks old It book its food well. When the child was *e\en*week^ old the mother went on a Satuida^ down to the Chinese camp with some washing, and did net. leturn till the Tuesday following. She had the baby with her when she returned. Shu wa» not sobci and the child was in a deplor«hle state. A Chinaman was with her cariying the baby's clothes. The child had only a shawl round it. It was laming at Pie time, and the shawl could not keep the cold Irom it. It was eiving, as it, seemed to me with hunger. When the child was bi ought back, I cok:1c1 not behe\e it was the same. On Monday, Septembei 3rd J Li/./Ae at the Chinese camp at 7 o'clock in the morning. She did not have the child with hei. She came to L> Raw's house. She was about there all oa\ , and did not go home dining Moiuhn foienoon .) C. Roberts, picket, Round Hill, deposed . I know the mothei of the deceased child. About the .Ith August she came to my housp with it. She left it w itli me while she went to tin camp. She was away four houis The child was crying most of the time. 1 went to the Chinese camp to try and imcl the mother, but being unable todo so. took the child back to my house. The mother was beastly diunk when she returned about midnight, and was quite incapable of giving the child any food. She lemained at my house all night, going away ax ten the next morning. Fioin the tin-.e she came to the house till she went awaj the child had nothing. T gave her a shilling to ger her to go awaj The child hail not propei treatment. 1 ha\o.«.een the mother Iving drunk alongs.de the Corduroj AMth the child lying beside her, exposed lo the weathoi. Tln-> was on two ditteient occasion-. Di. Wm. Nelson deposed that he had made a /;<W mothm examination ot the deceased child on 6th Septymbei. The bod> geneially was greatly emaciated and the skin dry, shrivelled and dirty. The muscles were solt and Iree horn tat. Internally the lher and kidneys were free from fat, small and bloodless. The heart also was tice fioin fat. All ihe internal oi gang wcie shrunk and bloodle-s. The stomach wa» almost empty and shrunken. The intestines were contracted and almo-t obliteiatod in places owing to want ot anything passing through. 1 consider r.he cause of death to ha\o been stai wition. The liny hi ought in a vcidict of manslaughter against the mothci,w ho "was committed to take her trial at the nect sitting of the Supreme Conn.