THE CHRISTCHURCH MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1918, Page 5

THE CHRISTCHURCH MURDER.

MOTHER TRIED FOR .MURDER. By Tckyraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Feb. 18. The trial of Winifred Carrick, aged 27 years, charged with the murder of her son Donald Lewis Carrick, aged tliree years, at Addington, on December 8, commenced to-day. Mr. Raymond, in opening the ease for the Crown, said the body was found among potato plants with the head battered. The movements of accused aroused suspicions. She had served a sentence for abandoning the child shortly after birth,/and last year stated she would not pay for its maintenance, preferring to return to prison. On the night of the murder accused had not slept in her bed, and had not given any satisfactory account of her movements. A striped dress would play a part in her identification. After her arrest there was found a garment in a damp and muddy condition, containing grass seeds similar to seeds taken from Burns' residence, where the child boarded. The Crown contended that accused removed her hoots, carrying out the crime in stockinged feet- The reason put forward for the. crime was the financial embarrassment of accused-. Christchui'cli, Last Night. Dr. Champlaloup, of Dimcdin, stated that a spade and spanner sent to him for bacteriological examination, had given a reaction of human blood. Dr. Scott described the child's injuries, and said that from the depression in the soil under the boy's head it must have been dealt a fairly heavy blow. Annie B. Cox, manager of the receiving home, deposed to receiving the child as a foundling, and to accused's visit to the home, while Christina B. Uren, an attendant at the home, gave evidence as to having taken the child to Burns, and as to accused loitering about the home near the tram on the occasion.Other evidence was given us to accused, after much reluctance, consenting, to a maintenance order, and the previous finding out of the child in a hollow willow tree at Dallington in February, 1915. Mrs. Burns and members of the family deposed to it being usual to leave the back door unlocked and the window of the boy's bedroom up. The case was adjourned till to-morrow.