ALLEGED CHILD MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1921, Page 5

ALLEGED CHILD MURDER.

YOUNG GIRL CHARGED. VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY. By Telegraph.— Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. In the Supreme Court to-day, Hilda Louisa Burgess, 16 years, was charged with the murder of an illegitimate chilo to which she had given birth in a room at a hotel. She pleaded not guilty. Prisoner waa employed as a domestic servant. No one was present when the birth -occurred. The body of the. child, i showing incised wounds was found in ! a basket after she left the hotel. ' Mr. Cunningham said he wished to subI mit that the evidence adduced by the ! Crown was wholly insufficient find he asked His Honor to direct the jury to return a verdict of not guiljty without going further His Honor replied that he could not take such a, course. There was evidence the child had been born alive, though Dr. Pearson stated under crossexamination that there was a possibility that it might have died in the course of birth. The only other question was whether the child had been killed by accused. Upon this evidence of wounds it might not be strong enough to warrant a verdict of guilty, but it could not De disregarded. Counsel, in his address, submitted that the evidence was insufficient to establish that the child had been born alive, and that if accused took the child’s life she was insane and did not know the nature and quality of her act and that the evidence was wholly insufficient to convict accused with killing the child, which might have been done by some other person.

The Crown Prosecutor did not address the Court. After a retirement of 35 minutes the jury returned a verdict of not gu ?, ty, and the prisoner was discharged.