PROCEEDINGS IN COURT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1539, 13 January 1887, Page 2

PROCEEDINGS IN COURT.

At the Resident Magistrate’s Court 'on Tuesday morning, before R. Beetbam, R.M., and Messrs Westenra and. Guinness, Mary Bowern, a respectably-dressed middle- ’ aged woman, was charged with procuring ’ abortion, the offence being alleged to have been committed on or about January, 1 1886. 1 Inspector Fender called Constable Flew--1 ellyn, who deposed that on the previous 1 evening he went to the house of the accused, who lives at St. Albans, He charged her 1 with the offence named in the information, : She did not understand the technical terms used, and ho explained them fully to her. She said she had done nothing of the kind. 1 Witness asked her for a letter written by Dr > Russell to her in reply to one she had sent to > him, She said she had not such a letter. I Witness then searched the house: he found I many letters, but riot the one he wanted. • There was a man whom she named in the • house. The accused eaid to him, “Go for ; Dr. Russell, arid let him take me out of this.” She then said, “ 1 did get a letter from Dr. > Bussell, but it is burned.” Accused had i previously told witness that she was in the i family way. She went on to say, 11 When i I found I was in that state I wrote to Dr. Bussell, as I had heard that he did such things. He wrote back on a part of my own letter, eajing that he would not do it. I I showed the letter to a woman named North, and she read it.” Witness then arrested i her. Later on in the night he saw the i accused, who was then in custody of a police sergeant. She said she bad made a full confession to Inspector Pender, and she handed witness an instrument [produced], which she said had been nsed on her by Dr Russell. Inspector Fender deposed that on Tuesday night the accused, while iu the Police Depot, a little after midnight sent for him. She said she wished to make a full confession. Witness cautioned her fully, and then took down her statement in writing, [Che statement was an account of the sending of Mrs Bowern by a third person, to Dr Raissll, and a circumstantial detail of the operations by him in January, 1886, by which the object sought was accomplished; also, her ineffectual application to him lately for a second service of the same kind.] Inspector Fender said he did not intend to offer, at present, any more evidence in this case, Dr, Russell had been arrested, but bad contrived after his arrest to take poison and had been conveyed to the Hospital, where he now was. The case, however, did not appear to be serione and it was proposed to bring him before the Court at two o’clock, when certain evidence would be produced and then a remand would be asked for. He would now ask for a remand in Mrs Bowern’s case till Friday. The remand was granted and the prisoner, who had wept bitterly during the proceedings, was remanded till Friday next. Later on Inspector Pender informed the Coart that Dr. Rnssell would be unable to appear in the afternoon, as originally intended, and the hearing of bis case was fixed for Wednesday morning. The charge against him is that he, Charles James Bussell, did in or about the month of January, 1886, unlawfully and feloniously procure abortion in the person of one Mary Bowern. [Bt Tblbqbaph] Ohristohusch, Jan, IS Dr. Russell was not well enough to appear at the Police Court this morning. He was remanded till to-morrow.. A farther charge ha* been preferred against him of proouring abortion in the case of Rate Fisher. A woman named Jane Richards hat been arrested for abetting. She was remanded till Friday.