POISONING BY A CHILD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2031, 10 April 1890, Page 3

POISONING BY A CHILD.

At the Chester Police Court, before Mr H. T. B rown and other magistrates Eliaabeth Eoberts, aged nine years, was charged with attempting to poison Annie Hodgkinson, a young woman living with her mother It appeared from the evidence adduced, and the opening state" ment of the chief constable, that the defendant’s father, a widower, and his children lived with Mrs Hodgkinson, and he was engaged to be married to Annie Hodgkinson, Lately various inmates were taken ill, and on the ] 3th inst. Miss Hodgkinson was taken violently ill. The defendant, on’ coming in from school, asked about her, and on being told she was better, said, “ Oh, I have been crying; I am frightened. I thought Annie would be dead.” Further, she said that she had given Annie some mixtures which had been obtained for a lotion, and which was marked “ Poison; ” also other medicines which were in the house. She said something came over her telling her to do it, and that her grandmother had told her first to do it. This imputation was denied by the grandmother. The defendant afterwards said that she had put various poisonous mixtures into the food, and particularly on one occasion, when all the family were taken ill. She said she had first tried this thing on her grandmother, Mrs Eider, at Baffney, with whom she and her mother used to live. She said that on one occasion Satan tempted her to do it. Mrs Eider said that daring the Maybrick trial the defendant took a deal of interest in it. She and another little girl used to play at being Mrs Maybrick, taking it in turns to personate that lady. In answer to the charge in court the defendant said : “ Mrs Eider did tell me to do it—she told me.” Sho was ordered to be kept in a reformatory for seven years. Miss Hodgkinson has now recovered from the ill effects of the poison.