THE CHRISTCHURCH MURDER CaSE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2152, 20 January 1891, Page 4

THE CHRISTCHURCH MURDER CaSE.

Cheisichprch,, Jan. J 6. • The inquest on the head of the child found in Gloucester street Was odmindnced this morning at the Resident Magistrate s Court, which was 'crowded. Pebder ' conducted the case, and Mr Si ringer appeared on behalf ■of Daniel, Annie, and Sarah Jane Flanagan.; L)r. Moorhouse deposed to attending Miss Flanagan when she was confined of a healthy male child on the bight of the 13th December.; Her mother and father wete present, 'Flanagan said it was a bit of bad luck. Sarah Flanagan said the father of the child was away on the West Dr Symes deposed to a child’s head being handed to him for examination. It was severed from the neck, at the function of the head with the spifie, by two or more clear cuts. The face presented two gaping wounds ; one of these- was only skin deep, on the forehead, for about two inches above the right eye into the right orbit. The second wound extended from three-quarters of an inch above and in front of the left ear to the left angle of the mouth, then through the palate to the right upper lip, through the right cheek and the right jawbone, past the right side of the nose into the left angle of the right orbit. The whole of the left side of the face was thereby detached through the bone, so that if could bo lifted up. On opening the head he found a contusion of the scalp on the top of the head and a fracture. There may have been caused by a blow or a fall, probably during life. The head must have been severed from the body with a sharp instrument. The wounds on the face must also have been dona by a sharp instrument. They at first sugg°sted by their appearance blows from a tonaahiiwk, but deeper examination inclined her to think they were also made by a sharpcutting instrument, similar to what must have been used for covering the head from the body. Ho had no reason to think the child was unhealthy. The hair was light colored, slightly curly, f.n long. On the 14th he examined Sarah Flanagan. She had no marks on her arms and wrists. She had some superficial scratches on her side. They were recent and tr’fling, due to irritation of a slight eruption. Charles Adams, Constable Stumer, Rosa (Jowlin, Catherine Berry, Barbara Stout, and Alice Birker, deposed to the finding of various articles in the vicinity of where the head was found, such as a feeding bottle, a baby’s gown, flannel, calico* and a paper bag much marked with blood. The night-gown and calico were also stained. The things were not hidden but thrown over the fence Several other witnesses deposed to picking up articles of clothing in the gardens. Annie Coombes, aged 14, deposed to the finding of the baby’s head, and a rope covered with blood. Jane Coombes said she went to the section arid saw the baby's head and went to the.police station and returned with a constable, when the head could not be found.

Detective O’Connor deposed to the finding of the head next day, under a gooseberry bush. He went next day to Flanagan’s house and found a red shawl with a piece cut out, and seeds of wild barley sticking to it, in Sarah Flanagan’s room. He found also a piece of tinsel gauze similar to that found near the head. He found a maroon dress with what appeared to be spots of blood on it; also an ulster with a spot of blood. He took Mrs Flanagan to the- police station. She begged him to toll.her what was wrong. Inspector Pender-deposed : On the 9th inst. he arrested the male accused, and charged him with being concerned in a murder, in which the head of a child had been found in Gloucester street. He said, f, 'l know nothing of the matter; it is a serious affair.’’ When approaching the entrance to the police station at Addington Flanagan said, “ My daughter has been giving me some trouble. I know nothing about their affairs; the child was taken away about two hours after it was born ; I know nothing of it further,” On the same evening witness searched his box and found the paper produced ; it purports to bo a receipt from Mrs Freeman: —“Received from Mrs Flanagan 16s, in advance for two weeks’ nursing baby. Received, for three weeks’ nursing, £1 4s.—Jane Freeman.” On Mrs Flanagan being brought to the Police Depot, Christchurch, told her she was charged with the murder. She replied, “ I know nothing about it. I will tell you the truth. 1 only went with her as far as St. John’s Church, when she took the child from the nurse ; she took the b by away and I left her and went for a cab. She told me three men rushed her and took the baby away from her. I gave her the child at St, John’s Church, and never put a hand to it, nor 1 wouldn't. I gave her the child.” Detective William Campbell, of Wellington deposed to arresting Sarah Jane Flanagan on board the Te Anau at Wellington on the 10th inst., at 2 p.m. She denied her identity for some time, but subsequently admitted her name was F.auagan. She said, “ I deny the charge, but oh, wont you save me ; won’t you let me go to my brother in Sydney V He took charge of her two boxes, addressed Miss A. Cullen, per s.s. Te Anau, Sydney. On the 13th inst. he brought the prisoner to Christchurch, and reported a statement she made|volun»ari!y as follows:—“On the evening of the sch inst. I and my mother went to Mrs Freeman’s and got the child, as I was going away to Sydney, and thought it better to take the child with me. We walked along as far as Chester street, and I left my mother standing at the corner. I went to say good bye to a Mrs Robertson. I took the child with me. When ha f-way down the street two men came up to me and asked me where I was going. I said ‘ For God’s sake let me pass !’ One of the men took the baby out of my arms, and the other tied a rope round my wrists and pulled me along till I fell exhausted. Another man came up, and both the others ran away. 1 asked the other to help find my baby. A horse and trap came along, and he asked the man to give me a ride, which he did. I rode in the trap as far as Lincoln road, and walked home. It was 3 o’clock in the morning, and my mother had not returned. 1 then told my father what had happened. The man who took the baby was a short, stout, fair man, just like the father of the baby. The other man, who tied my hands, was a tall dark man,” That was all she said. He examined her wrists on the 12lh inst, for marks of the rope, but could not find any.

Jane Freeman, a widow, deposed thatj about two years ago she took a child be-j longiog lo S’irah Flanagan. It .died in; about a fortoight. She got with it the usual things. Mies Flanagin gave them to her after the death, and she kept them. On December 14th she went to Mrs Flanagan’s house about 8.30 p.ra. She saw Mrs Flanagan, whe took her into the back'bedroom and introduced her to Sarah Flanagan as Mrs Stevens, She was in bed ; , she bad a baby with. her. Mrs Flanagan said, ,“I want you,to taka this baby homo to nurse.’’ Agreed to take it at 8s per week. She asked witness not to tell anybody who the baby belonged to. It was a male child and She took the chi d away. The child hart-on i flannel binder, white shirt, long white Hanoel with calico body, long white calico gown. Mrs Flanagan gave her a red shawl from off the bedapd frpmher shoulders white shawl. She also gave her a brown paper parcel containing one baby’s gown, one white idiin’oel with,calico body, otie white ; shirt, and several napkins, and a shilling ito buy a feeding bottle. ' The child; had | light ; hair. On December 17th’ Mrs * Flanagan, came to her house and gaye her i a fortnight’s money, ,16s, and, witness gave j her a receipt. She said she thought-the baby was looking . small, and said she j wondered it had lived. She took away i with her the red shawl.' On the following | Friday, January 2nd,' Miss -Flansgdn came ito the bouse. * She saw the child I .* )She ; I said she tboughtit was getting po nicely,, 'that it would be.like herself,,* On January !6th, about 8 p.m.vMrsFlaDaganapdMias Ipianagah came together to /her house, iMra ElaDßghn' ! said '' Mrs Freeman, Mrs IStevens has received a letter this 1 evening' !from her husband from WeUibgtbnj'tellib'g' her to go away at once, and take the baby I with her.Vn! Soa put. the baby some .milk, iin -ih.e ..feeding bot tle * before (bey/1 left.; |Mrs’ Flanagan said they ;did;n ( ot,want,to, t lleaye , until it was quite dark’. They left |abodi'9 plm. -Miss Flanagan the baby, ‘ Mrs Flanagan . had the brown Ipapsr bag with a few baby clbtHea in it’; a long- white!gown with 'one-waist string,' a white shirt, flannel : binder; 'jonat whiter flannel with;,calieo body, and several napkins. They said they were gpjng .home in a cab. The feeding bottle, prpduepd nfy similar to the ene they bad. She identified the cibthes found and the feeding bottle!' On the following Thursday Mrs Flanagan called, and after giving witness fil for her kindness/Said, 1 in reply to a question, that Mrs Stevens was very ill and the baby dead. .

On .resuming after the adjournmentthe e'der fgujale prisoner fainted, , but soon recovered. Mrs Freeman continued her evidence. Mrs Flatiagan'told her that two men had taken the' dhiild from : Mrs Stevens'and severed ;ita head from its body/ .WitaeSa asked where the body Was ; and ■ Mrs Flanagan replied “ Rest assured they will never find it. You couldn’t recognise the head if you saw it, It is so much knocked about. The police have found 'the bead and the white shawl. If they coma to ask you say nothing about it. Only yon and Mrs Higgs know anything about baby.’’ Witness replied that she could hardly see her way to do that. Mrs Flanagan said, “We wont forget yon if you see us out of it.” Witness promised to do her best,; and would not speak unless obliged. The child had light hair. The head was shown to the witness, who was sure it was that of the child taken away. Alice Emma Freeman deposed lo following Mrs and Miss Flanagan a short distance ; they were running. Annie Freeman, a sister, also, gave corroborative evidence.

Mrs Flanagan again fainted,, but soon recovered.

John Tully deposed to seeing two women dressed in dark clothes near the house where the head was found about 4 a.m. on the 6th January, One was stout and the other not nearly sp stout, but he could not say that the female prisoners were the women he saw. Joseph Sargeant, a telegraph operator, deposed that,as he was going home from work at about 2;SO a.m., one day early last week, he saw Constable Flanagan and two short women pass down the Lincoln road towards , V: Julia Higgs, registry, pffice keeper, deposed to Mrs Flanagan coming to her for a nnrse for Miss Flanagan’s chi'd; she seemed vexed and said she would kill it if she had to do with it.

Detec'ive Neil deposed to arresting Flanagan when he said, “I know nothing about this, my daughter; has not been doing right. There was a child here for a couple of hours, I believe. My daughter came home very late that night, I was in bed. She rang the bell, I got np and let her in. She complained to me that three men had lassoed her, and had snatched something fromihet—-what it was she did not say —and had not a man came to her assistance, they would have killed her. There were marks round, ; her grists and neck. I asked her, where h,er.inptb ( er was. She said she had left her, and yyas to meet her at a church corner,.'but j missed her. My daughter has not been dicing right.”

Whi'o his Worship was’charging' the jury, the youngest female prisoner, on meition of her father, threw op her hands, screaming, “My father knows nothing ; no, nothing, oh no, so help me Qod, if 1 may die this moment, nor my mother, either. Oh no.” She was carried out, screaming,as she went 'I Don’t take me away, don’t t»ke me away, let me stay and hear the result.” Her mother, who for the first time appeared greatly agitated, joined her shortly afterwards. 1 The jury’retired at ten minutes past fout o’clock, and twelve minutes returned; with a verdict of Wilful Murder ’’ against tbe, two female prisoners/.; ; The three prisoners were remanded Ip appear at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Christchurch, on a charge of wilfukraurder,. ot 10 a.m., on January 20th.