THE SYDNEY INFANTICIDE CASE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2430, 26 November 1892, Page 3

THE SYDNEY INFANTICIDE CASE.

Sydney, Nov, Id. Almost every day now some new development of a horrifying character is brought to light by the police in connection with the Makin baby-farming case. In the yard of the house in King street, Redfern, two bodies of infants were found, and then the police commenced operations at Levy street, Chippendale, where the Makius resided for about two months a year' ago, leaving in a very mysterious manner. Hundreds of people gathered in the street, lined the fences, and crowded even the housetops to watch the police at work. After turning up a considerable portion of the yard the bodies of two infants were found, wrapped in some old clothes. They had been so long buried that practically only the bones remained. The remainder of the yard was afterwards trenched, but without disclosing any further finds. The two bodies found bring the total up to fifteen unearthed so far. What is to be an important clue has turned up in connection with the occupancy of the Levy-street house by the Makins. At the inquest on one the infants previously found, a doctor stated that the body bore the marks of a small but distinct puncture just under the left nipple, but whether the puncture had been made before or after death he could not say. Then also in two cases the clothes in which the children had been wrapped bore a trace of blood on the left side, in the region of the heart. This gives rise to the supposition that some small, sharp instrument might have been used to stab the infants with. It now appears that shortly after the Makins left the Levy-street house a neighbour’s child discovered a piece of blood-stained calico in which were stuck five long and very sharp darning needles. These the child gave it to her mother, but nothing suspicious having occurred at the time, the calico and needles were unfortunately mislaid. The police and medical records show that one method of getting rid of infants has been to pierce ttiQ spinal cord or heart with a nsehlsi Tins clue will be followed up. The inquest on number four of the five infants found in Matin’s yard at Macdonaldtown was J " ’SW aa to the Mog of aw lufaiii, tile clothing it was wrapped in &c. The enquiry was adjourned before the medical evidence was taken. While the hearing waa proceeding Mrs Matin appeared very ill, and kept up a continuous moaning. Finally she fainted, and by the advice of Dr Piton was removed to the gaol Hospital, The court, both inside and outside was densely crowded, and excitement ran high. The police continued digging operations in the yards of two houses oecuypied by the Makins in Bullanaraing and Well streets to-day but up to to-night no farther discoveries were made. The difficulty in the case is that the bodies are so much decomposed that the medical evidence can throw no light on the cause of death. The only offences thus far provable against the Makins, therefore, are illegal burial and failure to register the deaths. It is more than probable that either or both of the girls who are now in custody will turn Queen’s evidence against their parents ; in any case the police are more confident of a committal than they were when the inquests were first opened. The search party will continue their work to-morrow. The police have now ascertained that the Makins have been adopting infanta for the past three or four yofvre, but they will not be able to say at what date this family began to dispose of the children by burying them in backyards until all the yards of the numorous houses they have occupied during these years have been thoroughly examined. Ihe digging operations have been finished at the houses in George street, Kellet street, Botany street, Alderson street, Wells street, and Levy street, and there avo still several other places to bo examined.