SYDNEY INFANTICIDE CASES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2432, 1 December 1892, Page 4

SYDNEY INFANTICIDE CASES.

From the minute inquiries made in Sydney as to the history of the the Makins it would appear that they resided at Cook’s River road for about three or four mouths, which is considerably over their usual period for one house. At this time the head of the household was in the employment of Mr Whitehead, parcel delivery agent, as a van driver. Finally the family disappeared, suddenly leaving. The Makins do not appear to have been popular with their late neighbours in this street. The occupants of the adjoining cottage in particular had many disputes with Mrs Makin, owing, it is stated, to the rude conduct of the children of the latter, and no one about was sorry when they left. Some of the people in the locality say that there was a notice in front of the cottage setting forth that Mrs Makin was a ladies’ nurse. The police are gradually obtaining more and information with respect to the fomily. Mrs Makin was married at an early age to a person named Edwards, and stated to have beem a seafaring man. She has had no less than sixteen children, of whom eight are still alive. The eight comprise the two girls in custody, their two sisters who will be called upon to give evidence, and the boy aged two years. These are all the children of the second marriage, and in addition there are of the Edwards family still alive a married daughter (who will be called as a witness) and two sons, who have been away from Sydney for some time. It may be mentioned, as showing the extreme state of poverty in which the family lived, that after their arrest the whole of the furniture and other articles in their house in Chippen street were sold by the direction of Makin and only realised the sum of 12s. There was a painful scene in the Coroner’s Court one day last week. A daughter of the prisoners, named Clarence Makin, was giving evidence ; she herself burst into tears, and the other members of the family were in a greatly agitated “state. During the lunch hour the members of the Makin family in custody were taken into the juryroom before being brought into court. A crowd gathered outside and gazed into the room through the windows. Clarence Makin was standing talking to some woman outside, and on seeing her Mrs Makin went to the window and cried : “ A mother’s curse on you! A mother’s curse on you ! You’ve aU been swearing lies.” When they were brought into court, both Mrs Makin and Blanche Makin cried bitterly. Afterwards Daisy Makin, a little girl of 10 years old, was brought into court to give evidence, in tears, and a most powerful scene ensued. Mrs Makin jumped up and called, “ Come and take me out.” The girls Blanche and Florence clasped each other and wept most bitterly, calling out, u Oh, my mother ! Oh, my mother! ” and threatening their sister Clarence. Mrs Makin was removed from the court very ill, and her three daughters, Blanche, Florence, and Daisy, followed her, crying most distressingly.