DEATH OF CHILD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 July 1938, Page 8

DEATH OF CHILD

CHARGE AGAINST MOTHER IN AUCKLAND CASE FOR CROWN PRESENTED (By Telegraph— Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day. The murder of her five-months-old female child, by drowning in the Northern Wairoa river in April was charged against Hazel Frances Evans, of Aratapu, aged 21, in the Supreme Court today, before Mr Justice Fair and a jury< Mr V. R. Meredjth prosecuted for the Crown, and Mr R. A. Singer appeared for the accused. Outlining the evidence for the prosecution, Mr Meredith said the accused girl lived with her parents. On October 27, she gave birth to an illegitimate child, and when she and the child returned to her home from a nursing home she made several unsuccessful attempts to have the child placed in an orphanage. There was some unpleasantness in the home over the child, which culminated in a quarrel between the girl and her father on April 2. She told her father to “Go to hell.” He replied that if that was the way she felt, she had better get out of the home with her baby. Accused went to a neighbour’s place, and said she was going to send her baby away that night, that she was going to Te Kopuru, to meet a lady who was going to adopt the baby, and asked that a girl of the neighbour’s should help her to carry the baby. That night accused and Miss Alves walked to Te Kopuru with the baby. Accused said she was to meet a lady at the Te Kopuru post office at 8 p.m. When they arrived there, no lady was there. Miss Alves went on to the Old Men’s Home, where she worked, and went to bed. About an hour later accused came to her room and said the lady had come and taken th'e child. That was on April 4. Ten days later a man, Keith Warmington was ing on the river bank at Te Kopuru when he noticed the body of baby on the grass near the water’s edge. It was decomposed, but was identified as accused’s child. “I am satisfied,” said counsel, “the evidence will force you to the conclusion that accused, upset and desperate with shame and the position in her home, took her baby, to Te Kopuru that night with the intention of putting it in the river. If it had not been for a high spring tide, possibly nothing more would have been seen of it.” Counsel added that an admission, made to Detectives Findlay and Miller would no doubt satisfy the jury of what had happened. The case is proceeding.