AN EXTRA ORDINARY STORY. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1607, 21 October 1882, Page 2

AN EXTRA ORDINARY STORY. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Auckt.avd, Last Night. Ax extraordinary allegation has been made by a girf sixteen years old, to the effect that her' father poisoned her mother sixteen months ago. The statement given by the girl is a most improbable one, and is generally discredited, but the police considered it of sufficient importance to warrant the exhumation of the woman's body, which has been buried sixteen months. The body was dug up to d.iy, and portions will be handed to the piovincial analyst for examination. The girl,'whose name is Amy Charlotte Hedges, makes a stateI ment to this effect :—Sonic time before they left London, in August, 1879, her father sent her out to purchase some arsenic, with which he intended to poison rats and mice. She procured it at the shop of Mr Boothby, chemist, Crawfordstreet, Edgeware Road, London West. Some was placed on bread and left for the rats. She did not see the bottle containing the poison afterwaid, until the Sunday before her mother's death. Mrs Hedges died on Monday, Juno 20th, ISSI. She had been ill lor some time, and almost entirely confined to bed during two months prior to her demise. On the day previous to the Monday in question she (the daughter) was in an excited state of mind concerning her mothei's health, and going to the bedroom window, looking through from the verandah, saw her father at the bedside. He was feeding her mother, who was lying on the bed. The giil says she is positive that she saw tho bottle of aisenic in his hand, and when she saw this bottle she cried out to her mother, " mother do not take any of that down your throat," The mother replied, "My dear child I cannot help it." The girl says she then sei earned out to some neighbours, who lived next door, and her father hearing her, cried out, " Shut up, or I'll shove some down your bloody throat." She went into the house, and continued the performance of her household duties. Her father shoitly ufterwaids came out of the bedioom, and comeised with her next door neighbour, who was attracted by the cries. She, however, did not hear what they wcio talking about. Next day &ho went to her work at service in Karangahape road as usual, and her father al&o went to his woik, leaving before her. Her mother died at twenty minutes to thice that afternoon. Mis Lemon, the next door neighboui, had bur attention called during the day to the bad state of Mis Hedges, and when she went and saw her in low condition, she went for Dr Baynton without delay. He came to see the sufferer, but said he was too late to do her any good ; that &be was dying. Death took place immediately afterwards, anil the doctor subsequently gave a certificate of '• Deatli fiom apoplexy." A message was sent to Hedges at the same time as when Dr. Baynton was called, but it did not reach his abode until two hours after the death. The yiil did not Know till night. Iso doctor was called in during the illness, but it appeal s that Hedges was in the habit ot treating his wife with homojopatlue medicines, which he kept in the housu. The fuiieuil took place on June 22nd, 18S1, Mr J.unieson bein;,' undertaker. Hedges is a tailor employed at Mmcliic"s. The tilur, to-night, in allusion to the ca&o, sayb: —" The suspicion tests entirely upon most impiobable statements by the girl, which slie has delayed making for an unaccountably long time, and they Lick as yet any kiucl of corroboiation. tVhether the girl is acting under a hallucination, or is actuated by malice, remains to be proved, but m the present s>tate of the case no weight whatever can be given to her extraoidinary allegations, against her father, although the police ha\e undoubtedly taken the n»ht eouiso' in lesohing upon the institution of a searching enquiry."