Shocking Murder.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 331, 30 July 1889, Page 2

Shocking Murder.

A CHILD KILLED BY ITS FATHER. At the Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, on the 12th instant, the City Coroner (Mr J, C. Woore, J.P.) initiated an inquest upon tho body of the little girl, Annie Hunter, five years old, the victim of the tragedy enacted at No. 24, Chambers-street, Glebe, on the previous night.

Anna Hunter deposed that she was the mother of the deceased, whose name was Annie Agnes Emily Hunter. Witness had resided with her husband at No. 24, Chambera atreet. She put the little girl to bad at 8 o’clock on Wednesday night. Her husband was in the house at the time. He had been at home all day. He was sober, but suffering from the effects of excesisve drinking. She put the other children to bed and sat reading till about half past 10 o’clock. Her husband then said “ You are all going to be chopped up;” after that he lifted the kerosene lamp from the table and threw It at her, saying “I was told to burn you up.” She then left the house, taking her baby, three months old, in her arms. Her husband the deceased, and her son Samuel Frederick, who is eight years old, remained in the house. She stayed in the street, a few yards from the door; but a few minutes after, when the neighbours had closed their doors, her husband came out and tried to drag her in. . She would not go, and he beat her head against the pavement. Her screams brought the neighbours out, and her husband let her go. She did not remember anything after that till she heard Freddy crying. Appealed to some of the bystanders to burst the door open. They did so, and a few minutes after the boy came to where she was sitting on some steps with his face covered with blood ; she became unconscious, and, on recovering, wont to a neighbours house with the baby. The two other children were taken to the Hospital, She had not seen her husband linos the polios took him to the Hospital. He waa in Che habit of drinking to excess, but very seldom. Three weeks ago they insured the child's lite, She thought it was tor £lO, and paid a penny a week, Her hueband knew that the lives of the children were insured. Her husband wai out of work, but waa not io difficulties. By ths jury I Her hueband had never threatened any violence to the children before. He was praying all day, and gristly excited, About three and a half yeara ago he attempted to drown himeelf, After giving her evidence the mother stated that she waa destitute of means to bury tho child, and a pauper order waa given. Dr. Hinder deposed that the deosaeed was brought to the hospital at midnight, in a dying condition, She was suffering from two fractures of the skull, and two Incised wounds below the angle of the jaw, The child died two minutes after admission, A ” post mortem ” examination of the body showed that each of the incised wounds was about three quarter! of an inoh long, one ot them being dangerous. Death was due to injury to the brain, caused by external violence. A blow with a blunt instrument, or a tall would have produced the injury. Tbs inquiry was then adjourned for a fortnight, pending the recovery of the man, who is in the hospital, suffering slightly from a wound, but principally from M delirium tremens.”