CHARGE OF CHILD MURDER.

Some sensation was created this afternoon in the neighbourhood of Abel Smith-street and Taranaki-street, by the arrest of an elderly woman named Mrs. Mary Ann Trueman, and her daughter, Mrs. Mary Leonard Mudgway, on a charge of having, on or about the 27th August last, wilfully murdered a newly-born child. It appears that about the date mentioned the daughter, who is the wife of a shoemaker formerly residing in Taranaki-street, was confined of a child, and the mother officiated as the midwife on the occasion. The child is said to have been born alive, and, having since mysteriously disappeared, a warrant was therefore issued, and it was executed shortly before one o'clock to-day, when both mother and daughter were arrested on the capital charge. They were shortly afterwards brought before Mr. Crawford, J.P., and remanded until Friday for the production of the necessary evidence. It is suspected that the child has been buried about the neighbourhood and a strict search is now being made for the body. Both prisoners have occupied respectable positions, and are well known in the Te Aro portion of the city.

[Since writing the above, we learn that immediately on the arrest of the prisoners Inspector Atchison, acting on certain information received, instructed Sergeant Farrell to search in a paddock in Abel Smith street, rented by Mr. Trueman, and on looking in a shed in the field, the earth was found to have been recently disturbed, just below a sack of chaff. On digging down the body of a child was discovered about three feet below the surface, buried in lime. The remains were quite perfect. The body was conveyed at once to Dr. Diver's for post mortem examination.]

Source: The Evening Post (Wellington), 18 September 1877, Page 2.