Katherine MacDonald Mickell

CHILD DROWNED AT TE HORO. Yesterday news was received in Otaki that Katherine McDonald Mickellj a little girl aged four years, was drowned in a bath. To-day an inquest was held, Mr. T. Brown, coroner, presiding. Constable Satherley acted on behalf of the Police Department. Donald Stuart Milne, medical practitioner, residing at Otaki. stated:—l received a telephone message 2 p.m. on Thursday and proceeded at once to Mr. G. R. Mickell's residence at Hautere as I was informed that Mrs. Mickell had gone off her head and drowned her daughter in a bath. On arrival I found the child naked and wrapped in a blanket lying on a table in the dining-room. Examination showed life to be extinct and the body felt cold. On turning the body over water flowed out of the mouth and nostrils. The face was blue and the whole appearance of the body was such as to indicate death To the Constable: There were no marks of violence on the body.I should say the child had been dead about an hour when I saw it. I interviewed the mother after I examined the deceased. She was laughing and crying when I entered the room and complained of a pain in her head. On my questioning her she said that she remembered her daughter drying the dishes and afterwards the child was so dirty that she popped her into the bath. After that she could not remember what happened until later when she went to fetch her husband. She referred to an occasion some three months ago when she telephoned to make an appointment to consult me. She said she remembered telephoning but did not remember coming in to see me, and was surprised later when informed that she had consulted me. On that occasion she complained of pain in the head, but to me all her actions and speech appeared quite rational. It is my belief that on certain occasions she enters into an automatic state and is not conscious of her actions. Having examined her on the 11th inst, I certified her to be mentally unsound with the recommendation that her admission to the mental hospital be treated as a matter of urgency. Gordon Robert Mickell stated: I am a farmer residing at To Horo, and am father of the deceased, Catherine McDonald Mickell, aged four years on the 20th of this month. I left deceased and her mother at 1 p.m.. after dinner, when both appeared alright. I heard the child say she would help her mother to wash-up and I left. I then went to my paddocks, to dig potatoes, about 15 chains from the house. About half an hour later sire came to within three chains of where I was working and said I had better come in. She then appeared calm, but on the way to the house became agitated. I asked her where Katie was, and she cried, put her hands In her face, and said "I sent her home." I asked her where she replied, "in the bath." I ran straight to the house, suspecting something was wrong, went to the bathroom and found the child laying face downwards, naked. The water in the bath was about a foot deep. I lifted the child out and applied artificial respiration bid without avail. When i took the child out of the bath I realised that she was past all hope. I called my brother and he immediately rang the doctor, who on his arrival pronounced life extinct. For some time my wife complained of pains in the head and had delusions. I persuaded her to go to Levin to be looked after by my father and sister. I went and saw her occasionally. On one of my visits she informed me that she had changed her children's names, saying she desired to put them in a Salvation Army home at Levin. She appeared to be worrying over the two children, being afraid she could not support them and that they would starve. On the morning of the drowning she seemed alright but later had been worrying over the death of a relative. She thought a lot of the children, but on one occasion expressed a wish that she could pass away. To the Constable: She was always very attentive to the children and looked after them well. Elsie May Mickell stated: I am aunt to the deceased and live in Levin with my father. My sister-in-law had been staying with me since January 4th and left for home on March 25th. She seemed to think that she had said something to offend my lather and we thought the change of residence would get this from her mind. Dr. Thompson called on her as soon as she arrived in Levin and he advised me to watch her closely. I did so. She told me that she had changed her name to Mrs. Mitchell and that seemed to worry her. She said she did not know what she had done it for. While staying with me her mind seemed lo improve. During her vacant turns her mind was very blank and she failed to answer questions correctly. ' George Kynoch Moir stated: I am a Clerk in Holy Orders, vicar of Otaki. I have known Mrs. Mickell for nearly four years. I saw Mrs. Mickell on March 23rd at Levin. She was quite lucid at first then later very depressed and melancholy. She passed at once into another stage in which she gave evidence of suffering from delusion. She was worried about her children, and said something about putting them in a home, but did not make herself understood. She asked me very earnestly to keep an eye on the children. She was a good and kind mother to her children.' Allan Satherley stated:I am a police constable stationed at Otaki. From information received from Dr. Milne at 1.45 pm yesterday I ascertained that Mrs. Mickell had drowned her little child. I proceeded to Te Horo. On arrival the deceased was Iying on the dining-room table, undressed. Dr. Milne examined her thoroughly and said he considered she had been dead about an hour. I interviewed the deceased's mother, who was in bed. She was in an excited state, and laughed and cried in turn. I asked her what was the matter. After a while she cooled down and said "Oh. I have sent Katie to her home." She then had another lapse, and said she had been to Levin to get her children's names changed. She did not know why. She said that she had had some horrible delusions. I could see see it was a case of insanity, and told the husband I would have to place her under arrest. Dr. Milne then examined her and said as it was a case of urgency he would give a certificate to that effect so that she could be taken to the mental hospital. I later took her to Porirua. the, husband and sister-in-law, Mrs. Sutton, accompanying me. On the way down, she was in a melancholy state. I am satisfied she was mentally ill. The verdict was returned that the deceased was drowned in a bath by her mother while of unsound mind. The Coroner and police extended their sympathy to the bereaved relatives. Source: Otaki Mail (12 April 1929).