SUSPECTED INFANTICIDE AT MOUNT ROSKILL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 264, 13 November 1885, Page 4

SUSPECTED INFANTICIDE AT MOUNT ROSKILL.

Coroner's Inquest,

The adjourned inquest into the circumstances attending the death of the illegitimate infant oi Mary E. A. McCarthy (domestic servant in the employ of Mr J. Patoraon) was opened at three o'clock yostorday afternoon at MrPatorson's residence, Mount Roskill, before Dr. Philson (coronerv and a jury of six. Detective Hughes and Constable Dewes wero also present. Evidence was taken as follows :—

Margaret Paterson, wife of John Paterson, omnibus proprietor, of Mount Roskill, deposed that Mary Esther Anno McCarthy was a domestic servant in her employ, and that hor age was 23 years. She had beon in witness'? service for the past 4J months, and witness had had no previous acquaintance with hoi1. She engagod the girl at Hannaford's Registry, and did not notice anything particular in her appearance at first. A week or two afterwards she suspocted that tho girl was encienle, and taxed her with it. The girl, however, denied tho charge, saying that she was always stout. She attended steadily to her work until Sunday, November Ist. On that evening eho retired between 8 and 9 o'clock toher room,apparently in goodhealth. Witness heard no noise during the night, and got up at G o'clock next morning. As tho girl diii not appear at the usual time, wit ness wont into the dining-roomto call her, and then heard herself called by the girl. Witness opened the girl's bedroom door, and found her standing on the floor in front of her bed, and in her working dress, and at her feet lay a newly - born child quite naked. Near it there was a quantity of blood. Witness said " Oh, you noughty girl; go and lie down in your bed." She did so without speaking. Previously she had said "I am too ill to get up." Witness sent her husband for Mrs Benton, who on her arrival lifted up the child. Witness placed her hand on it, found that it was cold, and satisfied herself that it was dead. The girl was quiet, and did not seem either stupefied or bewildered. She was in full possession of her faculties. Witness gave her a cup of tea. Dr. Stockwell arrived at 7.45 a.m., and at once went into tho girl's bedroom. Margaret Benton, wife of James Benton, gardener, gave corroborative evidence. rihe wrapped the child in a towel and laid it on tho floor.

Dr. Win. Stockwell deposed : I was called to Mrs Paterson's house, at Mount Roskill, on Monday, November 2nd, at 7.45 a.m., and on entering the bedroom of the servant girl (Mary McCarthy), whom I here identify, 1 saw a great mass of Wood ou the floor. The blood covered, in irregular patches, a space two feet square upon the middle of the floor,, which was covered by matting. The blood was coagulated, and there was about a pint of it. It was covered over with two cloths. I found the body of a newly-born male infant behind the door, and wrapped up in a towel, It was cold and stiff with rigor mortis. It must have been dead upwards of two hours. It had attainod to maturity, for I made careful examination of the body to Eettle this point. The only mark that I could find upon it was that ono side of the face— i.e., the mouth and right cheek—was flattened, as it by preesuro from some fiat sub stance, while there was a good deal of dried blood about head and body. After this was washed off I searched again, but found no other markv, except a trifling bruise or discolouration on tho right elbow, The lips and the whole of the features were very dark from the blood gravitating by position. The navel string, which was from 10 inches to 1 foot long, was attached to tho body, and had not been tied. It had been ruptured, as it was drawn to a point, as if dragged asunder. There wa? a pair of scissors on the table, but the string had not been cut. The head of the child was well and naturally shaped, and did not present the ccijnit succcdancum indicative of a tedious labour. lam of opinion, although I have no moans of knowing, that the greater part of the blood on tho floor came from tho mother, and not from the child. I found no sign of strangulation or of anything having beon stuffed into the mouth. The mother was lying on top of the bed clothes, partially dressed. I examined her, and found that the after-birth had been retained. Thoro was blood, too, on the Ekirts of her dross. Sho was calm, quiet, but reticent. Sho admitted that the child was hois, and upon being asked if it had cried, sho replied that she did not know. The tamo answer was roturncd to the ques tion if she had been long ill. Asked if the child was born alive, sho replied that she was too stupid at the time to know. Sho disclosed the name of the father. Since tho inquest adjourned I have made an examination of the body, 35 hours after doath. I found the intestines and liver heali hy. The lungs were fully expanded, and wero of a pale pinky colour, mottled, and full of air. I placed the lungs in water, when they floatod freely, and buoyed up the heart. There was no congestion of the lungs, showing that death had not been caused by suffocation. There was no fracture of tho bones of tho skull or echymosis of tho scalp. I believe that tho child was born alive, and had breathed naturally, but the position of the child on the floor showed that there must have been some interference with its respiration. I believe that the child died from neglect after its birth. I have observed no mental debility about the mother, although I believe her mental condition is rather below the average. I think it was her first child, and with ngard to all matters of the kind she fieemed very ignorant, Constable Arthur Dews deposed that he was in attendance when the post mortem examination was made, and that he had been sent out to keep a watch on the girl, as she had attempted to leave her mistress'f house. On Sunday night she tried to get away through the window, and ho had to nail it down and lock her in.

Thiß closed tho evidence, and the jury, after a brief conference, brought in tho tho following verdict: —"That the infant died from neglect aftor birth, but whether from wilful intent, ignorance, or inexperience Of the mother, there is no evidence to show."

Tho Coroner stated that1 in accordance with tho Coronor's Act the jury had nothing further to do except to see that a copy of the depositions and their verdict were forwarded to tho Resident Magistrate of tho district, for him to take further proceedings if necossary.