CHILD'S DEATH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 16, 19 January 1938, Page 8

CHILD'S DEATH.

WAS IT ACCIDENTAL? MYSTERY MARKS ON BOD< DOG'S RESCUE EFFORT 1 SYDNEY, January 12. A remarkable story, suggesting that a dog had made efforts to rescue Michael Hardie Corbett, aged 2 years 11 months, when he fell into the Sydney Harbour, was told at an inquiry into the boy's death. It was at first thought that the child had been criminally assaulted, but the' coroner, Air. G. R. Williams, said he was satisfied the marks on the body were caused by the dog, and that the boy's death was accidental. He returned a finding accordingly. Dr. Alfred. J, Bulteau, of Gladesville, said that when lie saw Corbett's body there were numerous abrasions on the face and about the body, and marks below the hips. After reading reports from Drs. Stratford Sheldon and A. Palmer he was of the opinion that a dog had caused these marks. , In reply to the coroner, Dr. Bulteau Baid that he considered that if the child had been criminally assauled there would have been finger-marks on the body. A post-mortem examination had revealed none. The cause of death was asphyxia from drowning. * Mr.. Corbett (the boy's father): Can you say if the cliild was forced into the water by human agency? Dr. Bulteau: I would not be competent to say that. If he had been I would have expected markings on the body, ami there were none.

Great Pals. Arthur Hardie Corbett, works superintendent, Hume Pipe Company, Rydal - mere, said that the boy was a healthy and vigorous lad, who was moat intelligent, and was capable of talcing care of himself. He had a fox terrier dog called Dinty, and the two were great pals. He also had a tricycle. The waters of the Lane Cove River were about 200 ft from his home, Corbett said, and he had not known of the lad liaving strayed down to the water's edge previously. Mrs. Ada Isabel Walker, of Hunter's Hill, said that about 2.30 p.m. on December 10, she was informed the child was missing, and with Corbett she had undertaken a search. The lad's tricycle was found midway between the boy's home and the river, and the dog was at the tricycle. "I followed a track from the tricycle to the water's edge, and I saw the boy's body lying face downwards on a rock. The body was naked," Mrs. Walker said. "The lad's clothes were about 3ft away on another rock, and were torn to shreds." No Footprints Found. Detective C. W. Lee said there were many small abrasions on the body's head and various parts of the body, some of which appeared to have been caused by the teeth of a dog. A thorough search of the ground was made, but there were no traces of footmarks or other marks, other than those of a dog. The boy's clothing, apparently, liad been pulled off by the dog. From his inquiries he was satisfied that no other person was connected with the boy's death. There Was no doubt he either fell from the bank or climbed down to the water's edge and fell in. The body, in - Dr. Lee's opinion, had been pulled by the dog as far as possible to the water's edge, and was then washed by the tide to the rock where it was found. The lapping of the receding water washed some of the I boy's clothing to a second rock, and laid it in a uniform position, he believed. He did not think the clothing had been washed out to destroy fingerprints. At the conclusion of klie inquiry Mr. Corbett told the coroner that he was appreciative of the courtesy and tact which had been shown him by the police. |