SAD DEATH OF A CHILD.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7188, 25 October 1888, Page 6

SAD DEATH OF A CHILD.

An exceedingly painful occurrence hap" pened iv the Geraldine district on Tuesday last. Mr H. Coulter, of South Rahgitatn, with his family, was staying on a visit with his father -in - law, Mr Thomas Ashby, whose home is a considerable distance up the Orari river. Among Mr Coulter's children was a bright little girl of about two years of age, the only girl in the family. On the day mentioned, about 9 a.m., she was playing with a son of Mr Ashby's, about seven years of age, nea r the stockyard, a short distance from the house, and within sight of the whole family, who were moving about at their ordinary occupations. The boy went into an outhouse, and when he came out, about ten minutes afterwards, was asked if the child was there. Replying in the negative, a search was made, but the little one had disappeared. An alarm was immediately given, and scarcely more than ten minutes had elapsed from the time the child was last seen lill some seven or eight persons were searching for it. A small shallow creek about a quarter of a mile from the house was first examined and then Mr Ashby rode over to Geraldine and gave information to the police, while the alarm was spread in all directions, and the neighbors from all round mounted their horses and searched every nook and corner on the farm where it was thought possible the child could have strayed, but without success. As the day wore on others joined in the search, and by night some fifteen horsemen were scouring the district, while many others were on foot. To make matters worse rain began to fall in the evening, and continued to do so all night. The search was kept up till two o'clock in the morning, and taken up again as soon as daylight appeared. During the forenoon of Wednesday the first trace of the wanderer was discovered, a bunch of flowers the child had been wearing being picked up. A band of twenty horsemen, a few yards apart, was now riding across the tussock, and about noon one of the men, Mr H. Sowerby, came across the little girl lying stiff and cold on the wet tussock, the child having evidently succumbed to the inclemency of the night. The spot where the body was found was on a high terrace, near Mr Tripp's cutting, and about four miles from the spot where the child was first missed. How the child got so far, when so many were after it, is an utter mystery. Great sympathy is felt for the parents and friends, who are very much distressed by the painful occurrence.