DEATH OF A CHILD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 247, 11 July 1908, Page 11

DEATH OF A CHILD.

VERDICT OF "ACCIDENTAL SUFFOCA- . T!ON." STRONG COMMENTS JBY THE CORONER. (DT TELEGRAM—PKESS ASSOCIATION.) Giirlstchurch, July 10. The circumstances the' death of Robert Marsden Baines, the year-old child of Daniel James Marsden Baines, wharf labourer, living at Heatkcote, wero investigated this morning by Mr. H. W. Bishop, coroner, and a jury. The first witness was a young woman named Annie Courtney, who stated that she was living at Baines' house to look after his children in the absence of Mrs. Baines. On Wednesday night witness and 'her sisteit Maud (aged seventeen) and Lucy Reilly (aged eighteen) slept in a- double bed with three children. Witness, .with the'.deceased and another child aged six. years, slept at one end of the bed, and Lucy Reilly, her child, and Maud. Courtney slept at the other end. There-were only two beds in the house, and the second was occupied by Baines and three children.: Witness did not have the baby in her arms. It lay alongside, her. The bedclothes were'not completely over it, and in the morning its arms were outside the blankets. The mother had bee naway for a week, but she ordinarily lived at Heathcote. The deceased baby had a bad chest, and used to cough badly. On, Wednesday Baines brought home two bottles df. heer.' Witness and the other two girls had' two glasses each, but it had no effect on them.' They had the drink early in the. evening, and wero sober when they went to bed. Dr. Irving, who had made a post-mortem, said .that the body was that of a well-de-veloped healthy.male child. He thought that, death was due. to suffocation. He could find no other possible reason for death unless the child had had a fit.: Sleeping under the conditions described would, probably cause asphyxiation.: If the child had been suffocated or had a fit, it would probably struggle. Maud Courtney, domestic. servant, seventeen years of age, said that.. she. "went, to Baines' house because her sister was there,. The baby was all right when she went there on Tuesday night. Witness, occupied a place in a bed with five others. She did not hear the baby cry during the night. _ She had one small glass •of beer before going to bed about eight o'clock. In the afternoon, they drank two bottles of beer between four of them. ;•••

Lucy Reilly, a domestic servant, aged eighteen, said that she was a sister, of Mrs. Baines. . She went to the house.to mind the children while her sister was away. Witness was in the bed with her own child, which was seven months' ' old, and 'the 'four others. She did not hear anything: unusual during ' the night. In the morning she kissed the deceased child and finding that the face was cold she informed Baines that' something was 'wrorig. All the girls in the bed were fully undressed. ■ Witness had two small glasses of beer, and was quite ■ sober when she went to bed. She had 'no drinks during the daytime;' Daniel James Marsden Baines, wharf labourer, .said that he was the father of the child. IHe had four other children. The deceased, when very young, had' suffered froin' bronchitis and whooping ; cough. When teething it had a bronchial cough, for "which it was treated at the Hospital. He found the child doad on Thursday morning.' On Wednesday he took two ordinary'bottles of draught beer with him •to the house about one p.m. He drank the best part of it, and the girls had some. In the evening he took' home another two bottles, and that was consumed in tho same way. The drink*did not have the slightest effect'on the girls. Ho did not know whether they were accustomed to beer. The Coroner : Yet you thought it a right and proper thing to give them beer. In reply to further questions the witness said that he had never been prohibited. His wife had been prohibited, but she had been keeping straight for some time. The Coroner said that. there seemed to ,be nothing which could account for death from natural causes. Owing to tho number of persons in the bed, and the probable condition in which, they went to bed, it seemed probable that'the child had been overlain. Unfortunately, that was a very common cause of death, though it was not so common now as formerly. A'child-of the age of the deceased, especially when suffering from bronchial trouble, required all. the air it could get. People would not awake to the fact that it was extremely dangerous for a young child to be in bed with 'adults. There was, in, his opinion, no excuse for Baines feeding these young girls up with beer. Girls of their ago had no right to have beer. Whether there was an apparent effect or not, the fact remained that it must havo an offect on young girls. : It was a most improper thing for Baines to do. He fed them upon beer, in the faco of tho example of his own wife, who had been prohibited twice. It was absolutely and positively disgraceful. Whether that was an 1 element in tho case or not, 110 did not know, possibly the heavy sleep caused by the beer prevented the women in tho bed feeling the struggles of the child, ■ Baines (desiring to address the Coroner): Excuse me, sir, for a moment. The Coroner: I can't hear you. You had better get out of the room.; The jury returned a verdict that the death of the deceased was caused..by , accidental suffocation, and added a rider that, in their opinion, the bed was overcrowded;

VISITORS TO WELLINGTON. • : " -y-—:— . • The following are 6taping at present at the Grand, Windsor, and Empiro Hotels:— Grand Hotel. —Mr. .and Mrs. Holdsworth (Dunedin),: Dr. Collins (Gisborne), Mr. E. Newman (Marton),'Mr. and Mrs. Goodman (London), Mr. Paul Kennedy (New York City), Mr. Ernest Davis (Auckland), Mr. J. G. Silly (Sydney), Mr. N. N. Kennedy. (New York-City), Mr. F. Haig (Dunedin), Mr. W. H. Cruick'shanks (Masterton), Mr. H.'Owen (Christchurch), Mr. W. M. Whishaw. (Feilding), Mr. W. E. Maine (Melbourne), Mr. T. Horder (Sydney), Mr. W. Spear (Sydney), Mr. H. S!ee (London); Captain Reginald D. Tuck (London), Mr. C. E. Hodges (London), Mrs. Vallanco and Miss Beard (Masterton),; Mr. H. M'Clellend (Melbourne), Mr. Jeffries (Dunedin), Mr.-A. V". Coulter (Sydney), Mr. C. I. Monro (Palmerston North), Mr. W. Kanfmann (Genera), Mr. H. Isaacs (Dunedin), ;. Mr. T. J. James (Wauganui), Mr. W. J. Orr (Melbourne), Mr. W. A. Reid (Wanganui), Mr. Leslio A. Dimant (Melbourne), Mr. F. B. Vallauce (Masterton), Mr.- H. C. Baird (Gisborno), Mr. J. Foster Webb (To Horo), Mr. H. 11. Roberts, Mr. Whincop (Marton), Mr. F. W. M'Lean (Dunedin), Mr. H. Gass (Christchurch), Mr. Koppen (Germany), Mr. and Mrs. H.. Harris (Masterton),' Mr. T. C.. Madge . (Collingwood), Mr. S. Turner (Loudon), Mr. S. Vita (Italy), Mr. N. F. Westwood (Germany), Miss Neill-(Collingwood), Mr. Forman (Sydney),-Mr. Eugene Laugier (Christchurch), Mrs. P. Dillon .(Marlborough), Mr. M. Darcy (Dunedin), Mr. S: A! Keno (Sydney), Mr.* and;Mrs.-Rowley (Malay). Hotel Windsor I—Hon.: G. and Mrs. Fowlds, Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Do, Costa, Mr.'A. W;Brailsford, Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Fox, Mr. ■ and Mrs. J. Milne and Mrs.- Waters, Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Fnrby, Mr; and Mrs. Miller, ''Mr. .and Mrs. Stewart, Mr. Alexander (Sydney), Mr. Cheeseborough (Auckland), "Mr. Robbins (Hawera), Mr.'and Mrs. A. E. Donno, Miss Newton (Sydney), Mr. Hudson (Sydney), .Mr. Hill (Auckland), Mr. and Mrs. Sample, Sir. E. Leggatt (Manila), Mr. Horton (Pahiatua), Mr. and Mrs. Engelberb (Sydney), Mr. Owen,. Mr. Snydor (Sydney), Mr. Walshaw Mr. and Mrs. Harold. Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Greenfield, Mr. C.; D. Bondfield (Sydney), Mrs. Canning. i ■ , ■ • Empiro Hotel. —Judge and Mrs. Haselden, .Judge and Miss Edwards, Mr. A. M'Donald (Wairarapa), Mr. and Mrs. and Miss Harding (Asnhurst),- Mr. M'Farlane (Clive Grange, Hawke's Bay), Mr.'and Mrs. W. Chapman (Christchurch), Mr. G. Haylev, (Christchurch),. Mr. J. H. Redwood (Marlborough), Mr. G. H. Crawford (Melbourne), Mr. H. J. Lord (Masterton), Mr. R. Nudds (Auckland), Mr. C. S. Spaul (Dunedin), Mr., and Mrs. Beaven; Mr. W. F. Jacob (Feilding), T. Perry (Christchurch), Mr. J. C. Caldwell, Hon. W. C. Smith, Mr. C. E. Major, M.P., Mr., Halliwell, Mr. Wrightson (Wairarapa).