VERDICT OF MURDER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1362, 13 February 1912, Page 4

VERDICT OF MURDER.

MYSTERY OF A BABY'S DEATH. (Bt rclesrap'e-Prcne Aißoel»t!oiU Auckland, Febmary 12. The naked body of a baby girl was found floating in the harbour yesterday morning. It was noticed by a large number of holiday-makers, who were assembled in that locality to set out on a launch excursion. The attention of Dr. lloir, who happened to be in the vicinity at the time, was directed to tho body, and he waded out into shallow water and carried it ashore. This morning an inquest was held. lTom the medical evidence, as submitted to the jury by Dr. Girdler, .it appears that the child is a fully developed female, and was not less tfian three weeks old at the time of death. The doctor stated that tho body had bren in the water at least a week. The heart, lungs, and other internal organs were all normal, but an examination of the slaill revealed a large bruise at tho. back of the head—a bruise that must have been caused during life, and could have been caused by a blow. It was certainly caused by violence of some kind. The doctor thought that the child was dead when thrown into tlio water. Dr. Jtoir corroborated the evidence given by Dr. Girdler. He thought that death was due to the blow which had caused the bruise at the back of the baby's head, and that the body had been thrown into the water after ikath. Indications were all against an assumption that death was due to drowning. Reviewing the evidence, the coroner remarked that the fact that the child had been dropped into tho water with no clothes on susreested that the person who had dropped it in did not intend In leave any elue. ruid. t-'\prefnv», a theory that it had accidentally fallen into the water did not hold. If the child had lived for two or three weeks, then several people wore probably aware of its existence. There was nothing to show who had dropped the child into the water. The usual practice in such cases of having a post-mortem examination, conducted by two medical men, had l)een followed on this occasion in view of further innuiry in another Court.

The jury unanimously returned a verdict of niimler against some poTson or persons unknown.