CORONER'S INQUEST.

Evening Post, Volume V, Issue 7, 17 February 1869, Page 2

CORONER'S INQUEST.

Ail inquest was held yesterday afternoon at the Thistle Inn, before Dr. Boor, Coroner, and a jury, on Llig body of James Bull, nn infant, four months old, then lying in the Hospital. The jury, after viewing the body, returned and heard the evidence. Charles Bull, bookbinder, the father of the child, deposed that his wife left his house about a week previous to its death, and took it with her ; he did not know where she had gone to ; he looked in various places for her, and on Sunday morning last he ascertained that she was at Maokwood Smith's ; lie went there to see her ; she was not in a fit atafce to be spoken to ; she was very excitable from the effects of drink ; he was told that the child was dying, but waa afraid to make any effort to remove it or procure medical help, as his wife would not allow him ; Mackwood Smith, Mrs. Smith, and all in the house, were drunk ; there was no positive interference to prevent him taking the child away ; next morning Mrs. Pickering informed him that his wife had returned with the child ; it was then dead. Mr. Ackers, assistant at the Hospital, deposed that Mrs. Bull enme to the Hospital on Monday morning with a child in her arms, and naked him to look nl il ; he aaw at once that it was dying ; he asked her to come in, jvs she was very excited, but she wished away with it ; it appeared to bo in a very neglected state j the father afterwards came and said the child was dead, and asked him what he should do ; witness referred him to the coroner. Dr. Burrows proved having made a post mortem examination of the body of the child. From the appearances it presented, it was his opinion thai; the child had died' from inflammation of the lungs, accelerated by neglect and want of food. It appeared to have had no food for 21 hours previous to its death. Emily Bull, the child's mother, deposed that it had been suffering from whooping cough for three weeks ; she had procured physic from a druggist for it, and had given it food on the day previous to its death ; she did not seem to remember clearly what occurred. Mackwood Smith deposed, that Mrs. Bull to his house representing that her bus-

band had beaten her ; she and his wife were always drunk ; a half-pint of milk was procured for the child, on Sunday, of which it had a portion, Dr. Burrows, recalled, anid the evidence given conlirmed his view of the cause of death. The jury, after some deliberation, returned n verdict of death from natural causes, accelerated by gross neglect aud want of nourishment.