INQUEST.

Evening Star, Issue 3653, 6 November 1874, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest on the body of the child who was found concealed in the bush near Mornington, on Tuesday last, as stated In our issue of that date, was hold at the Hospital at noon to-day, before Mr Hocken, coroner, and a jury of twelve. Sup-Inspector Mailard and Detective Shury watched the proceedings on behalf of the police. The Coroner explained that be bad abstained from holding an inquiry hitherto, in order that evidence might be obtained I 1?© evidence, however, was forthcoming, and 5 e J U T W .°£ W h , ave t0 be Coll tent with that of the bailiff, who found the body, and of Ur ITates. who would speak to its condition, and also as to whether ihe child was born alive or was still-born : of course, if the latter, their verdict would only be concealment of birth. As a rule, the features of infants were not strongly marked, but in ibis instance such was not the cave; and the jury would therefore take particular no ice of the face, as it might possibly suggest something to them. * The following evid nee was given:— James Gibb, assistant bailiff at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, said that on Tuesday morning, the 3rd instant, he found occasion to take shelter from the rain in some bush leading to the be l pen tine Avenue On going into the bush about a yard, he discovered a parcel lying there. This weuld be about 100 or 200 yards from the MorningUm mam road. On opening the cloth which contamed the parcel, he saw a small hand, and immediately proceeded and gave inf imath n to the police. The parcel, a though only one yard from the district road, could not be seen the P bn»h nS P rf iDg ’ u lt was conceal ed in duced! h * • WM bOUDd by the tope pro * O’Neill said that he searched the apot indicated m company with the last wittl ues day morning. He found a parcel m which was a female infant child. It was wrapped up in the calico produced, stained with blood. The whom was wrapped up in a copy of the *Utago Guardi w, "ofthf

30fcb October, 1874. He searched the bsb bntcouid see no traces of feotstp-. The body was fresh, and bad been was d. Dr ' atea sa d tb.->fc deceased wa« 1-roncht to the hospital on Tuesday last, f’e saw the body *l-o>rly afterwar s— shat of .'e—ale infan'. full grown The cord of -hotuve-i had lu mi out a’oufc an inch from ih, body, and this would account f.r the blood on the cloth. Mr> marUs of vio>» <je were visible. He mde a post m- rt-nn examination, and found the lungs quite spongy, with a pinkish white color, and they floated on the surface of the water, on which he placed them, from which he would conclude the child had been born alive and ■would have breathed. Ho did not think it possible to tell how iongih ; child had lived, but ib must have been for over twenty-four hours. He should judge it was in perfect health when born fxprsare during the time the child lay in the probably caused death, or else death was occasioned from the 1 ss of blood from the navel cord. Neglect was undoubt; dly the cause of the child’s death.

The jury found that the child died from neglect on the part of some per.-on or pe.rso. a unknown. This the Coroner explained was tantamount to a verdict of murder.