AN INFANT’S DEATH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16807, 17 March 1915, Page 4

AN INFANT’S DEATH.

INQUEST ON ILLEGITIMATE CHILD.

An inquest was held at the Morgue on Monday evening, before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., District Coroner, on the ' body of tho infant female child of Liza O’Donnell, a young married woman, 24 years of .age, who died at two o’clock on Sunday morning, » fow hours after its birth. Dr Nedwill said that ho attended tho j mother at 8.45 p.m. on Saturday even- ! ing, • when she gave birth to the child. It was not healthy in appearance, but was alive when he left. About two o’clock on Sunday morning he was mi formed that tho child had died, and ! when ho arrived he made an exanuna- : tion of the body. There were no marks ’of violence on the body and he was , of the opinion that the child died from natural causes. _ , ~ ... Annie Elizabeth Bigwood sard that she was present at tne birth of the child ns a nurse, and remained with the' mother until after its death. Sophia Munsey ■■ (unsworn) said that Liza. O'Donnell was her daughter, and had been living with her. Her daughter was married, but separated from her husband soon after the marriage. She had one child by her husband. Liza O’Donnell had made a statement to t.be police that the emld which had been born on Saturday was illegitimate, and Bertram Bunn, a candidate for Riccarton, .was the father. Bunn was a married man, but witness did not know that at the time or she would not have allowed her daughter to keep company with him. He had a grain store next- to witness s house and frequently visited her daughter. He admitted to hor husband that he was tne rather of the child and had tried to got her daughter to sign a statement that he was not the father, so that the fact could not be used against him »3 a candidate. Uunn had given her daughter several bottles of a certain mixture. Witness strongly advised her not to take anv of the mixture. She was sorry that the child died, because she wished to publish the birth in Bunn s name. Bunn was now at the Trontham ©amp, and wished her daughter to keep th© matter quiet until return, but .the girl had refused. Mr Bishop: He seems to bo a protty bad lot, and ought to be made to pay all the expenses. A verdict woe returned in accordant'© with the medical evidence.