CORONER'S INQUEST.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIV, Issue 136, 12 June 1900, Page 4

CORONER'S INQUEST.

An inquiry was held yesterday afternoon m the Courthouse beforeMrß. D Nosworthy, Deputy Coroner, and a jury consisting of Messrs J. J. McCabe (foreman), A. Woods, H. Townsend, A. Peters, W. Gosling, and G. H. Mogridge, into the circumstances attaching to the death of an infant, three "weeks old, Harold Joseph Gordon Middlemiss, the son of Mary Adelaide Middlemiss, which occurred Bupposedly from suffocation on Sunday last at tbe residence of Mrs Atwood, High Street. Mrs Geo. Atwood, who keeps a nursing home, said she had had eight years' experience m attendance on oases of sioknees and confinement. The mother of the child came to her house on January 23rd, and the child was barn on May 17tb. To all appearanoes the child was healthy. Last saw him alive at twenty micutes to six on Sunday morning, when he was lying on a couch m the kitchen, m whioh a fire was burning. It bad on it a double blanket and a shawl. Attended to it then, and lay down till twenty minutes to eight, wheu she noticed that the child was blaok m the face. She tried to jeßtore respiration, but the baby seemed to be smothered. Bhe at once sant for Dr Anderson; the child was dead before he came. The child's mother ■was m another room m bed ; she had never nursed the baby, being a weak and delicate woman. The mother was too ill to attend Court, Witness, who had sole charge of the child, had nursed a good number of infants, and had never before had the death of a child m her house. Deceased was supported by artificial food. Dr Anderson gave evidence as to attending the mother of the child (which was healthy aud well nourished), and aq to his examination of the body shortly after death. He had also, at the direction of the Coroner, carried out a post mortem examination. In his opinion death was due to suffocation. The rugs t^at covered the child, if they fell over the face, would be quite sufficient to cause death. The baby was covered up m the usual way m this district, though not m such a way as he would approve of. Witness gave evidence as to the satisfactory competency of Mrs Atwood as a nurse, and the conveniences of the home. Under his direction, the mother did not nurte the child, aS means were being taken to have it adopted. The mother would only consent to the baby being absent for one year, and arrangensdnts were being made to have it nursed m Nelsoii. The placing of] the child on the couch was a tern- j porary measure. Such accidents had often occurred, and he looked upon the case as one of misadventure difficult to guard against. The jury returned a verdict that the child met its death through being rccidemally smothered.