Foxton

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 268, 15 November 1934, Page 10

Foxton

INQUIRY INTO DEATH OF SMALL BOY From Our Own Correspondent. The circumstances .surrounding the death of the three-year-old boy, Kobert Georgo Morris, in the municipal baths at Foxton on Monday were the subject of an inquiry held before Mr. A. Fraser, District Coroner, in the Foxton Courthouse yesterday afternoon. Robert Morris, father of the dead boy, stated that his son was a robust child and had not suffered from any major illness. The boy, with other juvenile relatives, had been permitted to play in Easton Park for the reason that they were safe from motor traffic. Rosa May Dudson, a widow residing in Purcell street, and caretaker of the municipal baths, said that she opened the baths at 10 o’clock on the morning and about half an hour later two ladies and a gentleman arrived. Witness had left the bath buildings before they arrived, passing them in the drive. Witness was then on her way to the council office on the opposite side of the street. Before going back to the baths sho did a little shopping in the town and on her return the adults had left the premises and there was nobody in the baths. Witness purposely looked into the baths proper and was certain that there was nobody in them then. She then returned to her office situated at the public entrance and about ten minutes later a little girl named Kathleen Shaw came in to her and said: “Bobby is in the baths.” Witness immediately went out and found a small boy floating on his back near the south-west end of the baths, which Is the shallow end where there was a depth of 2ft 6in. of water. 'Witness, by lying down on the edge of the baths, was. able to reach the child and immediately pulled him out. She then got hold of his legs and held him with his feet upwards in order that he might have got rid of the water. The hoy was alive and both his body and eyes moved. Witness then carried him out to tho street where she got assistance. Witness estimated the time that she was absent from the baths at about half an hour. During that time tho public entrance door was open and she considered it quite safe to be away while tho adult patrons were there. Sho did not see the deceased when he came into tho baths and did not hear him come in as he was barefooted. It would be quite a simple matter for a small child to enter tho buildings unnoticed. During tho last week witness had wai-ned a sister of the deceased, as well as deceased and a younger child, against playing about the baths. To Mr. Bergin (representing the Foxton Borough Council): The boy was floating from 18 inches to two feet from the steps at the south-west corner of the baths. She did not hear any splash of the water and did not notice whether the girl Shaw was bare-footed or not. During the school term the baths wero not patronised very much between 10 and 11 a.m. except when the teachers brought their pupils for a swim. John Stephen Shorthouse, proprietor of the Dost Offico hotel, corroborated Mrs. Hudson's statement in regard to their presence at the baths. Together with iiis wife and Mrs. Fuller ho remained in tne baths about half an hour and were the only persons there. He did not notice any children in the pane grounds atiywhere near the bath buildings nor did he see any children in the buildings. William David Neville’, waterworks engineer employed by tho Foxton Borough Council, related seeing Mrs. Dudson coming from tho baths carrying a small boy shortly after 11 a.m. Witness took the boy, laid him on the grass and commenced artificial respiration and this was kept going with assistance until the doctor arrived about half an hour later. On examination the doctor stated tnat life was extinct. “Tho boy was alive when I took him over from Mrs. Dudson as 1 saw his eyes move, but a few minutes later he appeared to have died,” said witness. ‘•During the whole of the tiroo that we worked on deceased only about a quarter of a tea-cup of saliva and water came out of his mouth.” To Mr. Bergin: He had had previous experience in artificial respiration. In addition to water and saliva which came from his mouth thefo was a quantity of grass—enough to cover half a tea-spoon. It was not possible for the child to have got the grass into his mouth while inside the bath buildings. The grass appeared to have been chewed or masticated. “I thought I could save tho child's life but I was surprised when I could not notice any air going into the body during my efforts at artificial respiration,” concluded witness.

Jean Shaw, aged five years, related seeing the unfortunate child go into the bath building and on going in soon afterwards to bring him out saw him in the water. Eric Melvyn Wyllie, medical practitioner, gave evidence that the child was dead when he arrived. Subsequently he again Inspected the body at the residence of the boy’s parents. The appearances were those of asphyxia and shock similar to the appearance in the case of drowning; although in this case the suggestions of asphyxia were less marked and those of shock more marked than was usual in drowning cases. There was a blade of grass on tho tongue. He subsequently interviewed the persons who had removed tho child from the water and attended the child shortly after. From the appearances of the body and the statements of these persons to him, it was las opinion (1) that on removal from tho water the child was alivo although dying; (2) that it was not possible that tho child had been in the water for more than two minutes; (3) that tho cause of death was shock and asphyxia following upon immersion in water. The asphyxia may have been due to water or may have been due to a blockage of the larynx by a wad of the grass with which Mr. Neville stated the mouth was full and some of which he himself saw upon tho tongue. . (4) The measures described to him as having been taken to resuscitate the child and which he observed still going on upon his arrival, were sound and skilful and had there been less shock in this case and the patient older, these would probably have saved the life.

Further evidence was tendered by Kathleen Shaw, aged 17 years, who was sent to tho park to bring the children home. When she reached tho other children who ran to meet her, slio asked where Bobby was and was told that ho was in the baths. She corroborated tho statements of previous witnesses in regard to finding the boy in the water. Constable Owen said he had examined the body of tho lad and there were no marks of violence on either tho body or the limbs.

The Coroner returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased child came to his death in the Foxton municipal baths by falling into the water death resulting from shock and asphyxia following immersion in the cold water. The Whirokino Rond.

An announcement has been made to the effect that the Main Highways Board would visit Foxton on November 23 and that the board would be pleased to confer with the Foxton Borough Council. During a council discussion on the matter it was suggested that the question of the Whirokino highway might again he taken up with the board. The town clerk (Mr. W. Trueman) mentioned that he had recently been in conversation with a Public Works engineer and that official had mentioned that the Highways Board had been considering the Whirokino question. The board already had ample data concerning the proposed deviation road around the riverbank but had asked the Manawatu County Council to supply details concerning the alternative route tailing a straight line from tho bridge to the high ground. That information had not been supplied by the council at thfe time of the conversation but possibly this was due to the fact that the council was busy with its bitumen work.

"Tags” on Council's Balance Sheet. The audited balance-sheet of the Foxton Borough Council for the year ended March 31 last was before the council at its monthly meeting, when a letter was read from the Government. Audit Office drawing attention to the following "tags" which stated:—(l) The depreciation reserve of the gasworks undertaking has not been invested with depreciation fund commissioners as required by section 49, Municipal Corporations Amendment Act, 1928; (2) the bank overdraft exceeds the limit alloweb by sections 3,(2) (e.) Local Bodies Finance' Apt. .1021-22,"The de-

partment asked to bo advised what steps the council intended to take to carry out the requirements of tho Act. The Mayor (Mr. M. E. Perreau): The “tags” are the usual ones. We have had them for years. The clerk (Mr. W. Trueman) said he had explained the “tags” at great length on previous occasions. The Act was somewhat drastic. It stipulated that the council shall not have an overdraft in excess of the revenue outstanding for any particular year. A remedy for this would be to increase the council’s revenue and that meant increased taxation.

Cr. Nyo said the council could gain nothing by doing that. Ultimately they would bo worse off.

Tho Mayor: Still it Is somewhat unfair to tho clerk to havo these “tags.” It might cause some people to think erroneously that the accounts arc not kept properly. The clerk: I am willing to put up with that rather than, see an increase in rates merely to wipe the “tag” out. Referring to the second “tag,” the clerk said it was complusory for the council to set aside a certain sum annually to meet future renewals at tho gasworks. The Act, however, provided that any such sums once appropriated, must be invested with a sinking fund commissioner. The council can fund the account and do away with one “tag” merely by writing out a cheque for the amount involved, but this would increase tho overdraft and cost the council an additional £4 or £5 a year. After some further discussion the bal-ance-sheet was adopted and the clerk was deputed to wait on the Auditor-General When In Wellington and fully discuss the 'council's position,