GIPSY CHILD'S DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10509, 31 July 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

GIPSY CHILD'S DEATH.

EXTRAORDINARY EVIDIiNCIi. Dr, /Wynd Westcott held an inquiry at) the Hackney Coroner's Court respecting the death of Isaiah Shoesmith, the illegitimate child of a gipsy, who was drowned in the River Lea recently under singular circumstance!. Alice Shoesmith, a young girl apparently about 17 years of age, stated that she was the mother. She lived in a tent on a field near Hackney Marshes. The Coroner: How do you get a living? The Witness: I don't do nothing. The Coroner: Then how do you live ? The Witness: In a tent on the field. The Coroner: But) you are not a gipsy ? The Witness: Ain't I ? I am. The Coroner: Who keeps you The Witness: My mother. The Coroner: What does your mother do! The Witness: She don't do pothing. The Coroner: You appear to be all of one occupation. (Laughter.) Who keeps your mother} The Witness: My father, of course. The Coroner: Oh. Well, what does lie do? The Witness: He makes things for the children to Bell. Continuing, the witness said that on Saturday afternoon the child wag playing among the tent;, rambling from one to another,'when suddenly a boy ran up to her and said the baby, was in the river. The witness ran to the river and found the child had been got out, but that it was dead. The Coroner: How did the child get to the river? The Witness : He mußt have rambled there. The Coroner: But it was only 16 months old. The Witness : Oh, it used to run about when it was only nine months. The Coroner: Did it? It must have been a marvellous baby. A shaggy-headed, dirty little fellow, about 14 years old, was next called. The Coroner: What is your name? The Witness: Spare Smith. The Coroner : What ? The Witnets: Spare Smith. Who gave you that name? I dunno; I'm Spare Smith, and I live in the tents. A Juror : I suppose they christened him " Spare" because they could hare done without him. (Laughter.) The Coroner (to the witness): What do you know about this baby's death ? The Witness : I dunno. Did you tee it in the rivet' ? Yus, I see'd it, and I run and told the mother it was drowning. Didn't you try to get it out? Nil. Why didn't you? 'Cause it was in the water. (Laughter.) But why didn't you try to get it out ? I dunno. The Coroner (to the jury): He's a bright ipecimeu of humanity; but perhaps be will grow up to be a shining light, (Laughter.) James Gauibell, who described himself as a hawker, said that whilst he was washing himself in the river he heard the cries, and, running up, got the deceased out. The Coroner: Did you try to resuscitate it? The Witness: Eh? (Laughter.) The Coroner: Did you try to brine it round The Witness: Ob, yes. I held its head downwards to let the water run out. (Laughter.) How did you hold it? I copt hold of its feet and let the water run out of its mouth. (Laughter.) Dr. Alexander Wallace, of Hackney Wick, having stated that death was due to drowning, the jury returned a rerdiot of accidentally drowned. Outside the court a youth, the reputed father of the child, was asked by a coroner's officer if lie was going to bury the deceased. He ; . grinned.and said, "I ain't got nomoney; but l'« got a donkey, and I can tell lit. Yw, riltotiV v/ . : :a ...,