ALLEGED INFANTICIDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14249, 21 December 1909, Page 5

ALLEGED INFANTICIDE.

YOUNG GIRL'S POSITION. A MANSLAUGHTERS CHARGE. [by TELEGRAPH. —own CORRESPONDENT.] Waihi, Monday. The adjourned inquest touching the death o£. the infant daughter of. Ina Runciman was continued, before the district Coroner, Mr. W. M. Wallnutt, to-day. Inspector fciely. represented the police, and Mr. W. ] M. Jackson Watched .the proceedings on behalf of the parents of . the child's .mother.. The.facts elicited when the inquest was opened were that the body of the child had been'found in an outhouse where it had been placed by the mother, a girl of between 15 and 17 years of age, who had informed her* father that sh* had placed the body where found, but had no recollection of its having been born. ~.':''• Dr. C. H. Robertson stated that he had been called to the residence . of. Mrs. Runciman to attend the girl Ina, as to whoso condition he gave evidence. On the day following ho found the body of a female child, and- on making a postmortem examination, found it fully developed. There were marks over the body, probably caused by finger-nails, and considerable bruising. Death was caused by hemorrhage. .During the post-mortem he found evidence to show that the child had lived. The mother did not inform witness that she had given birth to a child. She was very weak. ' ■".,.-'., ' Henrietta Runciman (the girl's mother) said that she had noticed nothing unusual in her daughter's condition, and the latter had not complained of any illness intil the Ist in st. Witness had been given no inkling as' to the cause of her daughter's condition. When witness found her she- made no explanation other than that she was unwell. She seemed in a dazed and unconscious state, and when she got into the house she fainted, and was practically in an unconscious. state until the doctor came. After counsel had spoken and the Coroner had summed up, the jury retired, and some 30 minutes later brought in the following verdict"That . the cause of the death of the child born to Ina Margaret Runciman was hemorrhage from wounds in the throat, and from the umbilical cord hot having been attended te, but whether or not this' occurred through want of experience, tho jury are unable to determine. The jury are of opinion that the child was- born alive." V After the verdict had been announced, the girl was charged before Mr. W. M. Wallnutt, J.P., with the murder of her child. After witnesses had been examined, the accused (represented by Mr. W. M. Jackson) reserved her defence, and was committed to the District Court at Hamilton, to stand her trial on the charge of manslaughter.