INFANT'S BODY FOUND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23015, 18 April 1938, Page 8

INFANT'S BODY FOUND

SIX TO 10 MONTHS OLD NORTHERN WAIROA MYSTERY CAUSE OF DEATH UNKNOWN [BT TELEGRAPH OWN COEft ESPOND ENT] DARGAVLLLE, Sunday Peculiar circumstances which have prompted widespread police inquiries surround the discovery on Friday of the decomposed body of an infant on the bank of the Northern Wairoa River, near Chadwick s ferry slip. Preliminary inquiries were made by Sergeant F. Culloty, of Dargaville, and he was subsequently joined by Detective Miller, who arrived from Whangarei yesterday. The body was found in thick grass by Mr. Keith Warmington, a service station attendant, who was walking along the bank of the river at Aratapu. Fully clothed, the body appeared to have been on the bank for a considerable time. There was no obvious suggestion that an attempt had been made at concealment, and up to to-night the probable cause of death had not been ascertained. It is considered that the age of the child was from six to 10 months. A perplexing fact is that no reports of a missing child have been received. An inquest was opened yesterday before the district coroner, Mr. J. A. McLean, but little evidence could be tendered apart from the formal record of the circumstances of the discovery, and the hearing was adjourned sine die.