DEATH OF INFANT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23418, 7 August 1939, Page 10

DEATH OF INFANT

APARTMENT TRAGEDY

DISCOVERY IN BATHROOM MOTHER LATER ARRESTED The discovery of the dead body of a six-months-old male infant in the bathroom of an. apartment above a shop in Upper Svmonds Street, near Newton Road, was made early on Saturday afternoon. Deatli was apparently due to drowning, and, after an inquiry by detectives, a young married woman, the mother of the child, was arrested on a charge of murder. On. account of the mother's health, the grandmother of the child had recently arrived from Wellington to assist in the household. She returned from a walk shortly after noon on Saturday and, entering the bathroom, found the unclothed body of tho child in tlie bath, which contained several inches of water. The mother of the infant was also in the apartment, but the father was absent at the time.

Attempts at resuscitation were begun by a neighbouring chemist who was called to the apartment. His efforts were continued by a. doctor, but they proved unavailing; The death of the child was notified to tho Mount Eden police, and the premises were visited by Senior-Ser-geant Angland and Constable Emery. Subsequently, Chief-Detective S. G. Hall, Detective-Sergeant Baylis and Detective Miller were called in. The mother of the child was taken to. the central police station by Detective-Ser-geant Baylis and a police matron, and was later arrested.

A post-mortem examination of the infant was carried out yesterday at the Auckland Hospital mortuary, where an inquest will bo opened by the coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, to-day, Tho arrested woman will appear in the Police Court this morning.