AN INFANT'S DEATH.

NZ Truth, Issue 124, 2 November 1907, Page 5

AN INFANT'S DEATH.

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF i CONCEALMENT. Death Due to Suffocation. The Blindness of Other Women. A singular feature of girl seduction cases is the skill exhibited by the unhappy young woman m concealing all evidence of her fall from the malicious eye of a censorious world. A girl of twenty to twentytwo who is a domestic at the Arcadia Private Hotel, Wellington, succeeded m her duplicity to "an extraordinary extent. Her interesting condition was not observed by her fellow employees or other people right up to the day of her confinement, October 24, on which evening she retired at 8 p.m. A middle-aged unmarried woman was sleeping m the same room as the unfortunate girl but although the young woman exhibited distressing signs of illness during [the night, the good soul didn't suspect that the population was ahout to be increased. The distracted mother that was to be arose and walked the floor m agony for hours, until her room-mate obtained a drink of milk for her and a fellow domestic induced her to go to bed. In the morning the woman who slept next to the girl got up and went about her household duties, still ignorant of the fact that anything out of the ordinary had occurred, and m fact the discovery was not made until the arrival of the doctor at noon. According to 'Tec. Rawle, the girl made a statement that she was to be married shortly, and her confinement was unexpected and took place a month before she thought it would. She was m her usual health when she retired, but became ill during the night, and the child Was born about 3 a.m. THE QIRL LOST CONSCIOUSNESS ' after she had heard a faint cry, and when she recovered she found the child dead. The awful agony of mind and body suffered by this unfortunate girl during that horrible night can only be conjectured. According to the evidence of Drs. ti'erbert and Fyffe, at the inciuest, before Coroner Ashcrbft, the child was fully developed and almost up to the average. The umbilical cord had been broken and not cut, and there were signs of pressure as though . the cord had been tied round the neck of the child. . In the opinion of-the doctors the cause of death (for the child had breathed) was suf.focation, during the process of birth, when the mother was m a helpless condition. The doctors also believed that if medical aid or the services of a qualified nurse had been obtained the life of the child might have been saved. The Coroner asked Dr. Fyffe how long a girl should have gone m her labor before calling for assistance. The doctor replied that that was for the jury to determine. He could quite understand the state of mind created by the pains and the shame of the girl's position. Can a girl go about the house without people knowing of her condition ? Some of them are very clever. Dr. Herbert : It is quite possible.. Even the woman sleeping m the same room did not know. The Coroner : It is very t-xtia-ordinary. Annie Coffey, the obtuse lady m question, described the girl's frantic walk up and down the room and her! complaint that she couldn't lie down. The witness got really nervous about •midnight and thought of sending for a doctor, but after rousing one of the other maids and giving the patient a drink of milk and water, she dropped off to sleep. At 6.30 the newly-made mother called her to get up as usual, and she arose without suspicion and asked how the girl was. There was no evidence of anything unusual about the bed, and when the sick person replied, "Very muck better, thank you," THE EXTREMELY UNSUSPICIOUS WOMAN went out to work, but rang up Dr. Herbert and advised him to call when he was on his round. It was apparently not urgent, and the doc. didn't turn up till noon, when the first news of the illicit infant was sent abroad. The prostrated young woman sent for her sister somewhere, m the city early m the morning, but that damsel, ignorant of anything serious, didn't arrive till 1 p.m. The extreme casualness of all concerned and the entire absence of suspicion are remarkable features of this case. The Coroner (to Miss Coffey) : Did she give you no idea of what was coming ?—'None. Do you mean to say you heard no gossip or anything to suggest that she was about to have a child ?— None whateveT. ' I The Coroner : It is most extraordinary. A sister of the unfortunate girl gave negative evidence. Her sister had told her the name of the child's j father, but the Coroner refused to question her on this point. He asked the jury to discard sentiment and give consideration to the question of whether the girl was blameworthy m failing to call assistance that might have been the means of saving the child's life. The jury, however, ignored the advice, and decided firmly and briefly : "That the child breathed, and died m the process of birth."