WAS IT A GIRL 0E A BOY?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17634, 26 May 1919, Page 5

WAS IT A GIRL 0E A BOY?

REMARKABLE STORY OF A BIRTH.'

Seaao remarkable evidence was given, in N the City Court at Geelong a few days ago (says the Melbourne Argus) in connection - with charges of assault, and insulting words " preferred by Smart, midwife, " against Mrs Dyer, a middle-aged -woman. , Plaintiff conducted a private hospital, at which defendant's married daughter. gave" birth to a child on April 9. The young mother averred that immediately after tho birth she _ was informed by tho doctor and ' the plaintiff that her baby -was a girl. On. days they talked about the baby girl, and discussed the question "ofa suitable* name. The child was also registered as- a female, but when the young mother was ■ about to leave the hospital on Atjril ■ 24 ■■■■■"■ she was given a baby boy, 'whictL sho-was informed was her child. Defendant, tho grandmothcr_ of the child,' became very angry at this, and, according, to the evi-..\ dence, called plaintiff offensive names, and l V smacked heir faco.

Plaintiff denied that she- had told do- ' fendantfs daughter that the latter's baby " a girl, but she could not explain why, in'her declaration before the registrar, she had described the cUiH as'a female. The doctor also swore that he was under the impression that the baby in question was~a girl, and on the information of the rmdrrife he had filled in uie registration form to the effect that tho child was a female. * The bench did not haw to decide the question as to whether Mrs Dyer's daughter had received her own baby_ or that of <my other woman—there were eight otl»r births in the institution during tho same period but it had to determine -whether tho charges ! of assault* and insulting words had hrjen sustained. It considered that they had, tind on cadi charge Mrs Dyer was fined ±)1.