LITTLE GIRL’S DEATH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20958, 22 February 1930, Page 3

LITTLE GIRL’S DEATH.

STRANGLED BY WINDOW CORD. A distressing fatality occurred at Roslyn yesterday morning, when Patricia Valerie M‘Donald, aged three years, the daughter of John Bowhey M‘Donald, 60 Chapinan street, accidentally strangled “herself with a window cord. An inquest : on the body was held yesterday afternoon, Mr H.W. Bundle, S.M., sitting as coroner. Constable Excell watched the proceedings on behalf of the police. 1 Evidence of identification was given by Gwendoline Mary M'Donald, mother of > the deceased, who stated that the child was three years of age. About 10.15 a.m. she put the deceased and her sister in bed in a back room for their morning sleep, each being in a separate bed. The head of the bed\ in which witness put the deceased was against' the- window. , About" two hours later she heard the deceased’s sister calling out, and on going into the bedroom she found the deceased hanging by the neck from the window cord, which bun" down by the aide of the bed, with her feet just a few inches from the floor. Witness at once laid the child on the bed and called in Dr Strain. Dr Strain stated that in response to a telephone message, he went to 60 Chapman street, / arriving ' about 12.30 p.m. On examining the deceased, he found she was dead, and had a deep mark around her neck, which could have been caused by a cord hanging by the window. The cause of death was asphyxia caused by hanging. The coroner said, that Hie case .was a particularly distressing one, and found that dehth was due to, asphysia, caused by being accidentally strangled by a window cord. The coroner added a rider,that it was clear that the mother was in no way to blame. ! '