UNWANTED CHILDREN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3833, 30 August 1927, Page 82

UNWANTED CHILDREN.

INFANT’S SKULL FRACTURED.

POLICE INQUIRIES FRUITLESS.

On XX T ednesday, August 3, the dead body a „y* ew U’b°rn male child yvas found on the Town Belt near Montecillo, between Steep street and Fglinton road. An inquest yvas opened on the following day, and was adjourned to alloyv the police to make investigations. On Wednesday morning the inquest yvas resumed before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, coroner. Chief Detective Cameron appeared for the police. Acting Detective Allsopp gave evidence as to the inquiries made by the police, lhe body, he said, yvas found in the grass, close to a clump of gorse and broom. It yvas found by a man who yvas working yvith others, clearing away the gorse and other growth. On the' head there yvas a wound, yvith blood about it. Careful search yvas made in the vicinity for articles of clothing or the like, but nothing yvas found. Inquiry had been made at houses within a considerable radius of the spot yvhere the body was found, and also from doctors, maternity nurses, and hospitals, but so far no information had been found to lead to the identity of the mother of the child. lhe evidence of Dr Drennan, pathologist at the Otago University, yvas conclusive as to the cause of death. The witness said that on August 4, in company yvith Dr Evans, he examined the bodv at the city Morgue. The bodv, which yvas fully matured, weighed 61b. The child had breathed. There were no marks of injury on the neck, but at the back of the head there yvas a small punctured yvound. There yvere also extensive fractures of the head bones, through yvhich brain matter yvas exuding. Death had been caused by external violence to the head, causing a fracture of the skull. Chief Detective Cameron: Do vou consider that the fracture took place before death ?

Dr Drennan : It seems to me there is no doubt that the fracture caused death. lhe Coroner: Could you express any opinion as to when birth bad probablytaken place?

D r Drennan: There yvas a slight postmortem change, and it might"have been anything from a yveek to several yveeks. There had been three weeks of cold yyeather, and it might have happened any time within that period. In answer to another question, Dr Drennan said there yvas no indication that any attention had been given to the child. The Coroner said that the exhaustive inquiries made by the police had so far been without result. He yvould record a formal verdict that the child was born alive at the end of July or the beginning of August, and that it yvas killed bv external violence, causing a fracture of the skull, by some unknown person. BODY FOUND ON RIVER BANK. CHRISTCHURCH. August 24. An inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of a neyv-born female child, yvhich was found on the river bank at Dallington on Monday last, was opened by the Coroner, Mr H. P. L?wry, S.M., today, and after evidence had been heard it adjourned sine die to enable the police to discover any further information as to the parents of the child.

Evidence was given as to the finding of the body wrapped in a piece of cloth and brown paper bags. The face and neck yvere torn and mutilated as though eaten by some animal. The skin around the injured ]x>rtion of the body had the appearance of having been cleanly cut. The evidence of Dr Pearson, pathologist at the Christchurch Hospital, who conducted a post-mortem examination, yvas that the state of the blood vessels yvould indicate that death had not resulted from hemorrhage such as might be caused by the yvounj in the neck. Considering the circumstances, he was of the opinion that death was due to heart failure through neglect at birth and exposure. The child had lived for some minutes at least, but had not been fed. He did not think that the body had been exposed long. The condition of the lungs did not indicate that death had resulted from smothering or suffocation.