LITTLE BOY’S DEATH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12670, 18 June 1919, Page 8

LITTLE BOY’S DEATH.

SINGULAR CASE AT AUCKLAND. [Fee Press Association,] AUCKLAND, June 17. The circumstances of the death of a. hoy, Trevor Calder, aged seven and a half years, who was missed from Ida homo for five days, and died in Auckland Hospital on .Monday from tetanus and heart failure, formed the subject of an inquest bv Mr J. E. Wilson, S.M. Angus Calder, tramcar examiner, said his wife was dead, and a housekeeper was iii charge of the'house. He had a family of three boys and one girl, deceased being,the youngest child. When; witness, whose work Kept him away at ilights, arrived home on Sunday, June I, he wag told that Trevor had got into mischief aud : had been away lor fear of being _ punished. He looked all round the district with his other two boys, but could find no trace of him. He reported the matter to the police on Wednesday. The Coroner; ■ Did yon search in the meantime? , IV it ness: I looked round each night hncl morning, and made a house canvass. ■ Witness said the boy had run away once before. The Coroner: Why should tho boy run away ? I see by the police file hero you state that you used to thrash him, bur could not make him cry, and you then decided to dip him in cold water, and xhat this did more good than thrashing. Witness: i cs. It had more effect. j How often had you done this? 'Twice- I cannot say when I last did it I lie boy did not like those cold baths?' —No. How long did you keep him in them ? —No time. I just dipped him in and out again. He was a good boy and there was only one thing I had to punish him forDr Gould, house surgeon at tho hospital, said that when the boy was admitted his feet were severely frostbitten and there were several superficial sores on theni, due to the breaking of, the skin. He was in a very weak state. The condition of tho feet gradually improved, hut they were very septw. On June 13 tho boy complained of a little stiffness of the knee. Tetanus commenced to make its appearance and the patient became steadily worse- The cause of death was tetanus and heart failure, aggravated by the septic condition of the feob and the boy’s low bodily health, The Coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence. He added that he did not propose to make it part of his finding, hut iti vr em re'ij° k' m Punishment such as Mr Calder was accustomed to inflict HP Ibe child was not a proper thing. J he child was apparently not amenable to ordinary punishment, but it was no good frightening him by extraordinary punishments.