THE COOPER TRIAL

Wairarapa Age, 17 May 1923, Page 5

THE COOPER TRIAL

MEDICAL EVIDENCE GIVEN. THE POST MORTEM. (Press Association—Copyright.) Medical evidence occupied the greater -part of yesterday in the Supremo Court. THE INFANT’S BODY. ‘ Dr. B. E. Wright proceeded to detail the findings of Dr. Hector and himself, as a result of the examination of the body. The child, said witness, had lived at least five days. The injury to the knee had been done either before Gi after death, but it had not been done during the exhumation of the body. The opening in the abdominal

wall also suggested violent treatment either before or after death, and witr.es was that it was not due to anything that occurred during exhumation. The actual cause of death was not ascertainable, but there was conclusive evidence that the child had lived.

Mr Macassey: In your opinion what would be the age of the child? —Anything from five days to fortnight. How long do you think the body had been underground? — About two •I’on ths, possibly. It had dark hair?—Yes.

Arc you sure no injury was done io the body during the removal from the grave?—Yes.

And that no injury was done during the digging for the body?—No injury was done then.

It may have been done during the burial of the child?—Yes.

Mr Treadwell: Did you say in the Lower Court that the child had black hair® —I don/t know. Would it have been correct i£ you had said so?—Yes.

At the end of eight days you would expert the lungs of a newly-born baby t® be fully expanded?—Yes. Do you agree with Dr. Hector when he says: “It is not safe to say that it was not in the ground for four or five months?” —One cannot say definitely how long the body had been there. I must stick definitely to my estimate. Mr Wilford: Did you try and find out the cause of the death of this child?—Yes.

Did you fail utterly to find out the cause of death? —We did. Dr. Charles Monro Hector was the next witness. Mr Treadwell: You can’t estimate the age of a child by its weight?—No. Or its length?—You might get some idea. Further medical evidence was to the effect that no traces of poison were found. Police officers testified to interviews with accused. Mrs Cooper replied that »hc had nothing to say, and Cooper said it was impossible for him to produce the child while he was in custody. Both denied guilt. The injuries were not caused by using a spade. One officer said Cooper practically insinuated •hat a man named Lupi was responsible. Hugo Lupi, fisherman, was called and deposed that he knew nothing about the child and never buried it. — P.A.)