Burying A Child Alive.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1680, 2 March 1885, Page 3

Burying A Child Alive.

A shocking case of a child having been buried alive lias coma to light. Hie father of tlie child, Julia Lawther, a carpenter, look the infant one morning to Knock Graveyard, about two miles distant from Belfast. As ho had not a certificate of the registration of death, the coffin was placed in the gravedigger's hut. About five hours afterwards, when about to inter it. the gravedigger, a man named William Spence, heard moans, and was so frightened that he ran into Belfast and told the child’s father. The latter went out to Knock, and as the gravedigger would not inter the the coffin ho did so himself. Spence, woo had tome drink with the father, said he would not mention the matter, but subsequently told his brother-in-law, and they proceeded to the grave, raised tiie coffin, unscrewed the lid, and found the infant still , alive. 1 he body, which was in the | coffin at lease fifteen hours, was | taken to an adjoining farmer’s-house, i where reaiuratives were applied and

milk wii3 given to tlu; child. Death, however, resulted. Bush the father ind mother of the child, as well as the father’s mother-in-law, Mrs M'Cracken, were arrested on a charge of wilful murder. They were all brought before a magistrate (Mr. A. D. Lennon, J. P.), and were remanded for a week.