LILY POND TRAGEDY

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19663, 24 August 1935, Page 14 (Supplement)

LILY POND TRAGEDY

How a mother's instinctive fear for i her missing baby proved only too well I founded was revealed when the de-puty-coroner at Ascot, England, Mr A. Nace, investigated a tragedy discovered in a lily pond. The victim of it was Alartin James Valentine Alunster, -aged 17 months, the young son of the Count and Countess Paul Alunster, -of Birch Common, Ascot. " The pool wherein he was found dead by ills mother is a shallow one in the grounds of the summer home of the count and countess. Not many minutes before the child had been playing happily by his mother’s side in her bedroom. She never saw him alive again after she went to answer a call on the telephone. When the tragedy was discovered the count was away at Le Touquet. He heard of his son’s death some time afterwards while he was golfing. A Dramatic Incident. A dramatic incident during ihe inquest, which was held in the diningroom at Birch Common, recalled in vivid fashion circumstances connected with the tragedy. The countess was telling the coroner how she was called to the telephone while the . child was playing, when the bell of the ’phone in the room where the inquest was being held rang suddenly. The proceedings were delayed for a few moments while the call was answered. The ' child's nurse, Alias Evelyn Margaret Stevens, told the coroner, “I have had charge of Alartin since he was a month old. “ I had him in the nursery when his mother came in and took him out lo see his granny. “ I went on with my work, aud about twenty minutes later went to Countess Alimsfer, who was at breakfast, and asked her where Alartin was. “ She replied, 1 1 thought lie. was’ with you.’ “Then she sprang up and ran out lo the ornamental pond in the garden. “ I and some visitors to the bouse followed her, and I heard Countess Alunster scream, ‘Jle is in the pond.’ “I did not see Martin in the water,”, added Aliss Stevens. “I went down afterwards. “ Peter Alartin’s four-year-old brother —was with me, and the countess I old me- io take him back inlo Iho house at once. “When I returned lo the pond Alar- :

Countess Finds Baby Son Drowned. Dramatic Incident at Inquest.

tin’s grandmother had started artifi- ■ cial respiration." Countess Alunster, who said her full name was Margaret Edith Helen Alunster, stated, “ I fetched .Martin out of ills night nursery where he was playing in his pen, and took him inlo j my bedroom. “He played there while I was dressing, anil then I was called to the tele- I phone. , ' j “ I remember seeing him at the top 1 of the stairs, and I think he followed me down. “After my telephone conversation I went upstairs and finished dressing. “ l Saw Martin Playing.” “ From my bedroom window I saw Alartin playing in the garden. “ It was while I was having breakfast on the verandah that his nurse asked me where he was. “I jumped up and ran round the corner to the part of the garden where the pool is and found him in the water. “ i pulled him out. and then someone else took him from me while I telephoned for a doctor." Dr. George Stiven Halley, of New Alile House, Ascot, told how he was called to find the child on the lawn being given artificial respiration. This was continued, he was put Into •hot blankets, given injections of strychnine, and an injection of adrenalin into the heart. These attempts to revive the child failed. The cause -of death was aphyxiation from drowning. The coroner stated that in accordance with the medical evidence he would record a verdict of “ Accidental death.” The wedding of Count Paul Alunster, son of the late Prince Alexander Alunster, who was at one time German Ambassador in Paris, and Aliss Ward, daughter of the Hon. Cyril and Mrs Ward and a cousin of Lord Dudley, took place In 1929. Aliss Ward defied superstition by fixing ibe wedding for a Friday and wearing a green frock at the pre-wed-ding reception. Owing to the illness of the bridegroom the ceremony was postponed ■ for a few days. The ceremony was actually per- j formed on a Tuesday. j On the day before, the Hon. Jeremy j Ward, the seven-year-old son of Vis- ( count Ednarh, now Lord Dudley, was I killed when the miniature cycle he jj was riding was in collision with a £ motor-lorry in Chelsea. |