INQUEST.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 379, 9 March 1880, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held on Saturday last, at Mr Sunckell's boarding-house, before Justi l ?. A y lm #« Es< l-' Di ßtrict Coroner, and jury (Mr NichoUs being chosen foreman) n the bod y' of Desmond Victor James, nfant son of Archibald and Mary Seaton. Mary Kate Frances Seaton deposed on oath—l am the wife of Archibald Seaton, and mother of the deceased.. The child was nine months old. I remember last Thursday, March 4; was in the camp then stationed at Pawa Bay. Deceased was living with me. The child was left sitting on the floor on the morning in question while I went out to fetch the bath, and a billy of water was left on the fireplace in the room where he had been left. Before I returned, he had crawled over to the fireplace, pulled the billy of water over him, and was scalded all over the front part of his body. No one was present at the timo but myself, but Joseph Sunckell was down at the next tent, and I carried the baby down there and sent for his father. I applied a little flour to the places, and Bent for the doctor. Dr Guthrie was away in Pigeon Bay, and Mr Chadwick came instead. He applied lint and oil, after which treatment I brought the baby into Akaroa, and the doctor attended it the same evening, and dressed its wounds. The child died at 12 o'clock the same night, Thursday, June 4 The accident occurred at 9 a.m.

Mr Thomas Bentley Chadwick, being sworn, stated—l am a chemist residing in Akaroa. On last Thursday, March 4,1 was called upon to go to Pawa Bay to see deceased. I. was told it was a bad scald, bo I took with me carbolic acid, salad oil, and cotton wool. I found nearly all the surface of the front part of the body of the child almost raw. I applied the remedies, and immediately after the application the child slept, and I left, having first advised the mother to bring it into town to the doctor. I did not see the child again till I entered this room to-day. I thought as soon as I saw the child that it would not recover from the effects. I attended only on account of the absence of the doctor.

Joseph Sunckell was unavoidably absent

The certificate of the cause of death by Dr Guthrie was produced and examined, being to the effect that the child had died from severe scalds and congestion of the lungs.

Mr Chadwick said the congestion of the lungs would bo produced from the effects of the scald.

The jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict of "Death from the effects of »a scald at Pawa Bay, caused by accident.