LONG ECHO

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 123, 14 February 1940, Page 5

LONG ECHO

CHILD'S BODY IN DRAIN

INQUEST CONCLUDED

Concerning a case which dates back t;o October 15th of last year, which has been the subject of exhaustive investigation by the Wha l%atane Police ever since, the inquest into the death of a female infant, discovered in the Kopeopeo drai'n, was resumed and concluded before Mr G. A. Brabant, J.P., yesterday. Dr F. J. Appleby stated that lie had performed a post mortem oil the body of a female child on October 16, and described the condition •of the body. "I would say that the child more likely met its death by suffocation at a premature birth than by drowning," said witness, who added that the child had apparently been in the water for at least a month and probably for six to eight weeks. "As there were no signs of out\vard injury I would say the cause of death was suffocation at birth or by drowning but more likely at birth before being cast into the Avater. There was nothing about the body to show what caused suffocation." Police Evidence. Constable F. M. Fuller said on Sunday. October 15th he received word that the dead body of a child had been found in the drain at Piripai. He inspected the body but could not see marks of violence. In company with Detcctive-Ser-geant Waterson, of Gisborne, he had made numerous inquiries in the Whakatane district but had been unaMe to t/race the person responsible, or to find anj T trace of the parents. A verdict was returned that the cause of death was suffocation, probably drowning, and that there was no evidence to show how the bodv came to be in the drain.