CONCEALMENT OF BIRTH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 462, 22 March 1909, Page 6

CONCEALMENT OF BIRTH.

_♦ AT KARORI.

An adjourned, inquest was resumed on Saturday, before.Dr. A. M'Arthur, coroner, touching the death of a newly-born infant, whoso body was found in a tin trunk-in a private residence at Karori,. where Kathleen Holmes, tho mother,: Vas employed as a domestic servant, Chief-Detectivo Broherg watched tho proceedings. on behalf of the police. Dr. Kington I'yffe, who conducted the postmortem examinatioj) gavo evidence to the effect that the body was that of a fully developed female child, which had lived. No cause for death, could be given; The child; might have been-feeble and weak, though, had it been looked after, properly, it might have survived. . There were some marks', .on ;the head which may have been caused at.birlh. ' 'Annie- Emily Dickerson, wife of Clifton Henry Dickerson, stated that the girl Kathleen Holmes had been in her employ for about six weeks as a domestic servant. Witness left the house in charge of her married sister and went to Wanganui two days before the child was born. Clifton Henry : Dickerson, warehouseman, residing at Karori; said that about 6.45 on tho morning of February 26, he was in the bathroom next to the. girl's room, and he heard a sound like moaning. He went out and asked his sister-in-law to see if there was anything wrong in the girl's room. The sister-in-law came out and said that the girl was evidently ill, so witness immediately went to ; town' for a dootor. Dr. Hislop went out to Karori,.and at a quarter-past 10 telephoned to witness at his office, in consequence of which witness communicated with the police. ' Evidence was given by Detective Lewis as to the finding of the child's body in a tin trunk. The coroner found a verdict that the deceased infant was the child of Kathleen Holmes. It had died immediately after birth, whether through any fault of the mother or not, ho could not say, but she had concealed its birth by placing the body in a tin trunk. Kathleen Holmes was then charged with endeavouring to conceal the birth of her infant and was remanded till Wednesday, when she will probably bo sent to the Salvation Army Home.