A CALLOUS MOTHER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1992, 24 February 1914, Page 6

A CALLOUS MOTHER.

HER iNFANT'S'DEAtH.

DISCLOSURES AT .IKQUEST.

(By Telegraph.—JreSS" Asseeiatio&.i Shristchufch,. february^.'.;. A dreadful state, of affairs was ■ re* yealed at an inquest.-concerning the death/of an illegitimate, child .im-tned ,Ins. Joseph. Nolan this afternoon; before Mr. H. W. Bishop, SuM,' The child died in the. house of its mother, 213 Salisbury. Street,' yesterday, and there was no medical man.in attendance. At- Vile morgue Mr, Bishop invited a reporter to look at the body. ;The-, re-;: porter did so, and..was.-, horrified at what he. saw. 'The body fras in a condition, of. emaciation and tho ■-child ■ uppaired to have. died^pi starvation. Its little amis and- legs were' no thicker than a-,roan's tJifl:mb-i,,ind the'; bones showed uhd.ei- the skiii'.' "It is a mere bag of bones," said. Sir,, Bishop, "nud indicates.a most_dreadful state of affairs; ;. l&eally,-with- : some of tho- Cases which-.-I hare- had to deal: with- lately, I. don't know what the tjitviis coming to. Tlu> mother of this child seems-to hnvci neglected ■it -from';:the vstart; I have never seen anything-like ik" Dr. f. G. -.•Westehra.-stated.that '..he had made a-post'rtvorts.m etaunihatioru Judging by appearances'-.tho age'of tho child would be about.one 'montli'. Tho mother had stated that. it'---w'as six weeks old, < -;- : - . -Mr, 'Bishop: It ; was a -miserable'--epec'i- ; raoii, anyhow.' I don't-toew. what they breed.such children for. . '>-.■- The.doctor went cm- to •say that tho body... Was attenuated-, and shrunken. Tb:eifo:wa-s a-general abseu'ee of fat in the tissues. The .cause of. death '-Was malnutrition, . ■-<■•' V .■■■ In re-jJy;to Mr,;. Bishop Dr. Wcstmn, said that the mott. comrrfon '-causo of death in such cases. ■as 'this -was im-' proper feeding. :Of course some tliil-: dreh; .could,, not. digest a nythih-g-,- Th o mother said that sho- had givei'i it-EOi>' lain -pa-tent, food,' and Afterwards barley, but neither of these-Was-a- suitable'food. ■ Mr, Bishop: .' It's--most- ■ <j-st : jaofddnary. She is not fit to be a- mother, ■ She ' does not seem ,to h«ve' taken, the' est care of .the child. She'has had three illegitimate children'. ". Mary. Ann iVokn, mtoied stated thv.t'she had : --npt -se'en .her husband for >our year's';-' and did not know Where lie-was'.. had-left lier, b'-iit they had n<it- been legally .■separated. Witness'had had fow children -. altogether. Two Were dtod, both of these being the. illegitimate- ones.; ■"> •Mr. Bishop:, It is'a funny'.thiii-g that both tli© illegitimate children are.dead. Witness: Yes, sir!'; .' Tho -other «m;o di6d in hospital frorn- whoeping-coUgh and convulsiohs.' '. ';•',■ ■■ r ■ ■" ■•

'Witness went on: to Bajr.tliat the child had b'eea delicate' sines' its birth. ; 'Sfe mentioned the patent foods. which' she had given it. , '". ... . ''' ■ Mr. Bishop: Who recommended these things to you? ~ ■'■;•"''.••■■.'".';.■ 'Wrtas's,said that a. chemist'Juttltold her that these foods 'were .good'' lor • infants. . • • ■ ■;' " 'V''.*"' Mr. jSisJiop!: It'isja .mtfs't astbhish'Mig thing that' you could'liot '/see; thai the o'luid was fading' away. .'lt is ft-a, shofek*' ing state'. • Why.'did "yo:u•' not doctor <>f soiiieOno'to give- ypn proper advice about '_ tho bivl'iy ? . Slate.'riiity seems to sit. very lightly on yoU.' WitiVwsV The child took-the kittle all right. It did not cVy Very jmuoh, Mr. Bishop: Poor little flung! 'It had not got strength to-cry. '■ ~ Witness, continuing, ' said .that she saw the hairy at midnight on Saturday, mid it seeiacd Sfte<ga.v» it a bottle of fresh milk,Jshich it toblt, and she covered it up aiidlfeft It, tli'inlsing it was sleeping. About' seven a.m, ow Sunday, when she woke-;, she saw that it was dead. .■ '■■"'.. Jilf. Bishop:. It is most as-to.uri.dvng that you did not see that it was d-yiiig. You did not tafc* notice of it. It was not right t& allow; your grandmother to look after it, A.woniallof.her ago is jwt ft proper person to hav* charge of a baby.

At ci subsequent stagey Mr. .Bishop, addressing the mother, ■ said: I. still do not'think that you imVc satisfactorily accounted for yourself in'regard to this sebockihg affair,. ' • .".--.■'/. Witness mentioned that she ''worked as a general serynpt iii A.rlh'agh Street, and earned £1 f>er w«*k.' Her grandmother was an bid- age- pensioner. ■ Mr. Bishop (to fir. Westem-ris): Jtid ing from tlio condition -of- the body> .how long do you ih.ink.it had .been, de- ■ terioratmi?-' ,~. '.'■■■- Br;. Westeftri:" The child'had sever stertijd to go ahead at all. The. mother: The baby .grew; butj't did not flit on ft-ny flesh.. .... ; Mr. Bishop: !Yttu had better .'stop-this bttsh'iess. If yoil h.av& more" cnil.Br'en and do not look-after getting into' s.eribus- 'treuble-.'-' 'If you cannot,.feed tljem'antl take-.prbpor cirreof' th'e'm' 'you should' : noi? 'feye- ■-theni, You're- not at to.'have children. This is a shocking case. .'. /"'*■■- ■ '' "The mot-'her': Yes, dr. 'I'll ■seo tllB ; t this won't 'happen 'again-'. -I-.have had' qiii-fce- ciic-ugh of it: "Mr; Bishop: Yes;' that's: all-'rigU't, but you-had tetter bb, very careful. / - The : Corbnex t'Hen ,-reco.fded «. verdict that deceased - died • f rohi nfelmitritioii.