ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 126, 30 May 1919, Page 7

ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED

A SMALL BOY'S DEATH,

An inquiry was held before Mr, F. V. •Frazor, S.M., yesterday afternoon, into the circumstances connected with the death of David William M'Cabe, a small child, who was found drowned, in three fest of water in Jacobs-place. : The mother of tho deceased said that she returned home with her son about 4.30 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon last. While she was busy in the house, the boy went to play. She subsequently missed him, but on calling his name she received no response. She found the boy floating in tho. water. Dr. Smythe pronounced life extinct. Witness' further stated that the excavation.was caus'cd by building operations, but work had ceased for about : three weeks.

In his evidence, Michael Henry M'Cabe, father of the. child, said he had taken steps to cover the hole, but the earth had crumbled away, and the covering had fallen in. He had asked the workmen not to leave the hole uncovered, but nothing had been done. William Wilson, who had a contract for excavating for a cellar at the rear of M'Cabo's fence, stated that when the work was completed there was a distance of some inches between the excavation and the fence. The.ro was no danger when the work was completed, but on visiting the locality that day he found that the soil on M'Oabe's section had fallen into tho hole.

A verdict of accidental drowning was returned. The Magistrate added that, in his opinion, the person or persons who wero responsible for the building to be erected had shown negligence in leaving a hole for nearly two weeks behind the fence of a. dwelling without first making everything secure, .;