A STRANGE AFFAIR.

Evening Star, Issue 3750, 1 March 1875, Page 3

A STRANGE AFFAIR.

An inquest was held before Mr W. L. Simpson, coroner, on the 22nd inst., at Blacks, on the body of the infant child of Mr S. Leask Ihe inquiry was held in consequence of Dr Niven intimating to the Police his suspicions of 1, a y* -The evidence wont to show that the child was bora on the 12th inst., Mrs M lutosh acting as nurse. Dr Niven was subsequently called in, and expressed his satisfaction with the nurse. On the 19th inst. the child appeared to catch cold, and Dr Niven was a S ai u called in (< and he treated the child until the 21st when it died. The nurse was in attendance all the time, and Dr Niven expressed ms satisfaction with the nurse to Mr Leask, and said all had been done that could. Subsequently to death spots came out on the body of the child, whereupon Dr Niven went to the Police and expressed his suspicions. Dr Niven in his evidence said that the child should have died of bronchitis, but from the appearance of the spots he suspected foul play by the nurse, because she had expressed herself against the mother, but what she had so id, or when or where she had saidgit, he could not say ; and, further, because in his experience he had known nurses to have killed children. He had no differerence with Mrs MTutosh, but Mrs MTntosh appeared to have with him. Other evidence was taken, female witnesses in particular being of opinion that Dr Niven was not sober during the 19th and 20th inst. Dr Allan, resident surgeon of the 1 mnstan District Hospital, who made a post fnovtcm examination, stated in his evidence that death was caused by inflammation of the lungs, or bronchitis, and explained that the marks described by witnesses, which appeared on the body of the child after death as natural, and that he had found.no marks on the body of the child except a lividity behind the neck and ears, which was to be expected. The jury returned a verdict of death from bronchitis in a natural way, and in a rider stated that Dr Niven had no grounds for expressing his suspicions of Mrs MTntosh, the nurse.—* Dunstan Times.’