INQUEST AT LYTTELTON.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1782, 6 November 1879, Page 3

INQUEST AT LYTTELTON.

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon as the Mitre Hotel, Lyttelton, on the body of an infant named Albert Fogarty. Dr. J. W. Coward, coroner, conducted the inquest, and a jury of fourteen, of whom Mr E. 0. Brown was chosen the foreman. Thomas O’Grady, sergeant-major of police, said—Between 10 and 11 a.m. on Tuesday, in consequence of information received, he went to the house of Thomas Fogarty, at his place called Brenohley Farm. He was shown into a room by Mrs Fogarty, and on a bed was the body of the child just seen by the jury. The child had a very dirty night dress on, and was lying upon a rough dirty blanket, on its left side. He turned it over and saw the child’s cheek was black. The mother accounted for the marks on the cheek as being caused by teething. The room was in a filthy state, and the body of the child was very dirty. He looked for the baby’s feeding bottle, but couldn’t find it. He had the body removed to the morgue. The child was six months’ old, and was one of twins. Thomas Fogarty sworn, deposed—He was father of the child. At about half-past six en Tuesday morning his wife called him and told him she thought there was something the matter with the baby. She said she was going for the doctor. He jumped up, picked up the child, kissed it, and it seemed to turn its eyes round towards him as he did so. He said she had better, if the child was not dead, take it with her to the doctor. She did so. After she came back she said the doctor told her the child was dead. The child had been ill and attended by Dr. Bennetts. It had never been well since it was born ; always very weak. It was four or five weeks ago taken to Dr. Bennetts. His wife was told to go to Dr. Macdonald, but she said he was not in, so she took it to Dr. Bennetts. Up to the time it was taken to Dr. Bennetts it was suckled at the breast, but was since fed from the bottle, and took its food well. The night before (Monday) ho went to bed about 11 p.m. The baby was put at the head of the bed. He didn’t think it was in bed when he went to bed. It was found where it usually lay in their bed, beside him and his wife. Another child, the twin of the deceased, was in bed with them. He didn’t hear it cry that night. His wife said it had cried twice during the night, and she had given it the bottle. The child was better on Sunday than usual. Didn’t know whether Mrs Fogarty got any soothing powders for the Jbaby on Monday. She said she was going to get some. On Monday night after tea he saw the child fed with cornflour. His wife always fed it late at night before going to bed. Never knew his wife ill-use the child. Since the child was taken to Dr. Bennetts it seemed to have been much better. The marks on the child’s face had been on for some time, and he thought were caused by the child lying with its face on the bottle. Didn’t know of any other mark on it. Mary Ann Fogarty said she was the mother of the deceased child. The child was ill from his birth. She gave it the breast for two months, and afterwards be wouldn’t take it and was fed from the bottle. The child was taken with bronchitis about the time it refused the breast. The food given it was condensed milk in the bottle and corn flour. She took it to Dr. Bennetts for treatment for bronchitis about six weeks ago, since which she thought it was getting better. It died on Tuesday morning. Onthenightbeforeste put it to bed at 11.30. It was apparently in very good health then. It cried twice during the night. She went to bed at midnight, and got up about 6 a.m., when the child looking so very quiet and strange she thought there was something the matter with him. She called her husband and told him. The witness then corroborated her husband’s evidence about taking it to the doctor. The child, when witness awoke, was lying beside her. His face was uncovered. In the night she gave the child his bottle when he cried. Condensed milk was in it. She had given the child a part of a powder on Monday morning. It was a Steadman’s powder. The powders were purchased by her on Saturday night at Mrs Hester’s. He was always a cross baby, and didn’t sleep well at night. Never gave him anything in the shape of ohlorodyne. The mark on the child was on it at its birth. To a juror—On Monday night she and her husband were at the Seashell temperance lodge. It was ten o’clock when they got home. A woman was left in the house with the children. Julia Anthony was the woman left in charge. She and her husband were away from about twenty minutes to eight to twenty minutes to ten o’clock. She never remembered saying she wished the child was dead. If she did say it, she must have been in a temper. She treated the child as well as any other of the children. She never struck the child. Julia Anthony, sworn, deposed—Her husband’s name was Charles Anthony. They lived witn Mrs Fogarty, and occupied one room. Had been in the habit of seeing the children. The mother treated them kindly. Never saw her ill-treat it. Never heard her say she wished it were dead. Thought she was kind to it. The child was ill about seven weeks ago, and she had Dr. Bennetts. It was all right on Monday night, when witness cleaned the bottle. Witness had two children of her own. The deceased was always fretting, but be was fed on nourishing food. The same kind of food her own children had. Witness heard on Tuesday morning Mrs Fogarty say there was something the matter with Albert. Didn’t hear anything more until she returned from the doctor’s, when Mrs Fogarty said the child was dead. Mrs Fogarty goes to a Good Templar Lodge every Monday night. Witness never said Mrs Fogarty gave her child powders to keep them quiet. During Monday night witness heard the child crying, but did not hoar what Mrs Fogarty said to it. She didn’t get out of bed with the child. She never told Mrs Lewis that Mrs Fogarty said she wished the child was dead. Hadn’t spoken to Mrs Lewis for some weeks. The child was washed and dressed on Monday morning. The mother never made any difference between her children. Mrs Fogarty went out about 7 p.m. and came in about ten o’clock. Never knew Mrs Fogarty to go out and leave the child in the house alone. Never saw Mrs Fogarty in a temper —not with the children. Margaret Lewis, sworn, said said she was the wife of Stephen Lewis. She lived near to Mrs Fogarty’s—about one hundred yards distant. About a fortnight ago she went over to look at'tho child in the girl’s arms. Its face was then all sores. It locked very thin. Mrs Fogarty never used to take out this child. It was always left at home with the boys. She had heard Mrs Fogarty say she wished the children were dead. Mrs Anthony also told her so. About two months ago she used to go to the house, and the child was then given all sorts of things for food. Mrs Fogarty used to throw the child upon the bed and say anything was good enough for it. Witness and Mrs Fogarty had never quarrelled. H. Macdonald, M.D., sworn, deposed that the child was brought to him by Mrs Fogarty on Tuesday morning. He had not seen it

before. The child was almost cold, and rigidity had set in. The mother had to bring it about half a mile or more. Had since made a post-mortem examinationjof the body. On viewing it he found the child apparently dressed as it was when he saw it yesterday —in the same clothes. It had an abrasion on the left cheek, and a good deal of discoloration. When tho body was undressed he found the back of the thighs in a very abraded condition, and showed evidence of neglect. The body generally was very much emaciated. On opening the chest he found on the right side traces of inflammation. The left lung was healthy, so was the heart. Stomach was healthy , and contained about an ounce and a-half to two ounces of gruel. He attributed tho child’s death to neglect. He failed to discover any cause for the death of the child in the post-mortem. There was no appearance of disease to account for it. He could not give any reason for the death of the child hut general emaciation. The blood in the child’s body was slmost next to nothing. Dr. Macdonald said he would make an examination of the head of the child. He had not done so, but would if it was thought necessary. The Coroner said he should do so. Sergeant-Major O’Qrady ssid that after the evidence adduced, and as two witnesses had refused to attend to-day, he would osk for an adjournment. The inquest was then adjourned until tho 20th instant.