DEATH OF BABIES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 93, 6 May 1937, Page 5

DEATH OF BABIES

-Presa Asin.-

Parents Face Charge Of Manslaughter REASONS FOR DESERTION

(By Telcgraph-

-Copyright.)

(Received 6, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 5. At the Qld Bailey the case in which a married couple, Percy an'd Lilian Davis, were cbargqd with the manslaughter of their two baby sons aged three years and 19 months respectively, was resumed. They pleaded not- guilty. The cage for the progecution is that the defendants quarrelled on March 5. The hushand took lodgings qn March C and the wife called at her sister's home, where she gtayed until she was arrested on March 18, Lilian Davis said that she left her husband because he was paying attention to another woman. She put the children to bed before her departure and left a note telling her husband where she had gone, The children weye found dead on March 18. They had been withQut food for 12 days. Death was due tq exhausfion after starvation — probably eight days after their deserticn. The Judge ruled that there was evidence for the jury. Percy Davis swore that he had not the remotest idea that nobody was looking after' the children. He left home because his wife had not a clean shirt for him- He found the bodies when he went home to get his uniform for a territprial paTftdq. His wife gave evidence that she djd not realise he was permanently iqgving home. The case was adjqurned.