INQUEST HELD

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1932, Page 5

INQUEST HELD

DEATH OF NEWLY BORN CHILD. DISCOVERY AT WESTPORT. WESTPORT, November 19. The Coroner, Mr Fox, at the Courthouse yesterday heldi an inquest into the circumstances attending the death of the newly born male child of Mrs Franklin, North Beach. Sergeant McGlone, conducted the inquest for the police, and Mr Scully represented tire parents. The husband, Frederick Franklin, in the course of his evidence said that on the night of November 15 he left home at nine o’clock for the purpose of whitebaiting, and' on his return the following morning his wife intimated to him that she had been taken suddenly ill and gave birth to a child, in the sand outside the house. He discovered the body, which was then apparently dead!, and as he had seen no movement, he did not touch it or take any step's to recover it.' At 10 o’clock he asked a- neighbour to visit his wife.

In reply to a question by the Coroner as to whether he should have in formed the police earlier of the occurrence, witness said he did not know what to do.

Dr. Foote said he made a complete post mortem examination of the body at four o’clock. He found a quanta of sand in the stomach. The child had obviously and, in his opinion died of suffocation in the sand. The inquest was adjourned sine die.

Detective Thomas of Greymouth, is making further investigations into the matter.