The Charred Body of a Fullydeveloped Infant found in Mr Bartholomew's Destructor.

Manawatu Herald, 3 June 1897, Page 2

The Charred Body of a Fullydeveloped Infant found in Mr Bartholomew's Destructor.

» ..■■» Quite a sensation was caused in Levin and Weraroa to-day when it was reported that the remains ot an infant child had been found in Mr Bartholomew's destructor at his sawmill this morning. On oar representative visiting the scene he found that the report was true and from the information he gathered at the mill it appears that the body was found at about half.past seven this morning by one of the lads employed at the mill, named George Melton, while he was engaged removing the ashes from the destructor. He first noticed it amongst some ashes on the shovel he was using and was astonished on seeing, as he conoluded it to be at the mo* ment, "suoh a big rat," but on closer observation he found it to be something different, and calling another lad named Fred James they were both after closer examination, horrified to find that it was the remains of a child, and at once spread the nows amongst the other em" ployees at the mill. The remains were removed to the upstair part of the mill, and a messenger was despatched to apprise Constable O'Connor of what had taken place. Although the body is much shrivelled and blackened with the fire there is no difficulty in recognising it as that of a fully-daveloped newly-born infant. As a big fire had been kept going in the destructor all day yes- j terday it if evident that the body was put in last night sometime when the fire had almost burned out, for had it been placed there before it would most surely have been totally consumed by, the flames. Mr Ivor James is employed as night watoh» man and was on duty as usual last night, but as his time is very much occupied in other parts of the mill away from the destructor it is a veryl easy matter for any person to visit it unobserved by him. In order to relieve the publio mind of any suspicion of foul play we might state that we have excellent reason for thinking that the child was stillborn and was oast into the furnace^ more out of ignoranoe than of any sinister design. The remains have sinoe been removed by Constable O'Connor to the Weraroa Hotel, where they will re main until a Coroner's inquest ii held, and which, no doubt, will unravel the whole mystery at present surrounding the case.—Levin Exprtst.