AN INFANT'S DEATH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 410, 14 July 1908, Page 3

AN INFANT'S DEATH.

The circumstances surrounding the death of Robert- Marsdeu Baines, the year-old child of Daniel James Marsden Baines, wharf labourer, living at Heathcote, were investigated on Friday, at Christchurch, by Mr Bishop, Coroner.

The first witness was a young woman named Annie Courtney, who stated that she was living at Baines’ house to look after his children in the absence of Mrs Baines. On Wednesday night, witness and her sister Maud (aged 17) and Lucy Reilly (aged 18) slept in a double bed with three children. Witness with the deceased and another child, aged 6 years, slept at one end of the bed, and Lucy Reilly, her child and Maud Courtney slept at the other end. There were only two beds in the house, and the second was occupied by Baines and three children. Witness did not have the baby in her arms. It lay alongside her. The mother had been away for a week, but she ordinarily lived at Heathcote. The deceased baby had a bad chest, and used to cough badly. On Wednesday Baines brought home two bottles of whiskey. W itness and the two other girls had two glasses each, but it had no effect on them. They had the drink early in the evening, and were sober when they went to bed.

Dr Irving, who had made a post mortem examination, said that the body was that of a well developed healthy male child. He thought that death was due to suffocation. He could find no other possible reason for death unless the child had had a fit. Sleeping under the conditions described would probably cause asphyxiation. Further evidence was heard, and the jury returned a verdict that the death of deceased was caused by accidental suffocation, and added a rider that in their opinion, the bed was overcrowded.