RECENT BURNING FATALITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2734, 17 May 1924, Page 2

RECENT BURNING FATALITY.

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. DEATH FROM SHOCK, FOLLOWING BURNS. An inquest was held before the Coroner, Mr A. J. Graham, at Palmerston N. in connection with the death at the Palmerston N. hospital on Wednesday of Alick John Stanley Smith, infant son of Air and Airs A. Smith, of Foxton, yesterday. The child, who was a year and eleven months old. passed a way after receiving injuries through falling into a fire in a neighbour's back yard. Sergeant Power represented the police. In evidence, deceased’s mother stated that the last time she saw the child alive was half-an-hour before the accident on Tuesday, at which time he was entering the neighbour’s yard through the fence with his brother aged 14, The latter u-as working in the yard. Witness next heard her sister, Airs Hartley, scream, and then appeared at the fence with the child in her arms. Upon seeing that the child was burnt, witness sent for a doctor who attended the infant fifteen minutes after the accident and ordered the child’s removal to the Palmerston N hospital. The fire which caused deceased’s injuries was an open one lit in a neighbour's back-yard. Witness’s 14-year-old sou who had earlier been with the deceased, had apparently gone round to the front ..£ the. house of the neighbour and Iho child did not follow him. In answer to the Coroner, witness staled that she knew there was a lire in her neighbour's back-yard. There was also a fire in witness’s own back yard' at the time. The child was unconscious when picked up. Some difficulty had been experienced in getting the child to Palmerston N. owing to two of the taxi-drivers approached requiring guarantee of payment. Ur. Forrest, medical superintendent at the Palmerston N. hospital, -tuto«l in evidence that when admitted to the hospital, the child was badly burnt, the. scalp and one ear being partially destroyed. He was also suffering severely from shock and died about 5.30 p.m. on the day following admission.' The cause of death was shock following burns.

Evidence was heard from Ivy_hiMma Hartley, sister of Mrs Smith, to the effect that on the Tuesday afternoon a friend in her house smelt hair burning in the back-yard and witness on going out found deceased lying left side downwards on an open fire which had been lit in the back-yard to boil water for washing purposes. Witness heard no scream at all from the child, which she at once picked up and took to his mother. She did not see the child playing in the back yard prior to the accident, but five minutes before the infant wan found in (he lire .observed his brother putting hini back through the fence into his mother's yard. The child had not been accustomed to.seeing a fire in the back yard of witness. The Coroner remarked that the deceased was probably attracted by the blaze aud went toward it. The deceased's brother must have seen the iire when lie pushed deceased back into his mother's place. Uecaiieu, LUe mother ol the infant stated that the child was accustomed to seeing fires in her back yard and was afraid of them. CORUNEItb COMMENT. liie Coroner, in returning a verdict- in accordance with the medical testimony, said that the fatality appeared to have been purely accidental. Deceased s brother had put tiie child back through the fence oho am mothei j, back yard aud gone round to the front. The child iiicii appeared to have come back on his own, and being- attracted by the- blaze, gone towards the fire aud somcnow fallen on it. it showed "nee again the need for careful super vimon over and care of young children. He commented upon the action of certain motor-car owners as mentioned in the evidence.