A CHILD'S DEATH

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10293, 30 May 1919, Page 2

A CHILD'S DEATH

OPINION OF THB CORONEK,

An inquest was held yesterday afternoon by iUr F. V. Jbraser, S.IYL., concerning tho circumstances ■' surrounding the death of a child named David William McOabe, son of Michael iieniy AlcCabe., a waterside worker. The deceased, who was nearly three years ol age, was drowned in an excavation wnich contained about 3ft of water in Jacob's place, off Holland street. The mother of deceased said that she returned homo with her son about 4 i«J o'clock on Wednesday evening. Ihe boy removed his coat, shoes, and socks, and while witness was preparing her husband's tea tho child wenD out to piay. On missing the boy, witness called his name, and as he did not answer sun went to search for him. l<rom tho backyard of her home she saw the boy floating in the watei, and jumped in to his rescue. The water was about 3ft deep and was a menace to the neighbourhood. An endeavour was made to restore the boy, but without avail, and when Dr. Smythe arrived he pronounced life to be extinct. The hole was caused by building operations that were in progress, but work had ceased for about uhree weeka. Th« father of deceased said the excavation was about Htft from his back door. The hole, was about Bii. deep, trimmed straight on witness's side, and the top of the bank had crumbled by tifie uction of the weather to such an extent that a grown person could lull into the hole between tne fence and his section, Witness had placed timber ■over'"the''opening .to protect children from 'falling, into the hole but the earth crumbled away and tho timber fell through. Prior to the workmen leaving he asked one of them no't to leave the place in the condition it,then was in, but nothing was done, and it became more dangerouß as time went on ... , William Wilson, contractor, said he had a contract for excavating for a cellar at the rear of McCabo's fence. When the work was completed there was, he r 'thought/ a "distance, of some inches between the excavation and the fence - The contract was completed about three weeks ago. He could not understand the soil, crumbling, as no slips had taken place and the ground was of a tightly-packed gravel formation There was no danger when the work was completed, but on visiting tho locality that day he found that the son on McCabo's section had fallen, into the hole, leaving a space" between it and the fence. ■■••■- ■ A verdict was returned that the deceased was accidentally drowned. The magistrate added that, m his opinion, the person or persons who were responsible for the building, to bo erected, had displayed negligence in leaving a holo for over two weeks behind the fence ol a dwelling-house without first making everything secure.