AN OVERCROWDED BED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 173, 13 July 1908, Page 4

AN OVERCROWDED BED.

SUFFOCATION* OF A ClilLO. COIIOXEK'S INQUIKY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Saturday. The circumstances surrounding the death of Hubert Marsden Haines, tuu year-old child of Daniel James Marsden Baines, wharf laborer, living at Jleatneote, were investigated this morning by Mr. 11. W. Bishop, coroner, and a jury. Tlie lirst witness was a young woman named Annie Courtney, who staled that she was living at Baines' house to look after his children in the absence of Mrs. Barnes, On Wednesday nigtit witness and her sister Maude (aged 17) and Luey lieilly (aged 18) slept in a double bed with three children. Witness with the deceased and another child aged six years slept at one end of the bed, and tucy Keilly, her child, and Maud Courtney, slept at the other end. There were only two beds in the house, and the second was "occupied hy Bairns and three children. Witness did not have the baby in her arms. it lay alongside her. The bedclothes were not completely over it, and in the morning ita anus were outside the blankets. The mother had been away for a week, but she ordinarily lived at HeathcQte. The deceased baby had a bad chest and coughed badly. On Wednesday Baines brought home two bottles of beer. Witness and the other two girls had two glasses each., but it had no eH'eut on them. They had the drink early in the evening, and were s'obcr when they went to bed.

I)r. Irving, who made the post mortem, said tluit the body was that of a well-developed, healthy male child. He thought that death was due to suffocation. He could iiud no other possible reason for death unless tho 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 over-crowded.