LITTLE BOY DROWNED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 149, 20 July 1909, Page 4

LITTLE BOY DROWNED.

An inquest was held yesterday morning at the residence of Mrs. Jordan, in Gill street, touching the death of the little hoy George Edward Whitmore, on Saturday morning. •Mrs. Ann Jordan deposed that she was the wife of W. H. Jordan, a laborer, of New Plymouth. The deceased was her grandson, t lie son of Hilda Maud and George -Edward Whitmore. She last saw the child alive on Saturday morning, a little after ten o'clock, when he ,was playing in the front garden. She missed the child, and her mother went to look for him. Witness heard Mrs. Wliilmore's scream from down the garden, and ran to her. She found the boy lying on the edge of a pond. She did not think he was dead at the time. She carried him to the house, and kept him face down-wards supported on her knee. Mr. Billing came to help her. A doctor arrived not more than ten minutes after she took the child from the pond. Hilda Maud Whitmore, the mother Jf the child, gave evidence that she had. missed him only about ten minutes when she went to look for him, and found him lying face downwards in the water. She dragged him out, and .'.creamed for help. He was two years old on the day 'before. Dr. Blackley's evidence was to the effect that he was called to the house at about 10.15 a.m., and was there about five minutes later. When he arrived, the child was lying on a couch, stiff and cold, the pupils dilated, and tile lips blue. .There was no sign of any breathing, nor could, he feel the heart beating. Witness commenced to practise -artificial respiration, and continued for an hour and a-half without recovering any sign of life. He was of opinion that the child was dead before he was taken from the pool, and that death was due to asphyxia from his lying face downwards in the water.

A verdict was returned in accordance with the medical testimony.