THE SEAMY SIDE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 60, 29 July 1912, Page 5

THE SEAMY SIDE.

SHOCKING STATE OF AFFAIRS. ]. DEATH OF AN INFANT. By Telegraph— Own Corrwpoideat Wellington, Last Nigki. ' The following special from Chriitchurch is published in the Post this evening:—The death of an infant at Christ- [ ohurch, brought under the notice ol M*. H. W. Bishop, District Coroner, th« shocking affairs of a family in the city. •The infant, Leo David F. Williams, wafc about five weeks old. It weighed 51b when it was born, and was 31b when it died. The mother, according to her owa statement, kept herself and two other children on 5s a week supplied by the Charitable Aid Board. The police state iihat it is one of the worse cases of the kind that has come under their notice, and the doctor who made the post mortem examination stated that he had never seen a parallel case, except in the plagnestricken districts of India.

At the inquest, Selina Williams, th» mother, stated that she lived in Kent street. Her husband was a bottle gatkerer, and was a mental degenerate. They had lived apart since January last. Th« child was born in St. Helen's Hospital on June 18 last. Witness remained there for thirteen days, and suckled the baby up to last week, and then put it on the bottle. She gave it a dessert spoonful of milk to two dessert spoonfuls of water and a little barley. It did not seem to thrive. It weighed 51b at birth. It looked ill on Thursday, but she did not call in a doctor, as she thought it was all right. She bathed it every morning, but did not notice that it was wasting. It cried a little, but only weakly. It died at 9 a.m. On that day at 8 a.m. she noticed that it looked worse. It took a little drink at 7 ajn. It was so puny that she was afraid to even wash it. She had been assisted by the Charitable Aid Board, from which she received 4s for groceries weekly, Is for meat, and 5s for rent. That was all the help she had had for herself, her little boy (five years of age) and her little girl (18 months old). She iised to go for an occasional meal to her father, who was an old age pensioner. She did not like to complain of the small allowance from the Board for food. She thought that she would not get any more if she asked for it. Dr. De Renzi stated that he had made a post mortem examination. The body was extremely emaciated. The cause of death .was marasmus.

Constable Baird stated that the 'body weighed 31b. The house occupied by the mother consisted of four rooms. It was unfit for habitation. It was very poorly furnished, but fairly clean. He saw no food about the house. The father was mentally deranged, and only laughed when spoken to. , Mr. Bisihop returned a verdict in accordance with Dr. De Renzi's evidence.