DOORSTEP AS A CRADLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 172, 20 January 1914, Page 4

DOORSTEP AS A CRADLE.

IUTIY ABANDONED. ONLY .48 HOURS' OLD. Palmerston North, January 17. On Saturday morning, Messrs. Bett and Bayly's motor garage, in King street, l'almerston North, received its earliest visitor. In more senses than one she was early—for the little lady had been hardly more than twenty-four hours in an unwelcome world, and she showed her partialit; for a luxurious lif« by taking up a position on the doorstep of the garage before 0 a.m. Mr. Thomas Weal, a resident oh , Broad street,' was pa.sing the garag« early m the whn a, uiiintivt wiy attracted his It cama from what appeared ;o be a bundle of clothes. Inside th<' bundle was a diminutive bundle of immunity—and a tragedy.

Little Miss Nobody, a well-developed wide-eyed and healthy child, was not without evidence of a mother's care. Her garments were hardly made to lit, being a portion of n woman's underclothing and a green woollen coat, both probably belonging to the mother. But in Iter doorstep cradle the baby was quite comfortable and warm, and had suffered.in no way irortruexposure. A heavy shower of rain fell at about five o'clock in the morning, and Kim? street, in common v.iih other parts of i Palmerston, received its share, but tin bundle, with its pr.-i'mis contents was quite.dry when discovered, showing that it was deposited prob.-.bly, -about six o'clock—that is, in broad daylight. The little "'not w.-,».(ed" was taken to the police staliim and handed over to the care of .Mrs. Willis, wife of the . police sergeant, imlii such time ,«.*- th« services of a nurse , -mid be obtained. I When that import; l i>t personage wa»* forthcoming, she giw expert evidence on the infant's a;;-, which, at the time of abandonment, w;<s under forty-eight hours.

No far, the police have no elne, except that furnished by the clothing, as to the chief actor in iho pathetic tragedy. It is really surprising that no one should have witness, 1 the'abandonment ol the little one, .-.n.-ing that it was carrbd out in s 0 pu! if': n spot in broad dt-ylight.