BURYING A CHILD ALIVE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1298, 3 February 1885, Page 3

BURYING A CHILD ALIVE.

A shocking case of a child having been buried alive bus come to light. The father of the child, John Lawther, a carpenter, took the infant one morning to Knock Graveyard, about two miles distant from Belfast. As he had-not a certificate of the regia!ration of death, the coffin was placed in the gravedigger’s hut. About five hours afterwards, when about to inter it, the gravedigger, a man named William Spence, heard moans, and was so frightened that he ran into Belfast and told the child’s father. The latter went out to Knock, and as the gravedigger would not inter the coffin he did so himself. Spence, who had some drink with the father, said he would not mention the matter, but subsequently told his brother-in-law, and they proceeded to the grave, raised the coffin,' unscrewed the lid, and found the infant still alive. The child, which was in the coffin at least fifteen hours, was taken to an adjoining farmer’s house, where restoratives were applied and milk was given to it. Death, however, resulted. Both the father and mother of the child, as well as the father’s mother-in-law, Mrs M’Cracken, were arrested on a cha r ge of wilful murder. They were brought before a magistrate (Mr A. D. Lennon, J.P.), and were remanded for a week.