The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-02-19 00:00:00

BUDDEN DEATH OF A CHILD.

THI INSVIST.

An inquest was held at the Red Lion Inn, Rope.
square. on Wednesday afternoon, before the Deputy-
Coronerlif. Symonds, Esq.), and • jury, of whom Mr.
B. Kerridge wee foreman, to enquire into the death of
• female infant chili named Violet Penny Hole. The
body having been viewed, the following evidence was
adduced :
Cornelius Agrippa Colmer slated he wee • medical
practitioner residing at Weymouth. On the Nth of
December lest he attended Mary Willis Hole, and she
was confined that day of • twin, girls. They were
fairly developed. He attended her as a private
patient. He saw Mary Willis Hole and the children
frequently down to the sth of January. They appeared
to be properly cared for and nourished, and be saw no
reason to expect the death of either. The mother was
not • strong woman. Lost night, between seven and
ninl o'clock, Mary Willie Hole and her dieter Edith
came to his house and said the children were ill. She
'aid they hal been sick, and had suffered from slight
diarrhoea, and &eked him t atten Ito them. He told
her he did not think be had better give them any
medicine till he had seen them, and he arranged to see
them that morning; they then left. About live o'clock
that morning • messenger came to hie house in
Cobourg-plac• and left word that one of the children
was dead. He celled at the house. He saw her there
and her mother, and Edith Hole and he saw the child.
It was then dead, and lying on the sofa in
the bedroom. He made enquiries respecting
the child's death, and was told by Mary Hole that
the child had died during the ulAht, and had been
sick and had thrown up its milk. Subsequently he
made a minute examination of the child's body. He
found the body fairly nourished. She hat been dead
some house. There was • slight moisture running
from Ito eyelids, indicating • alight cold. There were
no evidences of violence, and the whole of the appear-
ances were simply the ordinary post ',torten app.'s,-
Knees. The hands were contracted, and therefor* she
might have died of convulsions. In his opinion, as
far as external marks were concerned, there were no
Indications of the death being the result of anything
but natural causes. He WM unable Costae' without a
posi modem examination what was the actual cause of
death. He had been attending Mary Hole for about
two months 0 io the date of her confinement for an
ailment from which eh* wan suffering.
A Juryman asked what wee the nature of the
complaint from which she warn enfferlog.
Dr. COIO2W objected to answer the enquiry unless
compelled to do so.
In answer to other questions. be said he saw the
other child to-day. These children were fairly
nourished, and had never been ill from the time of
birth to be knowledge. The ailment from which the
mother WM suffering before the birth of the children
was not such an ailment as would affect their health
after birth.

—"clar7iiilllit Hole stated she was a single woman,
1 and lived at Quay Dotter', Hllllane. On the 19th
I of December last she gave birth to • twin of girls.
I hit. Kerr*, asked if it was not natal to warn •
1 wittier in the position of theSone.
The Cmoner thanked Mr. for reminding
him, and told witness that al at present the
enquiry did not make it • serious matter, yet she
need got give 'silence.
Witness: My conscience in clear.
The Coroner: You are not obliged to give any evi-
dence unless you wish to.
The wits's@ said she should like to give evidenoe,
and continued that Dr. Colmer attended her at the
confinement, and frequently down to the 541 of
January. The one that died, Violet Penny Hole, was
sickly from the time of birth, It would not eat like
the other. The other was always fairly healthy.
This ono was not well now. They were both taken
oEts 11l her. They never had say medicine. She
th t they were going on well, but her mother said
elm t the little am would die. For more than
• week it had bad dreadful Douglas, They had not
been out all. That continued till the day before
=l., when
put
cough went away,
nani= waerd
pea It mimed their mobs and abostco She sad for
bet mother, but the rayed to Gam She did itol

send for Dr. Column', se she owed him money. She
fed them regularly. In the evening of the day before
yesterday she became alarmed, and thought tilt* oh"
was going to be strangled, and alto sent her younger
sister to her mothers, in West street. Her mother
wao not at home, and therefore did not come el% She
afterwards gave b:r milk, and then put her to bed.
Witness slept with it thst night. They both oriel •
great deal that night. Ti. next moraine It appeared
qoister, but was still sick. She did not like the 10
of the children, and went dove to her mother
labout lialf-pmt one, and she recommended her
to go for the doctor. In the evening she
went to Dr. (bloom with bee sister and she told
him the children WIlt• 111, and she should like him to
see them. She did not ask him to won up that night.
Ho said he should like t see them. He said
to her Do you think I had better come to.
night," and she said toenarrow will do. That was
all that passed between her and the doctor. When
she returned home Ike found this child in her little
sister's arms, and the other one In the bad. She did
not notice any change in the child. She afterwards
put It into bed and gave it the bottle, and it drank
about a quarter of • bottle of milk. Witness west to
bed with her child about twelve, and it then took the
breast • little. Her little sister slept with her.
Wittman did not remain awake all night The other
one wee sleeping with her also, and wee fretful, and
witness thought it warn the wont. The last time she
saw the Ohm one was alive it WO, on her right ane'
About three o'clock when she woks up she found her
in • cold sweat, and she wrapped it up in flannel and
put it Omer to her. It had pleat, of room to breathe.
The clothes were not over its face. Witness
woke up again about four o'clock and noticed
that the child woe all drawn. Witness took hold of
the child's hands, which mere °leached. She was
then alarmed, and screamed and woke up her sister,
and said, 'Oh, bfilly, I believe the baby's dead."
Her other Meter came op directly, and she sent the
little one for her mother. Her mother sent her for
the doctor, and came back with her sister. The
doctor, knowing it was dead, did not some then, but
came about 11. There 111111 an doubt the chili was
dead when she sent her sister for her mother. The
doctor had since seen the other child, and had attended
to it. As bar al she knew, the child had not been
improperly treated.
Milly Hole stntrd she lived with last witness at Ivy
Cottage, and another sister named Edith Hole. She
went there to look after hut witness's little boy. Last
night she slept lathe same room as her sister Merl.,
and the two little babies were there, who were both
on their mother's arm. She slept tbs whole night
Wail about lost o'clock, when her sister woke her up,
and esid the little baby was dying. When she woke
up the baby waste her sister's bands. It appeared to
be dead. Witness west for her mother, and told her
the baby was dying. Her mother sent her te the
dodor, and when she got to the doctor'e she told the
young man at the window that the child was dead.
The Coroner: Why did you tell your mother the
child wee dying and the doctor it wee deed?
Witness :So that mother should c ens up. Before
she went far her mother her sister told her the baby
waackad.

-71%-e-i:TOroteer kering gummed up. the jury returned
• verdict of "Death from Natural Cause.'