The Haslingden Gazette. — 1913-08-16 (Haslingden, Lancashire, England)

SUFFOCATED AND. MADE AWAY WITH.  VERDICT OF MURDER  An inquest was conducted by air. H. J. Robinson at the 'Police Station, Church, on Wednesday afternoon concerning the dead body of a female child which was found the previous day at Moss Hall Farm, Oswaldtwistle. Thos. Norris, a youth 16 years of age, who re. sides at Duckworth 'Hall, Oswakltwistle, stated that on Tuesday he was on Mos, Hall Farm, when he saw the dead body of an infant lying naked CO the top of An embankment. He went and informed the police. P.C. M`Sinley said .his attention was called to the place in question, where he -saw the body of the child. It was on the top of en embankment that sloped down to a brook. It appeared to have been dead a few days. There was a bit of rag in its mouth. It appeared to have been lifted out of the water, and placed on the embankment. Dr. Fox, who had made post-mortem examination of the child at the mortuary, stated that it weighed 7Albs. From the appearance of the body he judged it had been in water. There Now a bruise on the forehead over the right eye, which he concluded had been inflicted before 'death. It's neck and mouth were discoloured. The front Part:, of the tongue was black, and the other part white. In the mouth and throat were two pieces of twill cloth, tightly compressed. He had to pick the* out with a pair of forceps. They were sufficient to prevent its breathing. One of the pieces measured 5 inches by 3 inches, and the other three inches by one. The air passages were highly congested. The lungs had been fully inflamed, showing that the child had had a separate existence. The veins Of the heart were dilated, showing there had been difficulty of breathing. The stomach was full of air.. The cause of death was suffocation shortly after birth. The child evidently did not receive the usual attention at birth, being unwashed and uncared for. A good deal of violence had been done to the mouth and throat by cramming in the two pieces of cloth. The Coroner: MO it been medically attended at • birth?—No.  A Juryma.n: Was there anything about it to load you to believe it would not have lived with proper treatment?—Nothing at all: with fair and ordinary treatment there was no reason to believe it would have died. How old do you think it, is, reckoning from now.? —I should think it would be about a. week 'since it was born. There were signs of 'nitrification setting in in certain parts of the body. In reply to another question, the doctor said in had evidently been put into the water after death. There was no water in the lungs.  The Coroner said it was evident from the doctor's evidence that the child had been made away with, ,and was not wanted. Someone had stuffed the rags in its mouth and suffocated it. The only verdict the jury would be able to find was that the chila was murdered by some persoid or persons unknown. The jury found a verdict accordingly.  Miss Sylvia Pankhurst, who was re-arrested ,unags• the "Cat and Mouse". Aob in Whitehall on Sunday, was released from Holloway Prison on Thursday afternoon. On July 9 she was 9 sentenced to three months' imprisonment for refusing to find sureties for good behaviour.  Out of a large number of applicants, Mr. John rMuteh, of Nelson, a young man who is a cricketer of some note in the district, was on Thursday night) appointed weaving master at the Todmorden Technical School. Mr. Mutch i weaving master at Skipton Technical School.  1/441111lMllgf