The Dewsbury Chronicle, and West Riding Advertiser. — 1882-06-24 (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England)

SHOCKING DISCOVERY AT BLACK MOORFOOT.  VERDICT OF "WILFUL MURDER." On Tuesday evening an inquest was held at the Travellers' Inn, Blaokmoorfoot, before Mr. W. Barstow, coroner, touching the death of a newly-born male child, which was found in the Huddersfield Corporation Reservoir at Blackmoorfoot, under circumstances detailed in the following evidence. Mr. Lockwood was elected foreman of the jury. Mr. A. H. Owen, the deputy town clerk, was present on behalf of the Corporation. Mr. Stanway, the resident engineer for the reservoir, and Mr. Goodall, the superintendent of the county constabulary for this division. were Mae) present. John Ephraim Brown, chemist, of Meltham, deposed that he was walking, in company with a friend, along the highroad which runs beside the Huddersfield Corporation Reservoir about 11-40 a.m. on Sunday, when they noticed a parcel floating on the top of the water near the edge. They immediately jumped over the hedge on to the bank of the reservoir, and his friend polled the parcel to the Bide with a walking stick. On untying the wrappers, via., some linen cloths and a piece of harden, they found it to contain the body of a child, which they placed on the side, and went to inform Mr. Stanway, who took charge of the body and in turn informed the police authorities. Arthur Hirst, schoolmaster, of Meltham Mille, who was in company with the last witness, corroborated this statement, and added, in answer to the coroner, Mr. Goodall, and jurymen, that the body appeared to have been in the water some time. It was very much discoloured about the neck, his first impression being that it had been strangled. He did not think that any instrument had been used to it. The cause of the damage to the skull was that when he got hold of the parcel, before he knew what it was, the skull seemed to give way. Wm. Robert Erson, surgeon, of Lindley, said that on the previous afternoon he made a post-mortem examination of the body of the deceased child, which appeared to ba a fatly developed one. It was in a most advanced state of decomposition, but there were no marks of injury on the surface of the body and none of the bones were fractured. The lungs had a frothy appearance. and he found on putting them to the test that the child most have breathed after birth. The umbilical cord was about one foot in length and had not been tied. The end of it gave the appearance of having been torn asunder instead of being cut. The stomach did not contain any food and only a small quantity of liquid. He was of opinion that the child was born alive and that the cause of death was drowning. The body appeared to have been in the water about three weeks and to have been placed there soon after its birth. In answer to several questioners the witness said he was of opinion that it would be possible for a strong woman, who had been delivered of a child, to wrap it up and perhaps convey it a mile or so and throw it into the water. Cases had been known of women walking a distance like that directly after child-birth. Mr. Stanway, in answer to a question by Mr. Goodall, said that the body might have been carried down one of the conduits of the reservoir if a flood had been on, but he did not think it was possible for that to happen if the conduit was in its normal condition. There was a flood on on the previous Wednesday week. The Cermet having summed up, the jury found "That the child was discovered dead in the Huddersfield Corporation Reservoir at Blackmoorfoot, and that the cause of death was drowning ;" and also returned a verdict of "Wilful murder against come person or persons unknown."