An inquiry was held at the police-station, Rushden, on Saturday morning, by Mr. J. Cairns Parker, Deputy Coroner, into the circumstances attending the death of the infant son of Rowland Britten, operator, of Rushden Hill. Mr. W. Bazeley was chosen foreman of the jury.

Rowland Britten, the father, identified the body, and said the child only lived 13 or 14 hours. A midwife had been engaged but no doctor. The child was not expected to be born before August. The mother was taken ill on Thursday morning, and in the afternoon Mrs. Tate, the midwife, was fetched. Deceased was the first child.

Alice Tate, certified midwife, 15, North-street, said she was engaged by Mrs. Britten to attend her in her confinement which was expected at the end of July or the beginning of August. Witness was sent for on Thursday evening shortly after seven o’clock. The child was born at about a quarter past nine, and witness formed the opinion that it was prematurely born. Witness left the child in bed with its mother at about 10.30 p.m. On Friday morning, witness washed and dressed the baby and took it upstairs again. Just after 12 o’clock witness was fetched and

She had not expected the child to die, but as it was a seven-months’ child witness thought it might have been better if she had called in the doctor. She thought the child would be all right, however.

Dr. Denys Crew, of Higham Ferrers, said he was asked to give a certificate as to the death of the deceased, but he did not do so, as he had not seen it and did not know of its existence. He had seen the body that morning and found it was that of a child prematurely born. The child had been well attended to at birth and there were no marks of violence.

In answer to the Coroner the doctor said Mrs. Tate was a very careful nurse and especially in the matter of sending for a doctor when necessary. It was quite probable that she expected the child to live, but a prematurely born child often died suddenly without apparent cause. In this case death would be caused by debility following premature birth.

The jury found that death resulted from natural causes.