A little evacuee girl’s death at a Rushden Hostel for abnormal children was investigated by the East Northants coroner (Mr. J. C. Parker) at the Rushden Police Station on Monday afternoon. The child, Maureen Chambers, aged six, received scalds when she entered a bath after straying from her bedroom on Saturday night and died on Sunday a few minutes after the arrival of a doctor. It was stated at the inquest that her father, a plasterer’s labourer, is in the Middle East Forces. The mother arrived about halfway through the inquiry, at which the Northamptonshire County Council was represented by Mr. G. C. Godber, Deputy Clerk. The police were represented by Supt. M. H. Williams and Inspector R. E. Valentine, and P.C. Earl was the Coroner’s officer. Gladys Nora Reid, matron of the Beeches Hostel, Rushden, said the child’s home address was 46, Bates-crescent, Croydon. Aged six, the child was very naughty and liked to attract attention to herself by wandering about at night-time. Mr. Gober interposed to say that the hostel was not for normal children. Children in Bed The matron said the hostel was blacked-out at 8.15 p.m. on Saturday when the children, about 20 in number and aged from 5 to 13, settled down for the night. They occupied six bedrooms. It was at 8.15 that witness had to change the bed-linen of one of the children and take the dirty linen to the bathroom, which was on the same landing as the bedrooms. She turned the hot water tap on full, and the cold tap was running slowly. The hot water was boiling. Some Jeyes Fluid – half a small (6 oz.) bottle – was added to it. Witness said she left the linen on the floor and went downstairs for about five minutes to get an overall. When returning up the back stairs she heard a child call “Matron” and thought the voice came from the water closet near the bathroom. There was nobody in there, however, and on going into the bathroom she saw Maureen Chambers in a sitting position in the bath, which was about three-parts full of water. The child seemed to be exhausted by the heat – she was dressed in her pyjamas. Witness took her out and wrapped her up. The water was so hot that she could not have kept her hands in it. Seemed Better The child was undressed and put to bed, and then seemed much better, though the lower part of her body was very red. There were no signs of blisters. Ointment, lint and cotton wool were applied, and the child was given hot milk. Deceased did not cry or complain of pain, though she had often had screaming fits. A hot water bottle was put in the bed. The child went to sleep at 10.30 and witness visited her at intervals of half-an-hour throughout the night. At 6.45 a.m. on Sunday witness found blisters on the stomach and leg – they were not very large. The dressings were changed and the child took her breakfast – for which she asked – of milk and bread and butter. About 10 o’clock witness telephoned for Dr. Paine. The doctor was out, but a message – not an urgent one – was left for him. At 11.30 she heard that the doctor had been in but had not received the message. Asked For Dinner About that time the child asked about her dinner. Just before one o’clock there was a change in her condition – she looked cold. Witness then rang Dr. Paine urgently and told him she was worried about the child. The doctor came at once, but the child died at 1.25, about five minutes after his arrival. Witness explained that all the children were in bed at the time of the incident on Saturday night. She concluded that Maureen Chambers tried to get in the bath and slipped. The bath was two feet high. It was not the custom of the staff to sit up at night unless children were ill. The deceased child had been one of their biggest problems, and they had previously found her wandering about the bedrooms at night. Her bedroom was a long way from the bathroom. Answering Mr. Godber, witness said the child was in bed the whole of the time after the bathroom incident, and was never left alone. Doctor’s Evidence Dr. B. W. Paine, of Rushden, said he did not hold any official position at the hostel. When he arrived at 1.20 p.m. on Sunday he found the child in an advanced state of collapse. He injected into the heart, and did all he could in the short time, but she died less than five minutes from his arrival as the result of the shock from scalds. The child had been properly treated and there was nothing more that could have been done for her. The Coroner suggested that the matron might have been deceived by the child’s appearance. “That sort of thing does happen,” replied the doctor. “A thing appears trivial at first, and the delayed shock is worse than the ordinary.” Dr. D. A. McCracken, District M.O.H., handed in a psychiatrist’s report stating that the child was subject to temper tantrums as a result of emotional insecurity brought about by conditions of evacuation. The report mentioned that Maureen had a sister at the hostel and referred to the advantages that would ensue if the mother could be encouraged to see and communicate with the child. The doctor added that the child was seen from time to time by the psychiatrist after the date of the report. “Difficult” Child Mr. Godber said the County Council had seven hostels for children who could not be billeted. They attempted to get to the root of the trouble and put it right if they could. The Coroner: She was a difficult child, to put it shortly? Dr. McCracken agreed. The Coroner said he found that the child died from shock caused by the scalds, and that these were accidentally received. He was satisfied that there was no blame attached to the matron at all. It was an unfortunate thing that might have happened to any child, but particularly to this child, in view of the report of the specialist. Mr. Godber said he would like to express, on behalf of the County Council and the matron, the sympathy they felt towards the parents.