The circumstances attending the death of the seventeen-week-old child of Charles Ernest Childs, shoehand, Factory-place, Rushden, were inquired into by Mr. J. T. Parker, coroner, on Friday evening at the Compass Inn, Rushden.

Laura Childs, the mother, said the child was born strong, and was in good health up to the previous day. He woke up that morning about two o’clock and began crying, and witness gave him a bottle of fine oatmeal boiled and mixed with water, but no milk. Before that the child had some patent food, which was sometimes mixed with water and sometimes with milk, the latter two or three time a week, as witness could not always afford milk. The child continued to cry after having the bottle, and witness called in a neighbour, who said the child was in a fit. He died in witness’s arms in less than half-an-hour. Witness had four other children, but had lost none previously.

Charles Ernest Childs, the father, gave corroborative evidence.

Sarah Ellen Underwood, a neighbour, said she often saw the deceased child, who looked pale. The other children looked so too, but grew out of it. The mother looked after the children well, but the husband was short of work. Witness was called in to see the child about 2.45 that morning. He then seemed in convulsions, and died in a short time.

Dr. Owen said he saw the child for the first time that morning, dead. He found the legs emaciated, and other parts of the body also rather emaciated. The mother told witness the same as she had the coroner as to feeding, which in his opinion was improper, for it would cause irritation of the bowls and poorness of the blood, which might result in convulsions. There was no evidence of neglect in the body.

The Coroner said it was clear that the child had not been neglected. Its parents, although extremely poor, were very clean, and he believed they had done their best for the child.