An inquest was held at the Unicorn Inn, Rushden on Friday by the deputy coroner (Mr. J. C. Parker) touching the death of a child, Stanley William Clark, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Clark, of Essex-road, Rushden. The jury were Messrs. H. H. Hobbs (foreman), H. Bates, B. Vorley, A. Scholes, F. Newberry, T. Kent, J. Litchfield, H. Miller, H. Nind, W. Lockie, F. Wilkins, and F. Tassell.

The Coroner stated that the mother of the child got up that morning leaving the infant in bed. She went back later to see how it was getting on and found it dead. He thought it probable that after they had heard the doctor’s evidence they would come to the conclusion that the child met its death through suffocation.

Mother’s Evidence

Rose Clark, wife of John William Clark, clicker, 6, Essex-road, said: The body viewed by the jury is that of my son, Stanley Wm. Clark, six weeks old. I got up this morning just before 7 a.m. when the child was all right. I fed him and left him in bed. He was then lying on his left side with his head just off the pillow. He went to sleep before I went downstairs. I went up again at about 8.15 a.m. I then found that he had turned a little on his face, and had been very sick. I turned him to take him up, and ran downstairs to fetch a neighbour, and she fetched Nurse Hartwell. I scarcely knew whether he was dead or not when I turned him over, although I knew there was something wrong. I could have heard him downstairs if he had cried, but I did not hear him cry. He was a strong child and could cry pretty lustily. He had never been ill before and was quite in his usual health this morning when I went down.

Nurse Kate Hartwell said: I am a private nurse and at 8.30 this morning I was asked to go and see the child. I went immediately, and found the baby lying on his side, quite dead. He had been

Very Sick.

I sent for the doctor. The child had been moved before the doctor saw him. His fists were clenched and he was quite warm. The clothes did not appear as if they had been disturbed much. The previous evening I saw the child and he was then in his usual health, and appeared well cared for. I thought what a fine healthy baby he was.

Dr. Owen said: This morning at about 9.45 I saw the child. From the mother’s statement and from what I saw, the child had been very sick with his face downwards. I came to the conclusion that the child had been suffocated during vomiting. There was a slight mark across the bridge of the nose which made it appear is if it had been caused by the child lying on its face. The parents are very respectable people. The child had been dead about one hour when I saw it. It was too young to move or cry out.

The jury returned a verdict that the child was accidentally suffocated.

Much sympathy is felt for the parents in their sad trouble.