An inquest was held on Saturday afternoon at the Oakley Inn, Rushden, by Mr. J. T. Parker, touching the death of Susan Hatfield, aged three weeks, the daughter of Charles Hatfield, shoe finisher, Glassbrook-road, Rushden.  Mr. C. Cross was foreman of the jury.

  Mrs. Hatfield, mother of the deceased, said: Yesterday the child was in its usual health.  I had been sitting up with another child who is ill, and took deceased into my bed about 2 a.m.  About 5.30 the deceased was all right.  I dropped off to sleep again, being very tired, and about eight o’clock, when I awoke, I saw a dark place on the side of the baby’s face.  I thought she was dead.  I picked her up and rubbed her, and my husband, who was lying on the bed partly dressed (having been nursing the other child), at once called his sister, Mrs. Francis, who lives near, and then ran for Dr. Bromilow.  The doctor, who came at once, thought the child was not quite dead, and applied artificial respiration, but he could not bring the child round.

  Charles Hatfield deposed: I was sitting up last night with another child who was ill.  It was the sixth night in succession I had sat up, and my wife thought she would relieve me as far as she could.  About 5.40 a.m. I went and laid down on the bed, partly dressed.  About eight o’clock my wife called me in alarm and said she thought the baby was dead.  I at once called my sister, and then went for the doctor.

  Mrs. Francis, sister of the last witness, said that when she went to her brother’s she thought the baby was not quite dead, and she rubbed it and tried to get it round.

  Dr. Bromilow said: I have known the child from its birth.  It was fairly strong.  I was called this morning by the father, who said he thought the baby was dead.  When I saw it, it was not quite dead, though there were the ordinary signs of suffocation of the face.  I tried artificial respiration for a considerable time, and I got the child to breathe two or three times, but it was not a success in the end.  The mother doubtless went to bed perfectly exhausted.  She and the husband were very good parents to the children.

  The jury returned a verdict of “Accidentally suffocated,” and, as a mark of sympathy, gave their fees to the mother.