Sad Affair at Rushden - Fatal Accident to a Little Child Concussion of the Brain   A sad fatality occurred at Rushden on Saturday, resulting in the death of Hilda Perkins, aged one year and eleven months, the youngest child of Mr. Leonard Perkins, B.Sc., the headmaster of the Newton-road Mixed School, Rushden.   It appears that on Saturday morning Mrs. Perkins left Rushden by the 9.40 train, with the object of spending the week-end in Leeds.  Mr. Perkins accompanied his wife to the station, and on his return he looked into the kitchen, where his little child was at play.  She had placed a picture book on a chair and was standing on the floor, looking at the pictures.  The maid, Frances Bird, was in and out of the kitchen and the adjoining scullery, busy with the washing up, and she kept chatting now and then to the little one.  Mr. Perkins did not want the child to cry out for him, so he did not let her see him.  He went into the work-shop, and in about ten minutes afterwards the maid, who was then in the scullery, heard the chair in the kitchen fall.  The child gave one scream and then became unconscious.  The maid at once lifted up the little one and placed her carefully on the sofa, and then ran across to Mrs. Gutteridge, who lives near, and who immediately came in and rendered assistance.  Then the maid called in Mr. Perkins, and Dr. Baker was summoned, being speedily in attendance.  He found that the child was suffering from concussion of the brain, and, despite every possible attention, the little one passed away about half-past nine at night.   Directly after the accident, Mr. Perkins dispatched a telegram to his wife, and on the arrival of her train at Leicester the message was awaiting her.  She took the first train back to Rushden, only to find the little one quite unconscious, and, as a matter of fact, it is doubtful whether the deceased ever regained consciousness after the accident.   As to the way in which the accident happened, it is most probable that the infant was either trying to remove the book or to climb the chair when her foot slipped on the loose carpet; that she then fell, pulling the chair on to the top of her, and that the chair caught her heavily on the left ear, causing concussion of the brain.   Naturally the sad event caused a great shock throughout the town, and the deepest sympathy is felt for Mr. and Mrs. Perkins in the terrible trouble which has befallen them. The Inquest   The inquest was held on Tuesday morning at Mr. Perkins’s residence adjacent to the school, the Coroner being Mr. J. Cairns Parker.  Mr. B. Vorley was foreman of the jury.   Mr. Perkins deposed:  Deceased, my daughter Hilda, was one year and 11 months old.  On Saturday morning, after seeing my wife off by train, I returned to the house and heard the child playing about.  This was at 9.50.  I then went into the workshop.  Within ten minutes I was called out of the workshop by the maid, and came at once.  A neighbour (Mrs. Gutteridge) had been called in, and she was holding the child, the maid having fetched Mrs. Gutteridge before calling me.  The child was unconscious.  I got a cold sponge and bathed her forehead, and sent for Dr. Baker, who came at once.  There was nothing in disorder in the kitchen.  The child had been quite well, and the maid was perfectly able to attend to her.  Deceased did not regain consciousness, and died soon after nine o’clock on Saturday night.   Frances Bird, the maid in the employ of Mr. Perkins, said: On Saturday morning, about ten o’clock, I was looking after the deceased, who was in the kitchen, playing with a book on a chair.  The book was on the seat of the chair, and the child was looking at the pictures.  I went into the scullery in order to finish washing up, and in about five minutes’ time I heard the chair bang and Hilda gave one cry.  I ran into the kitchen and found the child unconscious under the chair.  She laid on her side, and the chair legs were on top of her.  The chair had tumbled over.  I think she must have been climbing into the chair and caught her foot on the carpet, when the chair slipped back.  It is a brick floor with a loose carpet on it.  The carpet had slipped on the floor.  I picked the child up and laid her on the couch, and fetched Mrs. Gutteridge and then Mr. Perkins from the school.  When the child was playing in the kitchen before the accident she was all right.   Dr. H. S. Baker stated: On Saturday morning about 10.30, I was sent for to see deceased, and came at once.  I found her in the kitchen, unconscious.  She had a slight superficial bruise on the left ear and one bruise on the left arm.  There were no other external marks.  The child remained unconscious during the whole time, and died about 9.30 p.m.  Death resulted from concussion of the brain.  The child’s health was not perfect, the blood vessels being of a peculiar nature, rendering her peculiarly susceptible to bruises.  The constitution of the child was against any recovery.   The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death,” and tendered their sympathy to Mr. and Mrs. Perkins in their bereavement.