An inquest was held at the Vestry Hall yesterday (Monday) afternoon, before Mr. Coroner Parker and a jury of which Mr. T. Willmott was foreman, touching the death of Evelyn Mary Corby Wood, who was suffocated while in bed with her parents the previous (Sunday) morning.

The first witness called was Ellen Wells Wood, the mother, and wife of William John Wood, carpenter, Rushden, who stated that the body viewed was that of her daughter Evelyn Mary Corby Wood, aged 4½ months. The child had always been a healthy one and contented. She slept with her parents, on the left side of the bed. Witness gave the child the breast about 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, and then put her back again on the left side with the head resting on the bolster. The child went to sleep again and on waking at 9.30 witness found her in the same position, with the clothes over her as far as the top of her head. Deceased was dark on one side of the face, and witness, thinking she was in a fit, called her husband, who, however, said he thought the child was dead. Her husband fetched Dr. Baker and a neighbour. Witness heard nothing of deceased between 3 and 9.30. The child had had a bad cold for two or three days, but she had never had a fit of any kind. The bed was a feather bed.

William Wood, carpenter, of Rushden, the father of deceased, deposed to hearing the child about three a.m., but heard nothing more of it till 9.30. His attention was then called to it by his wife, who said she believed the child was in a fit. He thought, however, it was dead, and ran for Dr. Baker, and Mrs. Parker, a neighbour. The child had never had any fits of any kind.

Susan Parker, of Rushden, said she was called by Mr. Wood, about half-past nine. She went at once and found it quite dead. Herbert Baker, surgeon of Rushden, stated that he was fetched on Sunday morning about a quarter to ten, and found the child as described by previous witnesses. There were no marks on the body beyond those stated, and the appearances were those of death of suffocation.

The jury returned a verdict of “Accidentally suffocated whilst in bed with her parents.”