Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 16 December 1892

Open Verdict.

The adjourned inquest relative to the death of the newly born female child, which was found in in the Mexborough canal a week last Sunday, took place on Tuesday at the Ferry Boat Inn, Mexborough, when Mr. Bagshawe, depnty coroner, again presided.

The police authorities were represented by Superintendent Blake, of Doncaster, and Inspector Barrett, Mexborough. Mr. C, Taylor represented the Canal Company.

Some little interest was given to the inquest by a rumour that a young woman from Denaby had been arrested as the mother of the child. The Coroner inquired whether the police bad discovered anything since the adjournment. Inspector Barrett slated that they had all made inquiries. They had been in every noon and corner in Mexborough, Swinton, and Denaby, but learned nothing.

Police Constable Swann deposed that since the opening of the inquest he bad made inquiries in Mexborough and neighbourhood as to whether any person had been confined recently and had concealed the birth. He had heard of no such case.

The Coroner said it appeared to him that the inquiry could not be carried any farther than that. There was not the slightest evidence in addition to what was laid before them on the previous occasion, and it was now their duty to consider what their verdict should be. In regard to that they must attach considerable weight to the evidence of Doctor Twigg, who made a post mortem examination of the body.

The Coroner then read over the doctor’s evidence, which went to show that the child had had a separate existence, and that it had died from suffocation, and remarked that in the face of that it was an impossibly to say with certainty whether the child died from lack of attention at birth, and, if so, if that was criminal lack of attention, or whether it died from being intentionally suffocated by the means mentioned by Dr. Twigg. There was no evidence whatever to show how the child came to its death with certainty, and it appeared to him that the only verdict they could find was one that the child had been found dead in the canal. They were probably quite aware that lack of change at birth did not amount to manslaughter or murder, as it might have been accidental, and there was nothing to show in that case respecting the intent. Of course if anything turned up the police authorities could befog the before the magistrates.

The jury then returned a verdict that “Deceased was found dead in the Don canal.”