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COSHAM.
SUPPOSED CHILD MURDER.—The Coroner, E. Hoskins, Esq., held an inquest at the “Coach and Horses” Inn, on Tuesday, on the body of a newly born male child, which was found in a pond at Hilsea, on the previous Saturday.—William Leach, a farm labourer, living at Bedford-street, Kingston, stated that whilst passing the Hilsea pond, with a team of horses, he saw a bundle in the water. On taking it out he found that it was the body of a child wrapped up in a cloth. He left it in charge of a labourer named Smithers. He (Smithers) was now called, and stated that it was just after ten o’clock when the bundle was found. He passed the pond two or three times about eight o’clock, but did not then notice the bundle in the water. When the body was handed to him, he communicated with the police. He had not seen anybody in the neighbourhood of the pond that morning. He did not know anybody in the neighbourhood who had been recently confined.—Dr. Martin stated that the body was that of a fully-developed male child. It had been immersed, but he did not think it had been in the water for more than 12 or 24 hours. It had evidently lived, but only for a short time. There were no external marks of violence beyond what might have resulted from immersion. He had made a post mortem examination. The umbilical cord had been tied by some person who had a knowledge of how to perform that act. He found the whole of the organs healthy, and he was positive that the child was born alive. He believed that the child was either drowned or smothered.—P.C. Street stated that he had made every possible enquiry, with the view of ascertaining who the mother of the child was, but had not succeeded in doing so.—After hearing the remarks of the Coroner, the jury returned a verdict of “Found drowned.”
— Hampshire Telegraph, Saturday 31 January, 1874