Baby

The body of a burnt newly-born child was found behind some hoardings on Smithfield Road in Darlington.

It was wrapped up in flannelette and brown paper.

It was found by a boy on Sunday 1 November 1925.

The parcel was dry even though it had rained on the Saturday and so it was thought that it had been placed there on either the Saturday night or Sunday morning.

A doctor said that the child had been born about 48 hours previously. Its upper body was charred and its skull had been smashed. It also had a cut on one of its knees.

The post-mortem concluded that death was due to shock resulting from violence.

However, the child had been put on a fire and burnt before its skull was smashed and the report stated that the burns alone would have caused death.

The Coroner observed that such brutality was most incredible to him and the doctor replied that a young girl might use violence in a panic.