Baby

The body of a newly-born male child was found in the village pond at Helperthorpe.

It was found in a small back weighted down by bricks.

The bag was found by a roadman from East Lutton who said that he first thought that it was a dead animal. He said that he informed a constable who took the bag out. the constable said that it was like a manure bag.

A policeman that took charge of the bag at 10.30am said that it contained the body of a male child and two common red bricks. He said that it appeared like an old sugar bag to him. He said that the body was wrapped up in two cloths but that there was nothing to identify it.

A doctor examined the child and stated that it had had a separate existence. However, he said that there were no external marks of violence or obstruction to the breathing and no evidence of drowning. He said that in consequence the child had been dead when placed in the pond. He said that it had probably been there between a week and a month. He said that the lungs contained air, the stomach contained a small amount of air and that in his opinion the cause of death was inattention at birth.