Baby

A baby died from a wound to the back of its throat after being born in a coal cellar.

The child's 22-year-old mother was tried for murder but acquitted after it was heard that accident could not be ruled out.

She was tried at the Liverpool Assizes on 1 November 1917.

She was said to have killed the child on 8 August 1917.

The child had been illegitimate.

The mother had at the time been employed as a servant at 71 Hartington Road in Liverpool.

It was said that on 8 August 1917 that she had been going about her household duties and that at 9.30am her mistress heard her in the coal cellar, and that although she at first made the excuse that she had been searching for her artificial teeth, she subsequently called out that she was in trouble and that there was a baby.

The mistress said that she then went down and found the mother crouching at the foot of the stairs and saw a baby lying on a fire shovel.

Afterwards the baby was found to have had a wound to the back of the throat and it died the following day.

However, at the trial, two medical witnesses stated that the mother would have probably been unaccountable for her actions at the time the child was born, and for some time afterwards.

The judge then asked what evidence there was of murder, and pointed out that the evidence had not excluded the possibility of accident.

The jury then indicated, in reply to the judge, that they were not prepared to convict and a formal not guilty verdict was returned, without the defence being called.