Baby

The body of a newly-born child was found tied in a bundle in a field by Manor Court Road in Hanwell on Monday 3 March 1902.

It was found by a boy as he was crossing Mr Smail's field in Manor Court Road just before five o'clock. He said that he saw the parcel lying under a hedge and became curious because it was so neatly tied up and that when he cut the string he found that it contained the body of a child. He said that he then at once informed his father.

The boy's father said that he went to have a look and when he saw the parcel he thought that it had been there for some time as the brown paper was very damp and that he then went and informed the police.

A police constable that went to the field said that the body had been placed where it could not be seen very well from the road. It was noted that the road near to where the body was found was a quiet one along which very few people passed.

He said that it was the body of a fully-developed newly-born male child.

A detective said that inquiries were made but that they had failed to get any clues as to the identity of the child or its parents.

The doctor that examined the child's body said that it bore every sign of not having been properly and skilfully attended to at birth and that he considered that it had died because of that reason.

The jury returned a verdict accordingly.