Baby

The body of a newly-born female child was found in the public bar of the Prince of Wales public house in Elizabeth Street, Pimlico on the afternoon of Thursday 24 May 1923.

A barman at the pub said that a man in the public bar told him that somebody had left a parcel there and that when he went to look he saw that no doubt it had been left there by a customer and so he put it on the floor behind the counter.

However, he said that a little later, when clearing up the bar, that he put the parcel on the counter and that it came undone and he then saw a baby's head.

A witness said that he had seen a woman in the public bar some time previously, and that she had been the only stranger he had seen there. He described her as:

• About 37-years-old.
• 5ft 7in tall.
• Slim build.
• Rather pale.
• Wearing a brown coat, faded pink plush hat, and what appeared to be a blue print dress.

He said that she had come in at about 1pm and had a glass of stout, and that he noticed that she looked out of the window two or three times.

A police constable that examined the parcel, said that the child's body had been wrapped in four newspapers and a sheet of coarse brown paper.

The police surgeon that examined the child's body said that her death had been due to suffocation, which might have been caused accidently, or maliciously.

The police said that they were endeavouring to find the man that had handed the parcel to the barman, as well as trace the woman that had been seen in the bar.

The Coroner recorded an open verdict.

The Prince of Wales public house is now called The Thomas Cubit.