Mary Ann Margaret Sing, (1892-15/12/1892). "no marks of injury"

 INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday at midday at the Royal Hotel, Walker street, before Mr Coroner Carew and a jury of six, of whom Mr T. D. Mockford was chosen foreman, concerning the death of a child named Mary Ann Margaret Sing, who was found dead in bed on the mother's return after a short absence.

Jane Sing deposed that she was the wife of Richard Ching Sing, who was a cabinetmaker. They resided off Walker street. The deceased was 10 weeks old, and had always been very healthy. On Thursday morning the child appeared to be all right, and witness went out about half-past 12 o'clock. Before going out witness fed the child, and put her to sleep. The child was left alone, and the front door was left slightly open. Witness returned a little after 1 o'clock, and went straight to the bedroom. She found the child lying just in the same position as she had left her. Noticing that the face was a little white, witness picked the child up, and found that there was something wrong. She laid the child down and went to find her husband. Not finding him, she went for a friend named Mrs Wilson, who returned with her. Mrs Wilson took up the child, and said it was quite dead. Witness' husband then came in, and went away again for a doctor, but none came. The maizena on which the child was fed before witness left the house was from the same parcel as had been used on previous occasions. The child had a very slight touch of convulsions about six weeks since.

Dr Ogston stated that he had examined the body. There was nothing about the pupils of the eyes unusual, that might indicate opium poisoning, or any head trouble. There were no marks of injury about the body — there was no appearance of the clothes being too tight, and the child had been well nourished and well kept in every way. As indicating the form of death, the nails and finger tips were blue, and the lips were also slightly blue. The right side of the chest was dull on tapping it, and did not seem quite so big as the left. The bones were not so well knit or developed as they should have been, and witness came to the conclusion that probably the child had one lung which had never expanded properly (the right lung), and that its bony system generally was not so strong as it should be. Death was probably due to natural causes.

Mary Wilson, living in Stafford street, Sergeant Keating, and the father of the child having given evidence, a verdict was returned that the child died from natural causes, due to want of development.  -Otago Daily Times, 17/12/1892.

Southern Cemetery, Dunedin. DCC photo.