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concealed the infants' bodies, the discovery of which was
accidental, the Mortuary Keeper having had to turn the
coffin on its side, when one of them rolled out.
I felt it my duty to acquaint the Coroner with the above
facts, whereupon he instructed the Mortuary Keeper to
detain the bodies, pending his further instructions. The
Coroner required the attendance of the undertaker at the
adjourned inquest on the man's body, and there censured
him severely in the presence of the jury for his misconduct.
The bodies were said to have been still-born, and medical
certificates were produced to the Coroner shewing that the
several mothers had been delivered on the 9th and 13th of
November respectively, so that the bodies had been kept on
the undertaker's premises, in one case 26 days and in the
other case 29 days. The bodies were in a somewhat
advanced stage of decomposition. The medical certificates
stated that the children, to which they referred, had been
still-born : but no evidence, was forthcoming to prove that
the bodies found in the coffin were the bodies of the infants
referred to in the certificates. I do not say this to cast
suspicion on the undertaker—who received a lesson he will
not forget, although his name was mercifully suppressed at
the inquest—but to show the possibility of concealment of
crime, to which the detestable practice of surreptitious
enclosure of still-born children in the coffins of adults so
readily lends itself. In accordance with my recommendation
your Vestry took advantage of the fortuitous discovery of the
bodies to call the attention of the Secretary of State, and the
County Council, to the desirability of legislation to secure
the registration of still-births, and the burial of still-born
children with all proper safeguards against concealment of
crime or occurrence of scandal, but so far as I know nothing
came of this action. The bodies were ultimately enclosed
in separate coffins, and the Coroner directed that the certificates
of their burial should be submitted for his inspection.