Mexborough and Swinton Times December 7, 1912

Swinton Child’s Horrible Fate

The circumstances surrounding the death of Charles William Goldspink, the 18 months old son of Ruben Isaac Goldsmith, a carter, living at 89 Queen St, Swinton, were inquired into at the Council Offices Swinton on Wednesday afternoon, Mr J Kenyon Parker (District Coroner) presiding.

Annie Goldspink, the mother of the deceased was the first witness. The dead child was the youngest of a family of five. She was in the house when her child, somewhere about 10 on Tuesday morning, when she had occasion to go into the yard. She left the house with no one in it except the deceased.

In about 10 minutes after she returned and saw the child about a yard from the copper, lying on its side. The little one’s clothes were not ablaze but smouldering. She picked up a rug and wrapped it round the child and then shouted to her neighbour Mrs Rawden. After she had come to her assistance, she (witness) found that the child was badly burned across the lower part of its body. She had no idea and the child got burnt; there were no match is about. When she went out she left the child on the rug. There were two fires in the room, one of which had a fire guard round. The other was a copper fire, the door of this shutter the time. The close deceased was resting were a woollen frock, two petticoats and a Holland pinafore. The petticoats were made of flannelette.

Mrs Rawden, 87 Queen St, the neighbour researcher remember speaking Mr Goldspink she went down a yard at a little after 10 on Tuesday morning. He afterwards heard a cry on going to the house found the child on the knee of the last witness. It’s clothes were blazing. She put them out.

PC Shaw was on duty at the corner of Queen Street, when he was informed of the accident. He went to the house and found that the child was dead. It had some very bad burns from the knees up to its chest. Doctor Hattersley attended a few minutes later.

The Coroner said that there was no doubt the child had died from burns. There was no doubt, also, that the mother should not have let the child unattended.

The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death, due to burning.”