A TRAIL of blood led to the discovery of a newly born child found dumped on Southampton Common.

Shirley labourer James Mason was walking past a clump of trees at the back of the Cowherds pub when he spotted the tell tale signs and on investigating made the shocking discovery of a baby girl covered with earth and leaves.

He reported the matter to a passing police sergeant and the following day on March 6, 1918, H K Pope, the Southampton Borough Coroner, formally opened an inquest in to the death of the unnamed victim.

Dr Ives, who carried out the post-mortem, confirmed it was a newly-born child who had died within 24 hours of her birth.

“There are no marks of violence but the mouth had been intentionally plugged with mud and oak leaves,” he reported. “Death had been caused by that plugging.”

The hearing was then adjourned for seven days in the hope of further evidence being found.

In fact, it was not until March 30 that readers of the Hampshire Independent learnt that Elizabeth Rogers, 36, had appeared at the police court in connection with the death.

The widow, who lived in Empress Road, was so weak and hysterical that the prosecution was granted a further seven days to prepare the case against her while she was held in custody.

Rogers was committed for trial following the resumption of the inquest on April 6 with only five lines attributed to the hearing. It simply recorded that a verdict of wilful murder had been returned.

She appeared at Hampshire Assizes on June 23 where she pleaded not guilty to what the prosecution insisted was “a determined and deliberate and successful attempt to take a child’s life.”

Her landlady, a woman called Clothier, was well aware Rogers was heavily pregnant when she gave her notice to quit her lodgings but she did not go because her two-year-old daughter was suffering from measles.

On the night of the alleged murder, Rogers had returned home looking haggard and pale. However, it was not until she read a report in the local press a few days later that she knew of the macabre discovery on the Common.

By that time, the appearance of Rogers had “visibly changed.”

Clothier said she asked Rogers if the baby was hers and she replied, “Yes. For God’s sake, don’t tell anyone.”

Rogers then told her how she had left her job at Carter’s dye works and then wandered along Western Shore intent on throwing herself into the water.

But as there were too many people about, she walked to the Common where she gave birth behind the Cowherds.

The court heard medical evidence that confirmed the baby had breathed at birth and had died from suffocation. However, it was not certain that she had had a “separate existence.”

In his closing speech, defence barrister W E Lloyd submitted that the jury could not be satisfied that the child had lived apart from her mother.

They agreed and acquitted her of murder but she was jailed for five months for concealing her birth.