PETERSFIELD.
A CHILD DROWNED IN A POND AT WOOLMER. — The deputy coroner for the southern division of the county (E.J. Harvey, Esq.,) held an inquest at the Woolmer Lodge, Bramshot, on Saturday, on the body of John Read, aged 18 months, son of William Read, who is a foreman in the employ of Sir Archibald McDonald. On Wednesday morning, about ten o'clock, the deceased was running about the garden in front of his father's house playing, his sister being with him to take care of him. The sister went indoors, and on returning a few minutes afterwards, not seeing her brother, she called him, but he did not answer. She then went into the poultry yard, in the centre of which is a small round pond, 21 inches deep, with shelving sides to it, to enable the fowls to drink. She saw something in the water, and on going towards the pond found that it was her brother. He did not move, and as she could not get him out she ran and called her mother. The father came, and on arrival saw the deceased in the pond with his face upwards. He pulled him out, and tried to get the water out of his stomach. The child was warm, and the father hoped to restore it. he and his wife put the child into a hot bath, and did all they could to restore life. Mr. Frederick Vaughan Davis, surgeon, who had been sent for, came in about twenty minutes, and used every exertion to restore respiration, but without success. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death."