The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-14

HoRRID AFFAIR-MURDER OF CHILD FIVE
YEARS OLD.-We published yesterday an ad-
vertisement of Mr. Jacob Z. Rumpf, of Hamp-
stead Hill, desiring information of bis son, abont
five years Of age, who had left his home on
Thursday evening.
We have now to record horrible sequel to
the affair We cannot possibly conceive of any
motive which could lead to the commission OF
srsh revolving deed, and which has engen-
dered high state of excitement in the com
munity. The American has the following ac-
count
The boy, who was five years and two months
old, and possessed Of more than ordinary intel
ligence, and general favorite, left his fathers
house Hampstead Hill, on Thursday after
noon, for the purpose of going to school. He
did not return in the evening, and as the night
advanced the alarm Of his parents increased,
and every possible means were adopted, but
without success, to endeavor to find out what
had become of him.
Nothing, however, could be learned in regard
to him until yesterday about o'clock, when
MIR. Jas. Bankard, on accidentally entering an
unoccnpled slaughter house on Hampstead Hill,
was horritied by finding the dead body of the
child lying on the floor, bearing evidence that he
had been most inhumanly murdered
The body was found lying on the floor, face
dow inward, with the head resting on the right
arm; the disposition of the person being such
as to led MIR. Bankard to suppose that the child
had not been dead when he was placed there -
The body was lying about three feet from
window, opening from the cattle pen into the
slaughter house, and portion of brick to
which some blood and hair was adhering, and a
broken broom stick with blood on it, were living
close to the body. The door of the cattle pen
was partly open, and on the bar, which was
down, there were found traces of blood In the
lane outside the door blood was also found, its
appearance being such as TO lead to the suppo
siton that the body had been drawn along there
On examining the body, three severe wounds
were found about the head one on the right
temple, one on the left frontal bone, aud the
third on the back of the head All these wounds
bore the appearance of having been inflicted
with some blunt instrument, they being bruised
as well as cut; the wound on the right side of
the head was the most severe, large cash be-
ing cut and the surrounding parts much bruised
Besides these more fatal injuries, one arm was
much bruised, and both hands were bruised and
swelled, apparently from the blows which the
child had received in endeavoring to defend him
self
Immediately on the finding of the body it was
removed to the residence Of the parents in the
immediate neighborhood, and jury summoned
by Coroner Conoway, to investigate the crcum-
stances connected with the horrible occurrence
The jury inspected the body and visited and ex-
amined the place where it was found, and then
proceeded to examine witnesses.
Dr. N. Dashelds testified to the nature of the
wounds on the body, and stated that on making
post mortem examination of the head, he had
found that no fracture Of the skull had taken
place, but that the brain was filled with extrava-
sailed blood, caused by the rupture of blood yes
sells, which had been prod iced by the conclusion
following the blows, and which had been the
immediate cause of death. DR.. d. also gave it
as his opinion that the child had not been killed
where it was found, the appearance of the face
and eyes indicating that it had bed considerably
before being placed there
boy named Woelpper testified that he was
playing with the boy in Ann street on Thursday
evening, and afterwards went with him up Broad
way. When they were up the Medical
College,some boys who were sitting on the bank
followed at them, and the witness ran back while
his companion kept on over the hill. The boys
threw stones at the witness when he ran, and the
last he saw of young Rumpf he was going over
the bill towards his home. w tness then went
home and found that it was o'clock
Mrs. Wilkinson and her daughter testified to
having seen VIM Irons and another boy in COM
pany with him lurking about Hampstead Hill,
on Thursday evening.
Chas. Downs, youth, testified that he met
VIM. Irons on Thursday evening after o'clock,
and weot with him in the old grave yard on Or
leans street. Irons told him that he had spent
the afternoon at Herring Run.
The jury after hearing tina evidence, returned
verdict that the child was" murdered by some
person or persons unknown to them"