Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-04-10

4
saw the child again at the Inquest, after 1t was
taken out of the water | did not see who
took the child from the water; it was taken
from the pond on the bill to IA place near Mr..
Snowden's the nearest house was square
off the child was bright; | don't know
whether it was white or black mans child !;
the pond Of water was right on the river shore :
the water at high tide flowed iuto this pond !;
at low tide the water Of the river would be some
ten or fifteen yards off, but it would leave the
pond full of water.
Samuel Beach, Coroner, testified | was a
Coroner in December, 1870; held an inquest
on December t. 1870 upon the body OF a fe,
male infant ionnd dead near the ship yard; L
had it removed from the pond to a place very
near opposite Mr.. Snowdcn where held the
inquest Dr. r. G.. Powell attended the IN.
quest; the child had on one garment when l
had it removed from the water; DO not re-
member whether the garment was cotton or
WOODEN; cannot state positively whether sa"
the garment removed or not; the garment was
not removed till the doctor arrived; the gar
ment was not removed until the child had been
taken into house before the inquest was heid;
nv impression is that the doctor used MS KNIFE
to cut band that was around the child; 90
not recnllect what was done with the clothing !;
[ think the parties in whose house the inquest
was held clothed the child for burial l think
the name was Davis | cannot say whether the
bandage was wooden or cotton; at the time oil
finding this child knew nothing OF Newton
Smith having obtained the child from Mrs.
Ferguson's: the hair of the child on which the
the inquest Was held. was black; have no re-
collection of the child being detormcd my
opinion is that the child was Well formed; l.
have no recollection Of the child having any, pc
cuiar or birth marks; the child was buried by
Mr. Wheatlcy.
Cross examined. The pond at low tide con
tanned about Il feet Of water; don thinE
the child could have hoated from the river into
the pond the pond was round and about five
feet across.
DR.. D. NJ. French tcsrif,d have been a
nractisinr physician Tor nearly % years IN De
cenbcr, $50. knew Mrs. Ferguson; she
lived near the corner of Princess and Alfred
streets; was a! the house at the confinement
OF Mrs. Fcrsuson's daughter in DeccnI Der,
1870; she gave birth to female child born
alive did not examine the child accurately;
cant say whether il was well formed or not ;
the mother Of the child was white. and child
had the appearance Of bright mulatto; hrSt
saw Newton Smith to know him when he came
to NY house with Mrs Ferguson; at the time
of the birth of an infaut it is very red if the
circulation Though the lungs is Tree and
healthy: tlnk that this was the case with
this child it cried Justify when born remem-
ber don think | saw the infant again alter
its birth: it had very dark and long hail was
in a conversation with Mrs Ferguson and
Smith at NV house. Smith informed me that
he was the father Of the child Miss Ferguson
gave birth to. and that it was right and proper
that he should take care OF 1t; Smith also said
he had or wnud make arrangements to have
II sent to a hnu,e near the diagonal pump to
be n,lr>el I'll! he could send it to his mothe:
near Mount Vernon: told him that had no
objection provided the child was properly cared
for: | was in Philadelphia when the inquest
was held over the body Of the child found near
the shi;, yard and Was gone about week; |
heard If the finding OF a dead child from po-
lice officer. and then communicated to Mayor
Latham what had occurred at Mrs Ferguson 5
house. and The interview with Smith and Mrs.
Ferguson.
Cross examined. When Mrs. Ferguson and
Smith we're ut my house they seemed to be on
good terms.
Dr. r. &. Powell testified have practisel
medicine constantly since 1862: was present at
the inquest on the body Of female infant; 1T
was held in house near Mr.. Snowden 5:
made an examination OF the child; when saw
the child did not think it had on anything
but shirt, and do not remember whether
removed the shirt or not; think cut open
the shirt with scissors; the shirt was made OF
white cotton believe; the child was a female;
do not remember whether the stomach was
bandagcd or not; thought at first that the
child was white, but there was peculiarly
about The hair, which was curcy: the peculiar
appearance of the hair made me express the
opinion that the child was the offspring of one
white and one mulatto parent: FROM an examl.
nation I made was satisfied that the child
was born alive and drowned; | suppose from
the appearance of the child that it was FROM
one to six days old when drowned, and there
we're no signs Of modification; | can not tell
with any certainty how loag the child had been
in the water; my opinion Is that 1t had been
there less than eighteen days; at that season
of the year the bod of an infant would not de-
cav or show signs of modification 10 eighteen
days; ! was fully satisfied from the signs ex-
hibitcd in the examination of the body that
the child came to its death by drowning; child
of this age cnthcd as infants usually are, IT
EXPOSED on the ground where this child was
found, in the month Of December, if the Their
mometer was down to freezing point, could not
live at the fnrthercst, think, more than tew
hours: I noticed no peculiar or birth marks
about the child; it was perfectly formed, and
saw no deIormty about it.
Mrs. Sarah Davis testified there was an
inquest held on the body of a female child a:
my house in December 1870; which was found
just below my house [ saw the child at the
pond it had two pieces Of clothing ON when
| saw it; thick unblcached cotton bandaee
pinned with three pins aud the little white
Shirt now hold in my hand (the shirt being
produced in the COURT took charge. of the
shirt when washed the child for burial the
body was taken away by Mr.. Wheatley; the
child was white 50 far as could see.
Cross examined. The child was white so far
as could see it had black real waving hair
| rint>e the shirt and laid 1t away where it
has been ever since ; The handage Was Tapped
Il little.
Mrs. Ferguson. recalled, testified: 1.-THE shirt
being shown to her, | made this garment and
put It on the child which Newton Saith took
from my house; this garment is cotton shirt;
was mistaken about the bandage, 1t being cot