Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1872-09-19
the COOKED BABY.

From the San Francisco Chronicle OF
yesterday we extract the following
particulars Of an item contained In
our yesterdays kilograms:
Several days ago the Chronicle pub
lished all account of the birth OF a
child. at which DR.. Charles w. Horner
attended. 1t "a also stated that he.
believing the child was still-born, had
applied hot stove lids to restore bodily
heat and life. It was not stlll-born,
but llv"d several days. On Monday
the child died from the effects of this
energetic treatment, and yesterday
| Coroner Stillman summoned j. j. Ha-
lev, Thomas Houseworth. John T..
Olmstsad, Frederick Chester, b.: Bar
gestream and DR.. A. 8. Ferris rs Jurors
to INQUIRE into the circumstances OF
| the chiid's death.
Mrs. B. Shepherd, being duly sworn.
said | was In attendance as nurse ut
the birth Of q child to Mrs. Ryan 4; DR..
| Horner was present. The child was
born about al hour after my arrival
There; | did not hear the child cry af-
ter it, birth; It wat bleeding when
born 7 went into the kitchen to get
some hot water from the range where
a fire was burning; while | was ther-
DR.. Horner came ont aud got a lid of
the stove and I saw It under the child
where It was placed It had been
wrapped In q piece Of flannel cloth /;
the child was breathing at one time.
aud looked like a strong. hearty chilli ;
1t nursed some. and Dr. Homer Or
dered some stlmulant given 1t; | Jaw
the child every day until Yesterday
morning, when 1t died. The next
morning after the child's birth | no
ticed that there were marks OH the
child's back, aud blisters as from y
burn the marks bled when the child
wa. moved I did not notice the child
breathe before the application OF the
stove lid /; while I was at the house y
priest was brought In by the father aud
the child WAS baptized OH the stove lid
and named Dennis Ryan.
Ir. Horner was called and sworn.
when Coroner Stlllman said he need
not testify unless he desird.
DR.. Horner said 4: IL have acted hon
estly and straight forwardly In this
matter aud am not afraid Of any state
ment I might make" He then testi.
lied II am a practicing physician, aud
have been Ia this city for six or seven
years. l have attended the Ryan fam
lily about four years. I attended Mrs.
Ryan twice during confinement and
twice for attempted suicide ; she had
taken l%audanum, and she told me she
did not want to live, a. Mr.. Ryan
treated her very badly. having often
beaten her. About ten days previous
to Mrs. Ryan's last confinement Ryan
called OH me to attend his wife, Tues
day last, about 2 p. N. I was called to
see Mrs. Ryan and found her il labor
pain. During the day she gave birth
ioa child. and I did not tie the navel
cord until two hours and a half after
birth. During birth Ryan was called
In, and was very drunk and began
swearing aud saying he diin't care a
d-n whether the child died or not. |
was forced to put him out and the
child was delivered. told Mira. Ryan
it was dead. She asked me to baptize
It. I told her | did not understand
the ceremony. but I would throw some
water on It. II was then cold and did
not breathe. / blew down It's nOItrils
and produced artificial respiration for
about fifteen minute; then order
ed warm water for u bath. There was
10 water In the house and asked ny
all to 90 for some. He swore at me
and refused to 60.
HOW THE STOVE lid WAS Used.
then Went Into the kitchen, when
1t struck me that \ stove lid might
serve my purpose, ~ they were heated.
I took one. wrapped IL In n flannel pet
ticoat and laid the child on It | again
tried artificial respiration, but found
1t would not produce natural. Placed
my hand under the child and found
that the body was barely warm, and
ifter m examination / came to the
conclusion that the child WAS dead, but
.oon afterward found that 1t was alive.
I again went TO the kitchen for hot
water, but got none, nnd then l took
another stove plate and held II over
the child's chest. Soon after this q
little girl Of Ryau's went for a priest
and returned with Father Durham. |
again went to the kitchen aud this time
got ON water ; the child lay OIL the
Id about an hour and a half. During
the day I WIS told chat DR.. JnhnsoiI
had called and interfsred with my
case. At II time [ told Ryan to 60
10 my oifice and get some lint. but lie
refused to do 50, aud | told him there
would he an inquest and his conduct
fully ventilated. He then assaulted
ME, Knocked my teeth down my throat
then threw me over u stove aud kicked
me Ia the back. did not attend the
chat family any longer.
Coroner Stilllnan and the jury
looked as II they thought DR.. Horner
WAS justified In throwing up his con-
tract with the Ryan family. under
such aggravatlng clrcumstances.]
Edwin Bentley, n. D., said: To-day
| made IN examination OF the body OF
the child Of Dennis Ryan lying In the
Morgue. I found the child fully de.
veloped. Over the shoulders, down
the back, between the shoulders, aud
Oh tho forearns the surface WAS Bills
tered. aud the nner portion evidently
charred /; this extended aud dl,organ-
lied the skin down to the muscles Of
the hack. There were no other marks
Of violence. The lungs Ind been intla-
ted aud circulation established. The
death was the result Of the burned
back.
Thomas Ryan, the father Of the child,
| testified that Horner took a hot lid OF
the stove, poured some water OH 1t,
| then laid the child OIL the lid. without
any flannel or anything else between.
| He was 70 incen<ed ut this that he
kicked him out Of the house.