Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-06-28
rhe ph,IndnIphIa Horror.

rNoItVstrGIii. Aunt cTEnrROM THEIR
iiuAE AND srffoCA1ED IN A CLOSE
CLOSET.
A hurrhe crime has just been brought
to light m Philadelphia. On Wednesday
two httlc girls named Ann Eliza Rsgau
aud Mary MHly,y, whose parents reside
ON Hose lljl surct, TweDty-llfth Ward,
Phi!adrl, hia, disappeared since which
time am active search has been maintained
for thurs hy their almost distracted
parents and lhe police. On Thursday ON
tl.e representation of Mrs. Eagan, Geo.
Hamilton and his wife Mary, and William
Hart and his vile Lilly Ann, were ar
rested nu suspicion and their houses
searchcl. hat without result. The cause
of suspicion against them was the threats
of The Two men to he revtnged for some
reason uu the ftthers Of tie missing chill
dreu. They have since bfen discharged.
The search for the two little girls was
still actively kept ui, and at about IL
O'Clock Oh Thursday night, as Mr.. and
/ Mrs. Ragan and MIR. John kagan, the
uncle Of one Of the girls, were passing an
unoecupird house on Dram street, above
/ Somerset. Immediately in their own neigh
/ hurhood, they heard noise like coughing
/ in the house. They Mt once entered and
went up to the sccond-story front room,
where they heard slight noise in a
closet, the door Of which was shut and
fastened with an ordinary small spring
catch. Mr. John RagHn opened the closet
door when the two children were found,
little Annie Bagsn lying on the floor aud
Maggie Mulycy sitting on Annir's body.
As ihe door was Opcued Maggie Muiyey
fru out into Mir. john Ragan's arms
MIR. Robert Ragau picked up his own
child from the floor and it died in his
arms In less than five minutes from the
time the closet was opened.
The children were both considerably
bruised about the body. aRd quite ema'
ciated, hut as far as at present discov'
cred. there arc no indications of any
felonious assault having been committed
upon their persons. The clothes of botl
The children were wei, and the drawer'
of the one that died were found outside
the closet door.
The children were both taken TO theil
parents homes, and DIR. Bennett, one o
the physicians Of the Episcopal Hospital
; was called In to attend the one SUI
living. Captain Hens was at once noti
tied Of the discovery, and he arrived OF
= the ground between one and two O'clocl
4 ioined by Detectives Tryon and Wood
whom he summoned to assist him in en-
, deavoriug to clear up the mystery.
The house in which the children wer
{ found is a two-stoly brick cottage
, house, standing back from the street.
8 has been unoccupled for some time pasi
y and the children Of the neighborboo
y have been in the habit of playing In i
q This fact led to a search Of the house o
c Thursday afternoon, when officer Dlnge
examined It thoroughly and looked int
the very closet where the children wei
found few hours later, but there Wa
b nothing to be seen there. The closet
>, about ilye feet wide and fifteen inchi
20 deep, and Il was DR.. Bennets oplnic
n thai the children could not have live
I, there over twenty minutes, as the doi
/, shut very closely and there was no supp
,r Of air.
~ . Yesterday afternoon, Dr. +. p. sha
4 leiuh. the COroncr's physician, made
~ most mortem examination of the body
the child, Ann Eliza Ragan, at the rel
y, depce OF her parents. The child was
= fair-haired good-looking, well built lltt
~ pirl. II was quite thin and sunken ab0
'' the ewes there were bruises on DO
~ knees ou each side of the knee-caps,
"a "a he angles of both sides of the pelYis,
=, both elbows, on the left arm about
~ inch above the wrist, and on the forehe
y. over the right eyebrow none OF the
" hiuises were of very serious natur
upon dissection there was found TO
congestion of the brain, (Which the ph
sicinns stated might have been caused
.. want Of oxygen while confined In {
nm closet.) The left luns was also Iii
~ copgested but all the other organs W.
~. found to be in normal condition.
n, The child Maggie Mulvey Is still ltviI
,no and il in AN improving condition sh'
he very weak and appears to have lost
sn memory. This in connection with
sel extreme youth 6 years. has preven
III the obtaining OF any information tr
4, her. The detectives are still actively
,be work seeking for a clue to the mystery
Philadelphia Ledger, 2Oh inst.