Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-10-21


Mrs. MARGARET M. WHITEsIDEs, s,oor7.-I
was at Hopes house soon after the death of Mary
Isabella Castles. Saw her body, which was lying
on pallet before the fire. The fingers were
drawn or clenched her arms were on her breast; /;
her head straight. Mrs. John Whitesides and my
self helped to lay her out. The side of her leg
next to fire was burnt-so much that the skin
peeled off, There was stain of blood on her right
hand. We could not strayhten her arms, and had
to call assistance to take off her clothing. Mr.
and Mrs. Hope met me and my husband at the
door and told us Mary had given birth to child
in the yard and was dead. l enquired for the
child and found it in the cradle sleeping sweetly.
On being told nothing had been done FOR 1t, at.
tended to its wants. The umbilical cord had not
been cut, and Mr.. Hope assisted me In cutting 1t.
Six or eight inches of the cord was attached to the
body. l did not examine the cord, and cannot
say whether it had been torn or cut. There were
leaves on the body the child. Mr.. Hope said
he had been awakened that morning by Mary
moans, and that to his question OF who it was,
Mary replied it WAS her, and passed through the
door; that she stayed out awhile and returned,
passing through the room that RS. Hope went 10
her and she complained of c0stiveness; that Hope
gave Cooks or Ayers pills. [rhe statement of
the finding of the child WAS repeated substantially
the same as by the first witness.l Hope did not
state the time that interviewed between the taking
ofthe pills and the death of Mary. Mr.. and Mrs.
Hope said they did not know that Mary was
enciente.
Cross era,niaed.-Mr or Mrs. Hope told me Ma
ry died immediately after they carried her into
the room. Do not remember of their saying they
sent for me. 1 and ihy husband were the first to
arrive there. / noticed nothing peculiar from
other corpscs except the contraction of the limbs,
and one side Of her face being purple. l noticed
that her right hand was stained with blood. The
child was sleeping sweetly in the cradle. The
child was nine months old when it died. The
child was puny and did not grow like other chill
dren. Mary was dissatisfied at living with Hope,
but do not know that she was compelled to stay
there, nor do know that she ever made an effort
to get away. When first saw her dead body the
head was not propped up. pillow was lying
near, as ifit had been taken from her head;
Redirect eranlnatiOn.-Alary seemed dissatis-
fled with her home for year previous to her
death. saw the child frequently. 1t had blue
eyes. / suspirionei that Mary was encterte a
week before her death. Mrs. Whisonant had also
expressed to me asinlilar suspicion. afterward
saw Mary and became confirmed in my opinion.
Isad nothing about it to any one except my hus-
band.
Re-cross ecnu.i,.ed-I do not remember that
ever told my husband that Mary had expressed
to me that she WAS dissatisfied with her home at
Mr.. Hopes.
Mrs. JANE C. WH1TEsIDEs, s,Oo,n.-I am the
aunt of the deceased by marriage. l arrived al
Hopes house before daylight on the morning OF
Mary Isabella Castles death. / saw the body Of
the deceased. The quilt had been removed from
on her every day clothes. 1 assisted i'll dressing
the body. We could not take oft her clothing
without assistance. / think the body was still
Her dress was fastened in front. The fingers and
toes were cramped. The teeth showed. took
no notice of the head. There were stains of blood
on her clothing, and blood stain on her hand
WITNESS repeated the statement OF MIR. and Mrs
Hope, on her arrival at their house, which wa>
not essentially different from the version OF pre-.
yious witnesses. Witness went to the spot where
Ill. L,,l nlnIl l,t
Mary saw traces Of blood from the door steps t.
the spot but saw no blood where the baby was
said to have lain, which was barren spot with
leaves looking like something had lain on them
A spot hear the steps had been freshly covered
with ashes, having the appearance OF blood tna
had recently been covered. Hope and his wife
said they had placed the ashes there. They denied
all knowledge of Mary's condition. had heard
Of her condition three weeks before her death
Mrs. Whisonant informed me. l said nothing
Mr.. Hope came to our house on the 18th. Hesait
he had heard that my husband had been told thai
either he Hope) or Hill was the father Of Mary's
child, and he would learn the author or spend the
last drop of his hearts blood. l told Hope where
my husband was-at place a mile from tho
house. but he did not 60 to see him. Isaw Mary
two or three weeks before her death. She ro
bust. Ihelped to dress her badly on the morning
Of her death. twas cool, damp morning; mo-
very cold. A fire had been in the room where the
right leg when 1t was washed. Mary's body hao
lain near the hearth. Her clothing wasn not burnt
Cross eranlinetI.-I do not say the blistering on
the ley wasraused by being burnt with fire. She
was lying in 'front.' rather to one side, OF the fire.
place. There had been good fire, but it was
burnt down. Mary was a "heavy-Set' young
woman resembled her mother, and seemed to be
growing up like her. When left Hopes house
very few persons were there. III September OF
August Mary had been to my house to get dress
made. Hope was on his way to % his mothers
when he was at my house on the 10th, enquirne
for the author of the report that he or Hill was
the father of Mary's child. My husband was of
the road Hope would take on the way to his
mothers.
Miss LEE CASTLES s,voam.-I am sister Of the
have lived at Mr.. Hopes. He is my uncle BY
marriage. He has been my guardian. 90 no
know how long I had lived there. Mary llvet
there five years. I saw her after she died. WheI
awoke that night she was sitting up in bed.
asked her what was the matter. She complained
of pain in her stomach and bowels. she went t.
the end door Of the room, which door opens tf
the ward she stayed there q short while and ther
came back. Mrs. Hope made some tea OF whicl
my sister drank she went through the house
after drinking the tea. The tea was offered to hel
second time, and she refused to drink OF it
When it was offered the second time, she was sit
ting by the steps. She gave reason for refusing
the tea. Some pills were then given to her by
aunt Lizzie. Uncle Burt took the pills from his
trunk, and aunt Lizzie gave them. The pills were
given to Mary in the yard while she was sitting
ON the ground. After Mary took the pills ano
Mrs. Hope went into the house. Sister woulo
not go in. Mrs Hope lit her pipe. Mr. Hope
was sitting by the fire. I don't remember how
long it was after this until the child was found
Aunt Lizzie took the child into the house. dom
know who was first to enter the house. AS we
went into the house, sister Mary was sitting or
the steps. She said she was dying and there was
no one to do anything for her. Uncle Burt caught
her az she WAS falling from the steps. After She
was laid down, uncle Burt removed the pillo"
from under her head while she was dying. She
was placed on an oi-cloth and quilt. The oil
cloth and quilt were taken from the cradle. They
put them on the floor when they went to bring
her in. They spread them down and then Went
for sister. While sister was dying she jerked
and shook. Her hands were cralnped and hei
fingers clasped. 1 did not see her legs. She SAID
nothing after she was brought into the house
She did not live longer than five minutes aftei
being taken into the house. She did not live lon
ger than twenty minutes after the pills were
given. The pills were given fifteen or twenty
minutes after the tea. When the pills were given
I had seen nothing of the child. Aunt Lizzie
covered the spot by the steps with ashes aftel
heard neither aunt Lizzie nor uncle Burt speak
of sending for physician. Mr.. Hope got up out
of bed about the time Mary first complained
There was some fire in the fireplace, from the
pine blazing. He got the pills out of the trunk
about o. half an hour after getting up, and after
giving the tea. The tea was made in a tin-cup OF,
some Goals. Aunt Lizzie made the tea. We all
slept in the same room. did not SO out Of tht
room while tho tea was making. do not re-
member that Mr.. Hope came to the tea while II
was making, I was to the back of him and did
not see him open the trunk. The trunk was
uncle Burts. I think he kept the key: don't
remember to have ever seen inside OF the trunk.
Sister and I slept on the same bed. Mr.. Hope
slept in another bed somc distance from ours.
Mrs. Hope and children slopt in another. The
trunk was at the side of the door, but not near
Hopes bed. Hopes bed was about all equal dis
lance from the other two.
To the Cburt.-Thcre was clock in the house.
Sister and both went to bed at the same times
o'clock. When first saw my sister after we had
gone to bed, she sitting up in the bed. don't
know whether or not she had previously got out