Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-11-23
MURDER IN OXFORD COUNTY.
An Unnatural Mother Kills Her Natural
Child.

The Oxford Democrat gives the particulars Of
the child murder that occurred in Bethel last
week. The people Of Oxford county were great
ly excited and shocked to learn that horrible
murder had been commit d By a resident of that
law abiding precinct The circumstances attend
ing the affair are as fellows:
In the town Of Bethel, on a cross-roAd bctw cen
the Walkers Mil and Beans Corner, there has
resided small company of more than local dis
tinction. The spot and soue Of its inhabitants
were long ago marked by officers sworn to execute
justice. Toward the last of October, unwel-
come addition was made to the community in the
person of fatherless infant girl. The child's
mother seemed As much displt ased as any one,
that the laws of nature had combined TO lay this
burden in her lap, and by words, well as &C
tions, indicated her wrath.
a short time ago, Interested ucig hbOrs discover
cd that the child was missing. A question con-
corning its whereabouts met by an eluiyocal
| answer, add, of course, suspicious Of foul play
we're at once excited
Immediately upon hearing OF the case, Mighil
Mason, Esq, and Coroner Goddard took the mat
| ter in hand. About three-fourths of mile from
the house, in deep and solitary wood, they found
new earth, marking the spot OF a recent excsva-
ton. On digging, they soon saw through the
loosened earth an old ragged shawl and within its
folds lay the peaceful form of dead infant.
Some woman of the most abandoned character
have been brought into a new life by the RESPONSE
biiities of motherhood. Wild beasts will protect
their young till the last life drop has flowed from
| their veins. Occasionally, in the God-forssken al
ley of a city, creature is found so devoid of
motherly instinct and weighted by sin that she
will stife an infant at its birth. But what shall
we say OF woman who, in the Creators own
home-the country-wi;h all nature as a teacher
and surrounded by those potent influences which
come so silently from tree, and brook, and field
can deliberately take the life of her own offspring
| 1t is something, too, below human comprehension,
which would 80 strengthen the young mother that
she could carry that silent form to the quiet of
| forest, and there lay il in the damp, black mould
| of a swamp.
To resume the narrative. The chids remains
we're eXhumed, and a coroners jury sat on them
After taking the testimony of numerous witnesses
the jury decided that the child came to its death by
q broken skull and dislocated neck. This YER
| dict lead to the arrest of Miss Jennie Morgan
| the child's moiher-and Mrs. James Libby, her
| sister. "Wednesday they were brought before JUS
tees Brown and Frye, and tried on the charge of
| murder. After the evidence was all in, Miss Jen
| ME was committed to Jail for numbering her own
| child, and the other woman discharged.
Miss Morgan is young woman about eighteen
| years of age, of not very unprepossessng APP
pearsnce. She denies the charge of killing the
| child, and says that if its neck broken, it was
the result of fall which the body received she
carried it out for burial. In conversation she re-
| marked that most any one would be hard char
acter if brought up in surroundings such as hers
| had been. And her childhood's associations seem
| TO have forced her on in life of shame and Grim
inality until she has at last lodged in prison. If
the girl had been left to her own feelings, she
would, in all probability have cared for the infant,
but, yielding to the advice of incarnae devils, she
| buried it. Whether or not she killed the child
herself, remains to be proved. The unfortunate
and misguided girl is still entitled to the sympathy
| of the community. Her early teachings entitle
her to large share Of Charity's robe. until it is
proved that she has done murder.