The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-07-05
From the 81. Louis Post.


lFrom the st. Louis Postl
1t is common fallacy that the cause
of death is always known; if not discov-
cred ante-mortem, Mt least apost-mortem
examination will reveal the secret, but
this is by no means true. To-day
every day the newspapers chronicle mys-
terious deaths-they may be called mys-
terious because no outward aud palpable
casual effect for departing this world is
patent, either TO the initiated or the laic.
Without sickness, without premonitory
pains or pangs, apan, woman, or child
crosses into that bourne whence no
traveller returns" This sudden striking
down of one in the full enjoyment of the
powers and functions pertaining to his
respective age is an enigma to the fam
lily and friends of the deceased; the med
ical fraternity are called on, the body
is dissected and examined with deep and
microscopic scrutiny, and yet no trace
of aught that could have extinguished
the vital spark has been found. GA
mysterious dispensation of Providence"
exclaim the religiously inclined; the
more worldly-minded, with shake of
the head and passing nod, calculate:
Remarkable case that of Brown" all
the acutepess, learning and researches
of the doctors have not sufficed to clear
up the veiled mystery. The occult
cause of death is undiscov-
cred, and the physicians seek
their way out of the maze by assigning
some high sounding technical Latin
name as the Ultima Thule OF the mans
declining. Even the penetrating eyes of
science have not been able to clear off
the mist of obscurity. Such cases as
these are by no means SO rare as the gen.
eral public commonly think. Their
credulity does not believe that in this
age of monographs, telephones and
aerophones the final causality of death
is sometimes unfathomable. But few
cases cited will, perhaps, shake public
belief in this direction. Take, for in
stance, the crime of infanticide. How
hard to detect if the murderer should be
cunningly and crafty versed in the an
otomical structure of the babe. Twenty
years ago remarkable example of the
devilish ingenuity, and apparent safety,
with which this crime could be perpe-
trated was brought to light in England.
AS the general reader is aware, the head
of young infant is soft; the bones of
the skull are not yet closed or firm, that
is, the cor cnal suture, called in the ver-
nacular the "mole of the skull, is very
large. The os fronts and parietal bones
have not yet closed this aperture leading
to the brain. By the insertion of very
fine needle through this suture, far
enough to reach the brain, iEstantane-
Gus death is caused, even to a perfectly
healthy infant. Until this particular
case was discovered, no one even
dreamed of such method of infanti-
eide, and it has been computed by statis
ticians that fully 10 per cent. of the cases
of infanticide have been performed in
that manner.
In 1855, in Ipswich, the county-seat of
the Shire of Suffolk. in England, re-
sided tolerably wealthy couple of the
name of Amos and Elizabeth Cooper.
They had one child about years of age,
and as their circumstances enabled them
they employed regular nurse. This
nurse was apparently model to her
profession, devotedly attached to chill
dren and of great reliability and dis
erection. The nurse had been in the en-
ploy of Mr.. Cooper for about twelve
months when another child was born,
and upon this nurse, Eliza Mickleth-
waite, devolved the duty of carrying and
tending to the infantile wants of the
I" little stranger" The baby was thriv-
ing, healthy boy, and attained the age
Of months without anything like symp-
toms of sickness or bad health. One day
the mother found her babe lying dead in
it's bassinet. Doctors were called in I; no
reason for this sudden death could be |
found a 7)Ost-naOrtem examination fol- |
lowed all of no avail. The dead re-
fused to yield up it's secret, and it was
buried with the body in the grave Two !
more years flew by and another boy was
born in the household, and it was nursed |
by the same woman. Three months |
elapsed and this babe was also found |
dead in its cot. This caused immense
excitement in the town. A Coroner's
inquest and post. norton examination
we're held, but nothing was elected.
After few months the public forgot ali
about it, when in another eighteen
months third guest was added to the
family, and this time a girl. This babe
was watched and tended with the greatest
devotion by the parents, and the nurse
IN particular, and the "little cherub"
;hrived amazingly until its fourth month,
when it, too, was suddenly stricken down
without apparent cause. The whole city
was now in commotion. The parents
we're arrested; an investigation and post
1aorten, examination was instituted. The
after was apparently about to terminate
n the same unsatisfactory manner as the
ormer, when a young doctor, named
Leblanc, asked permission to examine
he corpse of the child. This was ac-
corded, and to the doctor belonged the
honor of unraveling this dark mystery.
BY the aid of most powerful micro
scope he was just able to detect traces of
/ slight puncture in the brain, and thus
ind the cause of death. The parents
we're charged with murder, but, before
he trial began, to the astonishment of
very one who knew her, the nurse,
Eliza Micklethwaite, came forward and
that she was the murderess.
She admitted that she had killed all
.hree of the infants when asleep by
punching the brain through the coronal
Iuture with an exceedingly fine needle.
,be was arrested, found to be insane.