The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-11-20
INFANTICIDE.
ANOTHER BAY VIEW SEN SATION.
A Father Charged with The Killing Of His
Infant Child.

Quite stir was created at Bay View, on
! Monday, by the reported killing Of a newly
/ born babe by its father The facts of the case
are as follows:
Nathan Tyson, 4 man of about ~ years of
/ age, resided with his wife short distance
from the village of Bay View. They had IA
family of three children, two of whom are
living in the family Of neighborS and the
other ut home. Tyson was Very poor and
i'll bad health, barely able to keep the wolf
from the door. 1t was known to his neigh
: hprs that his wife WAS about to give birth
to Il fourth child. and ON Sunday, when il
/ VAS heard by some of them that she had
been or was about 10 be confined, three
ladies' headed by Mrs. Mary Riddle, Went
To the house to offer their services. They
We're refused admittance, and after vanly
, trying TO induce Tyson to open the door,
they returned home. This circumstance
aroused suspicion III the minds of the neigh
borS ami the next morning Constable De
ford, accompanied by one or two persons,
went to the house to inquire into the mat
ter. They found that Mrs. Tyson had given
birth to Il child some hours previous, but as
the child was not to be seen, they asked
where il was. He replied, at is put away
and is all right" This is all they could get
out of him: they began 4 search, and
finally fnand the body of the infant in Il
box in the hog pen. Tyson had made, rs
he afterwards admitted, box for the body,
aud finding il too small, had doubled it up
and forced it into it, and then put this box
inside of il larger one and nailed it up and
placed il where il was found.
His statement was that The child was horn
on Saturday morning; that his wife object
ed To his going for a doctor or nurse; that
he would not admit Mrs Riddle when she
came. because he did moi like her: and that
he had acted rs both doctor and nurse. He
stated that an hour 50 after the child was
born it took the breast, and that about
twelve hours afterwards, while he was hold
ing it, II suddenly vomited some hile-like
substance and INSTANTLY died
Under the circumstances Justice Benia-
min considered it his duty to investigate
the case. Heaccordingly summoned II Jury
of inquest and proceeded to take all the
evidence bearing upon it that could be oh
tanned Mrs. Tyson, the mother, testified
to the birth of the child and following events
substantially as her husband had stated
them, except thai she said, when charged
10 tell the whole truth. that her husband
had administered to the babe three tea
spounfuis OF laudanum at three different
timeS-at intervals of about an hour-and
that it died twelve hours after birth. Dr.
Hou, ckceper testified to the fact of its hay
ing been Il live and perfect child Tyson
denied the giving of three teaSpoonfuls OF
laudanum, but admitted that he had given
it three doses of four or five drops each
Other parties testified To Tyson having, be-
fore the birth of the child, threatened to put
it ouI of the way on account of his extreme
poverty.
1t is thought by most persons having any
acquaintance with him, that he (Tyson)
being in very poor health and in extreme
poverty, has, by hroodng over his miSfor-
tunes, become deranged and altogether of
uasound mind. He was 4 soldier during
the war in the Sixth Maryland Regiment
and none bore better reputation for bravery
than he. He was at that time a large, strong,
and hearty man, but is now Il complete
wreck.
He explains the hiding of the body in the
empty hog pen, by saying that his neigh
bors We're meddlesone, and he did not WANT
them come around him. especially the above
H.. .,
Tyson has been regarded rs queer, if not
actually demented. At the time of this
occurrence, efforts were being made by some
of his friends to have him admitted to the
soldiers Home, at Washington. He is now
in Jail, in this town, where he will remain ,
for the action of the court next month No
one looks upon this as Il case of intentional
murder. The worst face that can be put
upon it is, that the man, driven to daSpera- |
ton by sickness and poverty, and by brood /
ing over his troubles, had, in moment of ,
insanity, administered the laudanum, which /
resulted in the childs death. Whether he
was at the time morally responsible for the !
act, is a question for the court 10 determine.
1t is not the fact as stated by sensational /
newspapers, that Tyson has the reputation
of being Il brutal and fiendish man. On
the contrary, he has always been quiet
and orderly man-those who know him
best stating that he had never been disor-
derby or vicious. His manner, too, indi-
Gates a melancholy tendency rather than
that of Il violent or turbulent disposition
He has, for about three Years past, been
physically unable to do any kind of work
and has been supported by the charitable
contributions of his neighborS, which GER
tainly would not have been the case had
he been the fiend some newspapers make
him ont.
\ little over 4 year ago he called at the .
office OF TIL" wing, and pleading his great
poverty and poor health, asked or aid in
getting home for his children. At that
time his condition aroused our sympathies
He appeared to feel his misfortuneS very
arutelv.
MeSSr> Warburton and Wilson. Tyson'S
counsel, have requested the sheriff not to
allow any one to interview the prisoner
there being too prevalent a disposition upon
the part of news mongerS to eXaggerate and