Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1882-06-03

RUMORED MURDER.
A POst.AIOrtem Proves that the
Child Died a Natural Death.


The whole town was rife with rumors
yesterday afternoon, to the effect that the
wife of Jack Harmon had killed her child,
a little baby boy, eight weeks old. All
sorts of stories were told about it. Some
said that the mother, in a state of drunk
enness, had lain upon the infant and
smothered it; others said she had thrown
the baby down the steps and broken ita
arm and neck. Our reporter could trace
these stories to no responsible source. he
went among the neighbors to inquire and
could gather nothing from them of the
affair but hearsay and a repetition OF the
various current street rumors. With
the exception OF Mrs. George Clarke. who
lives next door to the house Of the Hun
mons, they really knew nothing of the case.
Mrs. Clarke says that at half-past 10
O'Clock Yesterday morning she heard the
eldest daughter of Mrs. Harmon cry out:
ooh, mamma, you've killed our baby, and
what can I tell papa when he comes
homer" Later she heard the mother of
the baby crying out over and over again :
I've killed my baby, I've killed my little
baby |" Mrs. Clarke told u reporter
that the woman kept up this cry
until 8 o'clock in the afternoon. At
8 O'Clock in the evening Coroner Smith
called in DR.. Bishop to go with him to the
house which ia situated near the Metamo.
ras works, on the corner Of Edwards and
Robbins streets. Officer Long, who had
been industriously trying to get at the
facts of the case, a SENTINEL reporter and
several others accompanied the Coroner
and the Doctor. AS the party entered the
house there was an eager crowd of persons
congregated about the door, excited and
anxious to hear the truth with regard to
the alleged horror. The baby was neatly
laid out in a pretty little white dress, and
it looked as though it had fallen asleep.
DR.. Bishop, who had not then heard the
rumors that were circulating, merely
looked at the child's face, n questioned
| the mother, who told a fair, plausible
| story, saying that the baby had a bad case
| of whooping cough, and in a spasm OF
| coughing it had choked to death at II 80
| O'Clock in the morning. The face of the
little thing certainly looked serene and
| bore no expression Of pain. From its ears
| extending under the head, the neck, by
| the settling Of blood, was discolored. DR..
| Bishop thought from the appearance OF the
| child. under q casual examination, and
| from the mothers seemingly straight
| forward story, that the case looked like one
| of natural death, and that nothing Of foul
play go far was discernible. The investigat-
ing party withdrew outside. where they
met Ellen Harmon, a girl between . and 0
wears old, who told a straight story, say
ing that the baby died in it's mothers lap,
| and thar her mother treated it the best she
could. Still this is the same little girl
whom Mrs. George Clark heard cry out
and accuse her mother Of killing the baby.
| DR.. Bishop, being informed of the stories
| Of foul play that were going the rounds on
| the street, determined to thoroughly ex-
anime the baby's body, and DR.. Williams
| was sent for at once to laid him IN the ex-
animation. These physicians had the
| body stripped, and tried every bone and
| Joint to detect any fracture or disloeation.
| and they scrutinized the skin to discover
any unnatural discoloration. They say
| they found nothing Of the sort, and they
are satisfied that the child died a natural
death.
We have given the details OF this affair
in order to answer at once the 1,OOl ques-
tions asked about it all over town. We
have given the facts in the case as we got
them. The opinion of the physicians,
based upon a thorough post mortem exam
nation, will no doubt satisfy the public
that the unfortunate mother is innocent
Of the murder OF her little child.