Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-08-20
CORA BLAKE IN JAIL.
SIZE is HELD FOX EXAMINATION.
a Coroner's Jury Decides that there
is Probable Cause &c Believe
She Killed fser BABY.

SOfohor bfaulrh gee&foag hhielhe4oo d
jury 10 investigate the case OF the bah, found
IL the clstern al III Carrier street as related
IN this paper yesterday morning. The IN
quest wac held IN tie Supervisors room Ia
Court Block. Mr.. Daniels. whose family
occupies the house where the baby was
found, Was the first witness. de testified
that be moved into the house, which had
been vacant since lest Winter, June 5. The
cistern, which IL ln the cellar. Was dry at
that time and he thinks II had been cleaned
just before he moved into the house The
only way TO get 10 the elsteFn Was TO 40
through the kltehea or through windows
protected by stats. aud the slats apparently
had not been disturbed. lie could not
give theory a. 10 how the baby got into the
cistern. Mrs. Daniels oorroborated her bus
band as 10 the location of the clstern, time
they moved into the house. etc She sald
that girl named Cora Blake entered her
employ June IL. Previous TO that she no
ticed disagreeable odor about the house
but supposed II came from the sink. The
odor increased until IL became unboarabie
and an investigation proved that II came
from the cistern. Then the cistern was
opened and the body found fostiLI on the
water. Cora Blake appeared Ia lie very
good girl, was never out nights, had no call
ers, and was liked by her employers. One
day about two weeks ago she was not feeling
day, but prepared the meals aud did
her work as usual. The next day che
did large washing. Mrs. Daniels
did not notice anything wrong In the girl's
appearance or conduct. and was confident
the baby could not have been born In the
house without her knowledge
DIR. Maxim testified A. TO the autopsy.
When the child was taken from the cistern
strip of calico was hanging around its neck.
1t was what l. called full time child. the
nails and hair being well developed. That
IL had lived after birth was proved by the
fact that the lungs and heart had been in
fiated sufficiently TO float when placed in
water. In his opin ion the child WAS born
alive. He could not say just how long the
body had lain in the water, II might have
been two weeks or longer.
Detective Cast was sworn and testified rs
to the appearance of the remains when TAX
en- from the cisterD. He made thorough
examination of tine premises and found that
the calico around the neck Of the baby WAS
a part OF sleeve apparently torn from a
dress. Then he found a dress skirt of the
same material as the sleeve. The skirt be-
longed to Cora Blake. He was not asked
directly for his opinion, but his manner
showed plainly that he believed the girl
knew how the baby came Ia be IN the cist-
ern. The Coroner then decided To call
Cora Blake a. a witness, but before doing 20
had Harvey Joslin appointed ~ her counsel.
Mr.. Joslin then held private con-
sultation with her and she was
placed under oath. She said she came here
in June to look for work and obtained her
situation at Mr.. Daniels's through an intel
ligence Office. She denied that she knew
anything about the baby found in the cis-
tern, but admitted that child was born TO
her in May at Laporte. She said she never
saw the child and did not know what became
of IT. In regard to the dress-skirt she sd-
mitted that II belonged TO her, but denied
that she ever had waist Of the same ma
terial. She WAS not questioned closely, but
allowed to tell her story in her own way.
David COwell, the policeman who doee
duty at the Union Depot, was called, and
the 10th of June. as she arrived on a train
from the south. That was the day before
she went to work for Mrs. Daniels. She told
him she wanted situation and he directed
her to an intelligence office.
After a short deliberation the jury rem
dered the following verdict: I'VE find that
the child came to it's death from strangula-
ton, and that its body WAS afterward put in
the cistern, and we find that there is prob
able cause to believe that said child was
killed by Cora Blake. and we recommend
that said Cora Blake be held for examination
upon the charge of murder"
The girl was then placed in charge of
Deputy Sheriff Saunders and taken to jsil. A
formal complaint will probably be fled
against her to-day. She is quite a pretty,
modest looking girl, apparently 10 years Of
age. She was present at the inquest and
was not noticeably affected by the testimony
nor by the announcement of the verdict
When told that she would have to 60 TO Jail
che seemed TO have expected il and vent
away unconcernedly. None of the officers
were heard TO express an opinion in the
matter. but some of the spectators we're in
clined to believe that If she killed the baby
she did il at Laporte, and brought tn, body
here in her trunk or sstchel- Mrs. Daniels
has baby that was born just before they
moved into the Carrier street house.