Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-04-03

OF THE DEAD INFANT, FOUND ON
THE LAND OF JUDGE n. c. ALLEN ON
THE MORNING OF MAROH, %, 1850.
A Corners Jury consisting of Jas. ii.
Rodefier, Coroner; and Messrs. Isaac
Haas, William Haas, William Gillock, @.
II. p. Liudamood, Peter IIoshour, and j.
W. Wenger, Jurors held meetings from
time to time in the law Office Of Walker,
investigating the murder and abandon
ment of a child within the Corporation.
X. II. Martin as Clerk, Robt. J. Walker as
Commonwealth Attorney, and Gen. Jas.
II. Williams AZ "City" advocate, were
present at the meetings. Below is given
the testimony of the physicians, and It's
perusal may assist any person who desires
and is endeavoring TO discover the guilty
party or parties. All testimony with re-
gard to suspected parties is omitted az
a rigid investigation showed each to be
innocent. The Mayor has offered re-
ward Of Fifty Dollars for the arrest and
convictions Of the guilty party or parties.
NOTES or TESTIMONY.
Isaac Haas While passing in the road,
saw the buzzards fly up out Of field. Re-
turniug noticed them again. stopped az
the fence and looked over. Saw some
thing resembling head of a child. Went
over into the field and found child. Time
between 10 and IL am. Covered 1t with
straw to keep buzzards away until came
TO town and notified coroner. When first
saw it, body entirely exposed. Head lying
toward fence. Hair seen distinctly. Re
turned from town to-day. Found crowd
Of % OF 30 persons there. Body turned a
little, probably by buzzards which had
been there again. Thought it had all the
limbs when first found. When saw II
after returned, one gone. Found handker-
chief at fence about twenty yards from
body This was afterwards found to have
been there ten weeks ago..
DID. ID. Carter Was summoned by
deputy sheriff Found body to be that oil
fully developed child. Distended lungs
proyed that the child had breathed. Lungs
/ light in weight, fully developed and
floating high up half above water
Lived long enough to breathe freely as air
had penetrated to all parts Of lungs.
White slime on body showed that it had
never been washed. Indications were
that child had lived a short while. Blood
thin and ran ont nothing to indicate. It's
having been buried.
DIR. J. S. Irwin:-Corroborated Dr.
Carriers testimony. Could not have lain
out all night without freezing Lungs
we're tested in his presence.
DIR. d. d. Carter fRecalled) Said 1t
was female. Thinks it was white. Fca-
tures indicated white child. II African
blood in it, only a small quanty. skin
fir. Hair straight and light in color
DIR. d. -. Carter (Recalled third time) :
Said he exhumcd the body in company
with Town Sergeant Geo. r. Frayel. His
first conviction that it was n white child
confirmed. African blood did not show.
Possible for a small amount Of African
blood to exist at tLat age and not show.
DIR. J. l.. Campbell Said he made ex-
animation Of child. Had come to about
its full term. Might possibly have been
hurried little. Sex, female. Not posi-
tive as to color. Thought it might have
been colored child. Nose, teeth, hair,
that of colored and chin, that Of
white child; but hard to tell at that age
From shape of child's nose, &c, if had to
express an opinion, would say it was that
of mulatto. Persons could give birth to
a child one day and work the next but
such was a rare case. Hard to discover
the fact of birth few days after, harder
as time increased
Dr. G. W. Magruder Said woman
could give birth to child one day aud
work the next, but such was an extreme
case. Recited several incidents of such
that he knew. Very difficult to determine
race of child at that age when one parent
is white and other nearly so. Examna.
ton of hair with the microscope showed
that it was little doubtful as to race
African hair, curly, coarse, woody. a
latness about colored persons hair not
the case with that of a white person. This
hair has a straight appearance.
THE VERDICT.
After rigid investigation of all the
clews and an examination Of witness, on
March 25th, the jury rendered the follow
ing verdict;
"The Jurors sworn to inquire when
how. and by what means, the said infant
child came to its death, upon their OATH
do say, That the said infant child came
TO its death by the hands of some person
or persons unknown TO the jury"