Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-12
TWO ML-FATED INNOCENTS.
One Killed and the Other Deserted
by Unworthy Parents.
BOTH AT THE OPEN DOOR.
A Crazy Mother Doses an Infant
With Carbolic Acid-A Waif
Guarded by e
Spaniel.
Murdered Her Child.


About 8 O'Clock yesterday morning, man
and woman drove in a closed carriage to the
Open Door, and asked for the matron.
Mrs. Clark met them on the front porch.
The man carried an infant child, ana SAID
the female with him was the mother, and
wanted them both cared for ut the home
Mrs. Clark received the unfortunate creature
and her offspring, and put them to bed. The
young mother acted strangely. The man
said she was crazy, and had given
the baby dose of poison to
kill II. On making an examination,
Mrs Clark discovered that the child's mouth,
checks, chm and neck, were burned black
with carbolic acid which the wretched mother
had spilled trying to force dose down the
little throat. She ut once took the poor thing
to her own room and attempted to relieve it
but her efforts proved fruitless, The baby
died at O'Clock. Up to that time, Mrs.
ties to the reporters. She told BEE man,
however, that the woman's brother.in-law
had brought her to the Open Door from his
residence where she had given birth to the
child. Shortly after the latter was born,
and while left alone, the mother
got out of her bed and searched through
three rooms for the poison to murder it with.
After telling Mrs. Clark the story substan-
instructions about what to do for the woman,
the man who had accompanied her went
away. -tA
Coroner Drexel was notified and removed
the body TO his establishment, where an in
quest will be held at 10 o'clock to-day.
He was unable to ascertain from Mrs.
Clark the name OF the unnatural mother,
though from other sources it was learned
that she was named Clara Meayers. The
brother-in-law has not yet been found out.
The coroner says that there is no question
that murder mas been committed, and will
get at the real facts tomorrow. @-.
The woman's sister and her husband are
very anxious to have the matter smoothed
over, but from present appearances it prom
ises to develop into decidedly bad state of
affairs all around. Tue girls full name
could not be learned The sister and her
husband told The BEE representative the
name was Clara Myers, but there is reason
to believe this was incorrect. She told Mrs.
Clark her name was Lena. 1t is
stated that the girl is half
sister to L. A. Marsh, the butcher. The
broth sr-ln-law is a bartender in the saloon at
the corner of Saunders and Charles street.
His name is William Ellersick, and he lives
over the saloon in three rooms, For short
time previous to October, of last year. he
kept the hotel and restaurant, known as the
New York hotel, at I'll North Sixteenth
street, The girl Lena was employed to work
around the house, and she says that one day
when she was making the bed in one of the
rooms the man who occupied the room came
in, locked the door, threw her on
the bed and accomplished her ruin.
Immediately safterward he took his valise
and decamped, and she has not seen him
since. She SAID nothing about the matter to
anyone, but went on with her duties as
usual. In October the family removed to
their quarters on Saunders street. and. the
girl went with them to assist her sister, who
became the mother of twins When Lena
began to show symptoms of maternity she
told her sister she was suffering from dropsy,
and as their mother had been afflicted with
ann n ffny ,Nfh
ing of the matter. About four days
before Lena was confined Mrs. Eller-
sick says the girl went to Drs. Belts 81
Belts, on Farnam street, who told her what
was the matter with her. When she was
confined DR. Il. l.. Alexander attended her.
The baby was a fine looking, healthy child
and was born June 5. H -t lt.,
= The Ellersicks were greatly excited and
very. much afraid the affair would become
known. Every precaution was taken to pre-
vent the neighbors from learning anything
of the affair.". Ellersck went to Mrs. Clark
and asked her if he could bring the girl to
the Open Door. He said they were cramped
for room and his wife was not able to take
care of the girl. s.s44 al l3..a 70, !
The mother and baby were taken to the
Open Door about O'Clock Tuesday morning.
Ellersick gave as q reason for coming at that
late hour, that q hack would attract too
much attention in the neighborhood of his
home earlier in the evening.
Mrs. EllerSick was seen and says she
doesn't know how or when the girl got the
bottle of carbolic acid with which she poi
soned the baby, as she was only left alone
few moments aboutS a. N. If this is the
case, it puts a very strange light on the
whole affair, as the bottle of acid is said to
have been found in the kitchen, which would
lead to tine supposltion that the girl went out
into the kitchen, about fifty feet, by
herself, when the sister was out,
poured the acid into some vessel, and ad
ministered it later, or that she was assisted
in the matter by some one else, as the poison
was given to the little one some time in the
afternoon. The child must have screamed
when the acid touched it, as the face and
throat were horribly burned. 1t seems
strange that the sisters attention was not
attracted to the affair. sy aAa
The girl herself processes entire ignorance
of the occurrence, saying continually that
she knows nothing about it. She asked Mrs.
Clark If her baby was dead before anything
had been said to her by anyone at the Open
Door about the child, and did not seem
either surprised or sorry when told it was
dead. EaH ..