Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-28
HERLIFE BEATEN OUT
A MOTHER CHARGED WITH THUS
BRUTALLY NUMBERING HER CHILD.
Mack bradshaw rs Accessory
Both Now in Jail.

Martha King, q negro woman about
thirty years old, who lives at Shortpump,
in Henrico county about sixteen miles
from Richmond. was brought to the city
last night by constable and locked up in
the county Jail on the charge of beating
her thirteen-year- stepdaughter, Mary
L. King, TO death.
Mack Bradshaw, colored man living at
the same place, was brought along as an
accessory 10 the brutal crime and also in-
ca-cerated in the Henrico prison.
The two negroes arrested live on the
farm of Mr.. jackson, but their home Is
about a mile from that OF any other house.
Thursday they went to the store of Mr..
Bolen, merchant in the neighborhood,
and attempted TO buy some cloth with
which TO line coffin. They said that
Martha's daughter was dead and they were
preparing TO bury her.
MIR. Bolen's suspicious were excited,
however. by their actions and the fact that
some of the colored people in the neigh
borhood said that the mother of the dead
child would allow no one in the house. He
went TO the cabin where the dead child
lay and saw the corpse.
BADLY BRUISED AND BFATEN.
An examination showed that the child
seemed to be badly bruised and beaten,
but tho stepmother said her death, oc-
Cured from cholera-morbus caused by
eating corn.
Mr.. Bolen notified Mr.. S. r. Mathews, a
justice of the peace, who proceeded TO IN
vestigate the case and sent for DR.. Lee w.
Station, q physician who. lives on the
suburbs of this city, to make post-morten
examination.
Yesterday afternoon Or. Station went to
the house where the child lay and made q
careful examination into the causes OF her
death. The girl, who was bright mulat-
TO and very intelligent-looking, lay upon
the bed. Her hands and face were badly
bruised, and on being stripped of her
clothing scars were found all over her
body and her flesh was horribly confused.
To the Doctor the stepmother also stated
that her daughter had died from eating
corn, but the physician upon opening the
cavity of the child's stomach found no
grain whatever. Her kidneys were badly
bruised and there was about pint OF
blood around her intestines.
AN INQUEST HELD.
After the posi-nOrtem examination an in
quest was held. The jury was composed
of the following men : A. NJ. wade,
Thomas n. Brown. s. b. Alley, Joseph L.
Alley. and b. s. Alley (white), and Leroy
Smith (colOred).
suited from injuries received on her body
and stomach at the hands of Martha King
and Mack Bradshaw.
The direct cause Of the child's death,
from a medical standpoint, seemed to be
peritonitis. which evidently set in directly
after she was beaten.
THE TWO ARRESTED.
Martha, the stepmother, and Bradshaw.
who live in the same house, were arrested.
Even after the woman had been told of
the examination OF the stomach and the
fact that no grain was found in 1t she
stoutlv maintained that death was caused
by eating corn The negro man arrested
refused TO make any statement what
ever,
A negro boy about ten years old who is
the son of Martha King, was also found to
be badly bruised and beaten, but very
little information could be obtained from
him. He seemed 10 be afraid to talk, but
stated that his mother had whipped him.
THE WOMAN HAS BAD NAME.
The negro woman who was arrested has
a bad reputation in the neighborhood
where the crime was committed After
the circumstances attendant upon the
chlld's death became known in the vicinity
of the crime the darkies were very indlg-
nant and made many threats against the
cruel mother and her accomplish.
The prisoners were taken before Justice
Matthews Yesterday afternoon about $3.50
O'Clock, and after brief examination both
were sent on TO the grand jury.
The father of the dead girl Is said to
be i'll Philadelphia.
The prisoners were brought to Richmond
last night in the custody OF Constable
Charles i. Anderson. They left Short
pump about o'clock and reached the
suburbs of Richmond by 10. or perhaps
few minutes before that time. DIR. Station,
the physician who made the post p,Oriem
and held the inquest, preceded the party
and brought the news of the affair to Rich
mond.
QUEER To BEHOLD.
The constable with his prisoners halted
for few minutes in front of the drugstore
of Mr.. James V. Ramos, near the western
corporate limits. and while there the party
was eyed with considerable interest by
several persons who had heard Of the
affair. A Dispatch reporter, having been in
formed of the crime and the arrest OF the
two negroes, was among the crowd, and
was particularly impressed with the
rusticity OF the, party. A negro
man. the whites Of whose eyes appear
ed in the darkness like goose-eggs on q
charcoal-pile, sat on the drivers seat Of
one of the wagons, which was covered with
mud The two prisoners, apparently IN
different as TO the gaze of the crowd, sab
motionless in the vehicle with that stO-
icism upon their features which no Cau-
casian can assume. The woman was
wrapped in a shawl and had her back turn
ed 10 the crowd, so that her face could not
be seen, but the man faced those who look
ed upon him without fear or embarrassment.