The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-01-22
A Eolored Nurse Poisons One Child and
Buries Another in the Snow.

the family Of Mr. Charles Rutledge, of Parkton, is
in Tewson jail. on the charge of attempting to Kill
months by 6urying the child in the snow.
Monday Of last Meek s the gs n
borhood. The same night a young marri-
ed couple who board with the Rutledge's
were rather noisy and Mrs. Rutledge went up stairs
several times to if her little daughter had been
b wep in TO psrak
refreshments. and when they left Mrs. Rutledge
paid another visit to little Grace. Again she found
her quietly sleeping Mrs. Rutledge and her board
ers then went into the sittingro leaving the
girl in the kitchen washing the dishes. Ten min
utes later Mrs. Rutledge entered the kitchen and
found the door leading up stairs and also the out
side door open. The colored girl was not in sight,
Calling the girl and receiving no answer she ran
greatly alarmed, ran down stairs and met the coll
ored girl coming into the house. Being questioned
house door She said she had left the baby all
right and had shut the outside door when she left
The room in which the baby had been left was
thoroughly searched but the child could not be
found. The girl manifested the greatest distress,
exclaiming that the baby must have been stolen.
the house, aroused the neghbors, a number of
whom joined in the search. Some started in the
direction of a clump of woodland. hundred yards
from the house. Its no use going up there" the
girl said, " cause if anybody had a-gOne that way
I'd a seen them when was at the chicken-house."
Inc SearcnSlS were LnuS iHrOMu ou luc SCENT.
While looking in another place Pleasant Lyle
and Edward Eaton, two railroad men, shouted that
they heard baby crying and the sound seemed TO
come from the woods. AS this announcement was
made the colored girl darted up the hill and re-
turned in moment. No more sounds were heard,
but Mr.. Lyle seeing footprints leading up the hill
followed them and saw something moving III the
snow 1t was little Grace clad in her night-cothes.
half-covered with snow, with small shawl across
her face and with an old fOOt-tub over her head
and body He shouted out that he had found the
baby. The first to reach the spot was Blanche,
who took the baby in her arms and carried IL to
the house, apparently overjoyed at recovering her
charge.
The tracks were distinct in the snow Mr.. Price
g marked them with sticks and getting Blanches
shoes found they fitted the footprints exactly.
When accused of putting the child in the snow
she denied it at first but upon being threatened
with hanging she confessed that she had thrown
the child in the snow because she tired of TAX
ing care Of it. BY careful nursing the effects Oh
exposure upon the child were counteracted.
1t is believed that when the child'S cries were
heard the girl ran to it and placed the foot-tub
over its head to drown the infants walls, which 1t
did efectually.
On the Sd of December Mrs. Rutledge's little boy
Stanley, aged y months was placed in the color
ed girls charge. Shortly afterwards he began TO
scream with pain and died. When the girl admit
ted she had placed the baby in the snow some one
it is said, did not deny it. When the little boy
died the girl suggested that he had gotten piece
of cheese with rat poison on it that had been pac-
ed back in corner on a cupboard shelf. Some
crumbs OF cheese were afterwards found under the
lounge on which the little boy had been placed.
The baby, Grace, was also taken violently sick at
The same time. but after vomiting became hetter.
MIR. and Mrs. Rutledge are well known in the up
per end of The county. Mrs. Rutledge is a sister
of Mrs. Thomas E. Harris, of Bel Air.