The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-08
THE MURDERED BABY
Parker's Nursemaid Held for
Poisoning Her Charge.
EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST.
Child Jury Believes the Girl
Guilty and She Ia Arrested.

The inquest on the remains of Richard
Parker. the infant son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Frank W. Parker, who died Monday
morning at O'Clock of arsenical poison
ing, was held by Coroner Horton yester-
day, and resulted in the child's nurse,
HiIdegard Rudberg l4-year-old Swed-
ish girl. being arrested upon a charge of
murder. The girl is now in the county
jail awaiting hearing.
The coroner impaneled Jury at Bonney
d Stewards undertaking rooms yesterday
morning at 10 o'clock and the first witness
called was Frank w. Parker. He testified
that the day before the child died he was
in the kitchen putting some trough on
rats" powder on piece OF salmon for the
purpose of killing rats, when the nurse
girl, who watched him, asked:
"Will that stuff kill people, too?"
"Well, l should say So" replied Mr..
Parker
The next afternoon Sunday at 20 o'clock,
while he and Mrs. Parker were at dinner,
they heard the baby crying up stairs. and,
after calling to the girl several times with
out getting an answer. Mrs. Parker went
to see what was the matter.
Mrs. Parker was then called, and she
testified that when she reached the baby
the nurse girl was endeavoring to put
some water down its throat. She took the
infant and wiped from its mouth brown
substance resembling rough on rats. The
girl acted very queerly and, when ques-
toned as to how the substance came in
the baby's mouth, said she did not know.
She denied giving 1t anything. Mrs.
Parker was suspicious, and sent the girl
away. Physicians were then called, and
endeavored in vain to save the child. as 1t
died the following morning at o'clock.
Expert testimony regarding the con-
tents of the baby's stomach was given by
Drs. Laughary and Stevens. Both physi-
clans declared that the substance which
came out Of the infants mouth contained
arsenic and the stomach also exhibited
symptoms of arsenical poisoning.
The jury was out but few minutes, and
rendered the following verdict:
We, the coroner's jury in the case OF the death
of the child of F. W. Parker. find, from evidence
given by witnesses examined, that 1t died from
the effects of poisoning, and 1t is our opinion
also that the poison was administered by its
nurse girl, Hiidsgard Rudberg
Immediately after the post norton ex-
animation, which was held on the infant
Monday afternoon, Sheriff Woolery sent
Deputy Jack Mcdonald to Ballard with
instructions to shadow the suspected
nurse girl and arrest her if she made any
attempt to leave the town. The deputy
was on guard all night and at no time
could the girl have escaped. When the
Jury brought in its verdict yesterday, Cor
oner Horton. accompanied by Prosecuting
Attorney Miller, went before Justice
Neagle and swore out warrant charging
Hildegard Rudberg with murder. Dep
uty Sheriff Wells went to Ballard with
the warrant and met Deputy Mcdonald.
Together they proceeded to the humble
abode of the girls parents and placed
her under arrest. When the officers
took her away she cried piteously and de-
clared that she was innocent. She is a
small girl, wears short dresses and does
not look at all like criminal.
Her parents were overcome with grief
at their daughters arrest, and her
mother almost went into Mysteries. She
was placed in the county Jail, where she
is now held for examination.