The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-25
HILDA On THE STAND.
The Little Servant Girl Tells
Her Story.
SHE MAKES A GOOD WITNESS.
Award OF the Jury in Great Northern
Condc mnation Case-The Haley
Hill Litig alton.

The second day OF the fll6l OF l1AAdSEhf1 huuu-
berg the little girl charged With poisoning the
/ ,ntaut child Of Frank W. Parker. crowded Judge
Huraes' court room, a considerable proportion
L of those present being women. The testimony
for the state was finished aud that OF the de-
4 fense begun With the close OF the days pro-
ceediugs the general impression of those who
heard the evidence was 10 the e6ec; that it was
beginning 10 take more favorable turn toward
tAe defendant
With the opening OF court IN the morning the
eross-examiaatioa OF Mrs. Parker was resumed.
She admitted that she did not know what was
IL the box from which her husband poured out
4 mixture to dose mice. aud that she had not
seen the LABEL she also made the statement
that she believed Hilda had taken the poison
either the night before or on the morning OF the
day the child had died and kept it in her room
10. use.
Coroner George NJ. Horton testified that in his
official capacity he had summoned jury TO in
ouIre into the circumstances of the chilc's
death He had made no analysis of the chiId's
stomach
Dr.. j. p. Loughary proved an important wit
ness He testified that he had made a chemical
analysis Of the contents OF the childs stomach
sad Of the stuff II had vomited up, and that he
hai found traces of arsenic. During sharp
cross-ex animation by Mr. Lewis the witness adj
rit,ed that death mig ut have resulted from the
use of mercGrial powders which it was in evil
eence the child had been taking. 1t was also
possible that the child might have been killed
from the use oi me iicines containing arsenic by
the accumulation of arsenic in the system.
DR.. Z. F. Stevens testified that he was called
% wait on the child on the day of It's death On
being told what it appeared to be suffering
from, be administered az emetic and the child
seemed relieved. He then went away He
sfterws-d made an analysis of the substance
which had come from the child's stomach and
had found traces OF arsenic
Frank Parker was recalled to testify concern
ing bis sprinkling rough on rats on some pieces
OF salmon in the presence of the defendant and
Of his warning her that it was poison.
The first witness for the defense was the &C.
eused herself. she is rather prepossessing
girl, apparently of considerable intelligence
Although seemingly somewhat awed by her
position and inclined to give way 20 tears, she
bore up brayely and gave her testimonv in
straightforward manner that carried good i'm
preston with ii. For one who according to tho
evidence had been in America but little over
ayear, her pronunciation of English was excel
lent, although she wss at times somewhat con-
fused by some OF the technical expressions and
legal phrases that she was called upon TO at
tempt to master. Upon the whole she made
splendid witness for herself. Her examination
began about o'clock. The substance of the
story that she told was as follows:
She was born in Sweden on June IL. 1873 She
came To America with her parents ana brothers
and sisters in October, ls9l- They went directly
TO Ballard, where she lived with her parents I'M
I'll she went TO the Parkers last April. She had
gone out to work because she wanted 10 acquire
the manners and customs OF this country and
70 learn 10 speak English. she had taken the
place by her own wish, because her parents had
promised her that they would send her in the
lei To q private school Her duties in the
Parker household were to look after the baby
and do kitchen work. On the day the child
died abe had been at WORK downstairs
up to the time Mr.. and Mrs. Parker
.t down to dinner at O'Clock.
Mrs. Parker had been upstairs with the baby
Tor nearly an hour before that time The wit
ness was washing dishes when she heard the
child cough, aud went upstairs to look after it.
kne took 1t into the bathroom, where there was
. water faucet, and began giving it water from
spoon, as she had been taught to do by Mrs
Parker She noticed then that there was a
brownish mud running out OF its mouth. She
al once called Mrs. Parker, who came upstairs,
and. after Looking at the child held IL I'D By the
foot, head downward. and shook il. after which
abe washed ous its mouth with "A sponge
on which was brownish liquid like
that which came from the chiid's mouth.
nrs Parker then tod the witness to give
The child the uurse-bottle. She did So and il
became quiet Mrs. Parker then went down
stairs to her dinner. Soon the child be-
gan TO cough again. Mrs Parker came up stairs
again aud asked her If she had been giving the
child anything. She replied that she had not
given IL anything. Mr. Parker then came Ilp
stairs ard found the child vomiting He
grew Quiet again. The witness then went down
stairs aud ate her dinner, after which she went
out into the yard to play with Mrs. Parker's g.
year-old daught and another little girl Ina
few minutes Mr. Parker came out and told her
70 go into the house and build fire she did
30 and then returned to the yard. shortly a.
Nfward hrs. Parker came out. gave her D
cents and told her to go into the house pack
Der things and so home, without giving her any
explanation for ordering her to do 80 When
the went away she aid not know that the child
Was any worse. The witness had never seen the
poison except when Mr. Parker put 1t on the
esh. and she did not know where ii was kept
thorough cross-examination by Prosecuting
Attorney Miller did not shake the girls story
ehe admitted that Mrs. Parker was kind 10 her
ard that she had a nice place, but although her
testimony III chief was gone over in detail, she
did not contradict herself to any extent. The
crosse Examination was not ended when court
adjourned at O'clock, aud Will be resumed this
r0ruing.
tpon the a iiournment OF court Hida and her
father and mother who have never left her dur
Tag the course ., the trial. were surrounded by
party Of friends and neignbors, who were full
OF words O! comfort ana cheer. There we're
quite number Of young girls. who crowded
ieT"ari 10 greet liza aud give evidences of
Their friendship. Scarcely one Of them but
vas crying, bat through the tears they smiled
and told their .itt.e friend 10 he brave
THE IERnEflt nix aon