Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-06
VERY DAMAGING TESTIMONY Brought Out in the Coroner'S h.
 veStigation
OF TOMMY HOWE'S DEATH
Report of me Examining Physicians State ments Revealing Unheard of Brutality
 The Stepmother's Statement

The Stepmother'S Statement
 At Il o'clock yesterday morning Coro- ner Dusenberry, with the following jurors: l.. K. McMillar, W. M, Newton, P. M. Lemon, w. l.. Simmons and M. J. Collins, began an Investigation of the death of Tommy Howe the 3-year-old child of MT. II. H. Howe, whose mysterious death was announced in the Age-Herald a few days ago. The inquest was held in the circuit court room and a large number of witnesses were examined. Officer Divine of the Birmingham police force assisted the coroner
 After the witnesses were called they were sworn and put under the rule.
 pr. J. s. Gillespie, the county phy sician, who conducted the examination of the body, assisted by DTS. w. N. Shoe maker and J. D. Gibson. had prepared report of the findings of the physicians, which was handed the coroner and read before the jury, It was as follows:
 The Physicians Report.
 Birmingham, Ala, Aug. 30, 1895.
 Dear Sir: l have this day examNed the body of Thomas Howe and find tNe following condition: Small scalp wound on back of head, the result of a blow or fall; quite a number of bruises on back and right side of body, caused l think from licfs or blows inflicted with a small blunt stick, switch, lash or other instru- ment; on right arm there Is a large hruise which appears to have been caused by grasp from some ones hand.
 On post mortem examination I find no evidence of injury from external blows. 1 find tuberculosis of the mesentery or what is better known as consumption of the bowels.
 1t is my opinion that the immediate cause of death was exhaustion, caused in part, if not entirely, by the severe punishment inflicted on the child. Very respectfully, J. s. GILLESPIE,
 County Physician.
 We were present when the autopsy was held and concur in the above opinion.
 w. N. SHOEMAKER, M. D.
 J. D. GIBSON, M. D.
 The Accused Testifies.
 Mrs. Laura Howe, the stepmother of the dead child, and who, with Ellen Moore, ,colored, has been held in GUS tody, charged with the death of the child, was first called She was neatly dressed in black and wore a dlack straw hat and gloves.
 Her statement was as follows:
 My name is Laura Howe and I live in Jonesville, two blocks from the Wesley Chapel church, on Sixteenth street. | married MT Howe a year from July 21, this year. I was raised in Paducah, Ky. l have been away from there off and on six years. My father is dead. My moth sr was living when last heard from my people. l have been married twice moved from Paducah to Georgia and married J. H. Tant in Dula county, Georgia, in 1888, I think. My husband and I moved to Columbus, Ga, thence to Girard, Ala. At the latter place he died. He was cotton factory hand. He lived about year and half after our marriage. My people were angry because I married again. After my first husband died I worked in the cotton fac tory at Columbus, Ga a good long while. then came to Birmingham. It was af- ter the Hawes riot in 1890. 1 worked first for a family named Brantley, who kept a boarding house. l also worked for Mrs. Dougherty and Mrs Penn and MT and Mrs Yost, Third avenue and Fourteenth street. When I married MT. Howe I was keeping house for him. l went to his house in June, 1894, and married in July, 1894. l went from Mrs. Yosts to MT. Howe's house. He came after me to keep house for him.
 I heard a noise last Friday morning and fall afterwards on the back porch of our house. When l heard the fall 1 went as fast as I could to the back porch and found the child laying on the ground, and seemed to me to be faintng. l picked it up and called to my colored servant to bring me camphor. l then asked for some hot water and sent for MT. and Mrs. Carter, my next door neighbors. 1 began bathing the child, but Mrs. Carter said it was no use, as the child was dying. I got MT. and Mrs. Carter to send for MT. Howe. It was in the morning. cannot say exactly what time it was. I had not been accustomed to getting up very early, as l have been ill. It was about 7:15 o'clock, as best l can say
 The childs father had started to his work but a few moments before. I was away from home all the day before the child died.
 I picked the child up after falling and carried it into the house and began bath ing it's face with camphor I then put it in a tub of hot water (not very hoD. Some of the neighbors picked it out of the water and put 1t on the bed, and it con- tinued rolling it's eyes and chewing it's tongue. There was a gash on the back of it's head and little blood was issuing from the wound when I picked it up. I noticed some scars on the child's body when I was undressing it. and it's little brother told me he had whipped it with a switch because it insisted on holding it's breath.
 The child had a bad habit of holding it's breath, and had occasionally boxed its jaws for doing so. The little brother showed me the switch. It was the size of a broom straw. The switch seemed to be big enough to make the bruises on the little fellows body as it was a very tender body. My first husband died from typhoid pneumonia. My maiden name was McWilliams. I never had any one else to whip the child for me. had a racket about the child being whipped once l was at Drs Davis infirmary once, and when I returned I heard that the colored servant had whipped it
 The little boys oldest brother at home whipped it every time my back was turned. The child took sick in March or April. It had the measles All of the children had the measles. The measles settled on the youngest ones lungs. The day I was absent Ellen Moore, the colored woman, and the other little boys had charge of the child I never heard about the colored woman whipping the child while I was away. but its brother told me he had whipped it. did whip it with my hands for hold ing its breath. The little boy who whipped the child was 9 years of age, so the father says.
 I had one child uy my first marriage. fr.a tArith nra1n -t-;.y