Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-06

told me she used 10 love little Tom, but l don't care nothing for him now and 1 don t, intend to wait on him any more.
 On Friday morning last little Harry Howe came over to my house for some sweet milk. and said mamma thought Tommy was dying. Through sympathy for the child, went over to see what was the trouble. and when got there I found the child dead. She had the child in her lap. She asked me to bath it, and I told her l was too weak. l sent for Mrs. McCluskey and she found it out and told me she should not put her hand on 1t to save her life. She then said she and Ellen could bathe and lay it out. Emma Thornton, colored, came in and said she would bathe and lay it out. Mrs. Howe came to me and said MT. Carter wanted me. went home and found out that it was not true. MRS. T. J. CARTER.
 Mrs. M. l.. McClusky.
 The last witness before adjournment at noon was Mrs. M. l.. McCluskey. Her testimony was as follows:
 l live in Jonesville, about Sixteenth street and Eighteenth avenue. I know MT. and Mrs. Howe, but not particularly. MT. Howe has been living there about six years. He owns that property. l never did visit MT. and Mrs. Howe since the second marriage. The first Mrs. Howe was a very nice lady. I did not believe the second Mrs. Howe was a re- spectable lady and for that reason did not visit her. I do not know of any of the neighbors visiting her. I never saw any of the treatment towards her etep- children.
 l was over to the Howe's house on last Friday when the little child died. I think Mrs. Carter sent for me. When I got there I saw the child lying on the bed. It was dead It was not dressed for burial. Myself and Emma Thornton, col ored, commenced bathing it to prepare it for burial and saw bruises all over its back and on it's head. Mrs. Howe called me into another room and asked me if l would do her a favor, and I said if it was in my power to do so l would. She then asked me not to say anything about the marks and bruises on the ehilds body. and I told her it would be impossi- bIe to keep it from being known, as too many had seen the bruises with their own eyes.
 She didn't say anything in reply and it seemed as if she became frightened. MT. Howe was at home when I was there. He was not in the room where the child was then. l remained at the house about an hour. l don't think Mrs. Howe re- mained in the room all the time while we were dressing it. She was very rest less.
 The little dead child showed signs of
 
 been given a child. The marks were as thick as could be possible. It did not look as if the marks had been made that day l saw gash on the back of it's head Some one told me that the child had fallen on it's head and was killed in- Stantly. Cannot say who told me about it.
 I did not go back to the house after l left there when the undertakers came. It was between and ' o'clock when was sent for in the morning. The child clothing was not wet. l saw no tub of water in the room. l asked the colored servant woman how the child had fallen, and she said she was in the kitchen at the time and did not know exactly how it had happened.
 Adjourned for Dinner.
 The coroner here announced an ad- journment until 2:30 o'clock for dinner.
 Afternoon Session.
 At 2:30 o'clock the investigation was again resumed and the first witness called.
 Ellen Moore
 My name is Ellen Moore, and I live in Birmingham, in Scratch Ankle. For the last three months have been cooking for MT. Howe. Mrs. Howe went to the doctors infirmary the next day after l was hired She was at the inf1rmary about two weeks. She was not confined to her bed after coming back from the jDfirmary The two little childern were scared of her. The oldest boy couldn't get along with her at all. I never tied the oldest boy and whipped him. Mrs. Howe made the two youngest boys rock the older one away from home. MT. Howe tied the oldest boy, but did not whip him. l never did tie the biggest boy. but I did tie the middle aged boys. Johnny and Harry were tied. She cut Johnny over the eye once with leather strap and made him tell his father that he had hurt his eye in the grape vines. She whipped the baby more than all the rest. She quarrelled with MT. Howe Abecause he asked them if their stepmother whipped them. Mrs Howe told the boys that if they told their father anything she .ouId kill them. When they went to Sunday school she told them not to tell their father anything, She had been whipping the little sick child since the Vourth of July. It was for making dirt in the bed. The child had been teething and had bowel sickness. On Thursday morning Mrs. Howe whipped the little child severely with switches. She took the child out on the back porch Thurs day morning and whipped if. Then she made Harry, the second oldest, feed the child with dirt. She told Harry she wanted him to give the child dirt un- fiji he gagged up his guts. The whip ming was given because the child made dirt in the bed. The child ate the dirt: