The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-04-15
FIZZLING OF A SENSATION.
Reports Of a Case of I1fanticide Quickly
Exploded.
WAS THE PRIME FACTOR
A Man Too Poor to Defray Burial Expenses
Selected a Resting Place in the Cellar
of His Home and Caused a sensa-
ton Among His Neighbors.

At about IL o'clock last night Chief of
Police Tosh and Patrolman Goodman were
called from the councilmanic supper to solve
a mysterious case at 421 West Centre street.
From statements made by several neighbors
Chief Tosh was led to believe that one
Archibald CASTOR, or his wife, Rebecca, had
been guilty of infanticide. The Castons
live at No 421 and the whole neigh
borhoOd was very much exercised over the
matter and the Castons, especially the hus-
band, were referred to in terms far from COM
plimentary. One neighbor had tried to gain
admittance to the house, but the doors were
kept locked, and this served to confirm
suspicious that something had gone wrong in
the house.
The police got into the place after little
exchange of words and Mr. CASTOR told Chief
Tosh that no birth had taken place in the
family, but when Tosh said he would go for
a doctor to find out what was the matter with
Mrs. CASTOR the husband weakened. He
admitted that there had been a birth and that
he had buried the child in the cellar
with the intention of making a burial in
some secluded spot on the mountain early
this morning. CASTOR exhumed the remains
and Chief Tosh took charge of them. This
morning Deputy Coroner Manley held an
inquest and DIR. w. N. Stein, who performed
an autopsy upon the remains, declared that
there had been a premature birth. This
knocked the bottom out of the sensation,
as Mrs CASTOR was doing as well
as could be expected and there was
nothing to be done but provide burial.
DIR. Stein said the child lacked about three
months of maturity and there were no in
dications of violence.
Deputy Coroner Manley took CASTOR to
task for resorting to the unnatural method
of burial. The man said he did not have
means to procure a doctor, or buy medicine
for his wife, and could not conceive a plan
by which he could secure money for a burial
His last pay for two weeks as topman in a
breaker was S6.71 and rent amounting to So
fell due He said his athematical powers
were taxed to keep body and soul together
and four children and wife looked to him
for bread. The condition of the house and
the children, the Oldest being girl IL years
of age, fully confirmed every statement the
man made. more striking case of distress
from poverty does not exist in the borough
and the charitably inclined women of the
borough cannot select better place for their
work. TO be plain about the matter, Mrs
CASTOR does not bear very good reputation,
but she lies upon a hard bed in the worst
kind of a hOvel sick almost unto to death,
without medicine and with but two loaves
of bread in the house. Chief Tosh, upon the
CorOners suggestion, made arrangements by
which the remains of the child were buried
at the expense of the county. ItnOw remains
for charity to play the final part in one of
the most distressing cases revealed for some
time in the town. Reference is made to the
character of the afflicted woman so that those
who may feel inclined to act in the matter
will not be surprised by any developments
and thereby deferred from atlording the
relief the case requires