Birmingham state herald., 1897-07-11
THE CLOSING CHAPTER.

As a closing chapter the State Herald dssires to say that its investigati lead Ing up to the death If the unknown babe, was simply to remove a cloud from the public mind that death had occurred which under the circumstances demanded q eaeser investigation than was accorded it by the officials.
 The case in brief is that a few days ago it became known to the public that an infant had died and a reputa ole citi- zen had demanded that an inouest be held. The coroner, aftar summcn;nfs his Jury and before beginning the investiga- u ,a, answered a call to visit naighb1r- ing stals on private business. gn his return he again assembled his jury bu' private business was so urging thae the investigation grew exceedingly irksome to the jurors and the gossippers' tongues We're put into play. The public and rep reSentatives of the press were debarred from the deliberations of this august body under ih plsa the case was not of a char acter to admit of publicity as it would in volVe the characters of parties in nigh life. verdict was rendered which was brief and not explicit, stating that from the evidence brought before the jury the death was the result of natural causes.
 No evidence having been filed as re- quired by law in such cases. and there rbeins. nc record of the proceedings fur ther than the jury's verdict. public senti- ment began to express itself in no un- certain tones and from one end of the city to the other the exclamation could bs heard, The inquest was farce and a nnckery"
 People of all classes and conditions be- came indignant and the press was ap- pealed to to ferret the matter to the bot tom. Appreciating the rights of the peo- pie to demand the news when they pay for it. the State Herald put it's most trIsty reporters in the field with strict instructions as to the delicacy of their work, and the editor himself stood guard over tl1e columns to see that in this bat tie for good morals and the upholdine of the law. nothing should appear lhat was rot legitimate. Statements were priEted from all the iurymen except one and his statement did net differ sufficient ly from the others to warrant repeti- ton. An effort was also made tG get m expression from the coroner hi.uself but he being a very busy man, up to tf.is good day the alert reporter has been un-
 
 obtain an expression. The coroner is fn- deed q very busy man,
 eThe next point at issue was to ascer- tain, if possible, the cause of the dea h. The parties in whose charge the babe was placed Eav. given their statements in de- tail. some of which has been contested
 The paper has traced the matter as far IS in ifs judgment it is is province to trace if 9dl6 win lat t1,ffb he off cers Of the law.
 Tk1re are a few facts connected with the case, however, the paper has estab- lishe1 that should not be forgotten, and which the coroners jury so far as the public is aware failed to establish
 First, a babe WEES born, whose parent ags Is as deep a mystery as the leaning tower of Pisa or the Colossus of Rhodes.
 Second. it was secretly carried from it's mothers bed immediately after birth by the attending physician, who secured home for it prior to it's birth
 Third the parents of this infant are supposed Christians and of high so- cial standing.
 Fourth, the foster mother was up- skilled, having never had any children of her own.
 Fifth the babe contrace ed sickness of a mild type and physicians disagreed as to tns character of the medicine given it and the treatment.
 Sixth, in a little grave in the DO. ters l field now sleeps an innocent babe. flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone"-unwept, unnamed. unknown, unhonored and un- sung.
 If there was any crime committed, that question is for the courts to determine, | if they choose to investigate. That the 1 fair escutcheon of the Magic City has been darkensd by the transgression of the | laws of society and the failure of an off, | cial to do his duty, no honest man will deny. That worthy profession has suf- fered can but be admitted. That the soul of human kindness has been drenehed | with the dregs of remorse to deny would | be to question a mothers love and bslie | an acknowledged fact
 SOUNDS THE RIGHT KEY.