The age-herald., 1897-09-03
CRUEL -HEARTEO PARENTS Cast an Infant Into a Seventh
 Street Sewer.
MALE AND WELL DEVELOPED
Evidently the Offspring of White Parents and Bore the Signs of Foul Treatment
 Discovered By Chester Fox. -,

The dead body of a white male infant
 was found in a sewsr manhole in Sev-
 enth street, between Second and Third
 avenues. It was found by youth
 named Chester Fox, the son of John Fox
 and nephew of Dave Fox, who was for
 m7rly mayor of Birmingham. The body
 gave evidence of having been in it's
 strange resting place for several days. It had begun to decompose. It was a
 well-developsd child and seemed to have once breathed the breath of life.
 Chester Fox, who is about r years old, was walking along Seventh street shortly after o'clock yesterday morn ing. He says that he stepped on the grating that covers the manhole and
 that it was loose. Impelled by some strange motive he stooped down and lift ed the grating. On the muddy bottom
 of the sewer he saw the little body rest ing on piece of newspaper.
 Officer Kirkley was notified at once by the young man. He went to the place to investigate the strange story of the
 horrible find. Quite a crowd had begun to collect yet the remains of the mite of
 humanity were still in the sewer. A young white man named John Wright volunteered and went into the manhole.
 He brought th., body to the surface. It
 was wrapped in cloth and sent to the
 Warner-Smiley morgue on Twentieth
 street. Officer Kirkley then notified
 Coroner Burkhalter.
 Later in the day Coroner Burkhalter
 called at the morgue. He empanelled a
 jury which viewed the remains and ad-
 journed until Monday morning. This was
 done in order that the officials and the
 coroner, could have time to investigate the case. The body occupied small space on the end of the large "coolng"
 board. Its lower limbs wers drawn
 close Up towards its body and the head turned slightly to one side. The head, which seemed abnormally developed,
 was crushed and bore signs of violence. Coroner Burkhalter unhesitatingly pro- nounced the case one of murder. He will give it thorough probing.
 Late last night it was said hat the officers had secured a clue that promised some sensational developments. Coroner Burkhalter refuses to discuss the ma tier,
 and only says that the facts, as far as obtainable, will be made public during the inqusst- JAS soon as possible he called
 at the morgue and swore in his jury.
 There was no evidence to lay before ft and it became necessary to adjourn until
 some could be secured. This was done. IA brother of the young man who found the body in the sewer was seen last night He said that the watchman at the nearby cotton factory was said to have
 seen strange man and woman around the spot-early Sunday morning. That clue seems very faint, but the officers are
 working on several of a like nature.
 The little body will be delivered to the
 Miller Undertaking company this morn lrg and buried by them. AS usual in
 such caeas, a small pine box will enclose
 the remains and hey will be carted oyer the hills and mountains to find a final
 resting place in an unmarked grave in a pauper cemetery. Though it's parents may be wealthy and of a good social position, their innocent offspring, par-
 haps the fruit of ilIcit love, will occupy
 a grave in ths same lot as those of mur- darers, who have expiated their crimes on the gallows tree, rogues and those nameless and homeless creatures who
 may have failan by the ways,de.