Evening journal., 1897-07-29
WHO KILLED THE BABE +?
Awful Crime Charged Against
Elizabeth J. Healy,
MAN IN THE CASE DISAPPEARS
1T IS SAID THAT SHE CRUSHED
THE CHILDS SKULL WITH A
HAMMER. BUT MISS HEALY'S
MOTHER SAYS THAT IS FALSE.

MOTHER SAYS THAT IS FALSE
In the third Story front room Of her
home on Eighteenth street, near Brine
kle avenue, lies Miss Elizabeth
}. Healy, aged 20 years. who Is
charged with the killing of her
infant. whose illesitimate life she
charges to Joseph Luther Hofecker.
gardener, who was in the employ ofMiss
Mary Dupont
An Evening journal man visited the
home of Miss Healy this morning, and, |
atter several knocks on the door,
quaint little woman with a genuine
Cockney accent admitted him to the
paIlor.
MRS HEALY'S STORY.
When the reporter told Mrs. Healy
his business, she became very angry |
and told him that he must leave and
seek elsewhere for news. This did not
deter the reporter from his errand, aud
after little persuasion. she said
Sometime last March Hoffecker, who
was a boarder at my house. began pay
ing my daughter attention He seemed
a gentlemanly sort of a fellow and his
attentions toward my daughter were all
that could be desired. My daughter
seemed to be happy when In his COM
pany. and they went about a great
deal together
During the Summer my daughter Sc
cured employment as a housemaid with
a family by the name of Griffith, who
lives on the Kennett pike. The fam
lily was not averse to my daughter
keeping company, and Hoffecker was a
regular caller My daughter would
come home and remain for the night
Now" continued Mrs. Healy II do
not know when the criminal relations
= between my daughter and Hoffecker be-
, gan. bur | do know that on several oc-
casions he has dragged my child from
her work to assault her Whether my
5 daughter consented 10 the intimacy or
not / do not know"
The reporter asked Mrs. Healy how
- she learned that Hoffecker assaulted
her daughter. She replied that the girl
confessed to her after the birth OF the
child.
: CRIME OF INFANTICIDE
On Friday morning last Mrs Healy
said that Elizabeth began acting in a
strange manner.
n Il asked the cause and she said that
o something was killing her" she said.
q "She ran upstairs and fell in convul-
: sions on the floor She tore her hair
n and said the prayers for the dying"
! Mrs. Healy then said that she went
n to a neighbOr and asked her to go TO
{ her house as Lizzie was dying The
neighbor went, and someone sent for
. Dr. John Palmer. The physician. made
an examination and said mat the wo-
4 man had given birth to a child.
r SEARCH FOR THE CHILD.
The most startling fact in the case is
that. according to Mrs. Healys stale
ment. DR.. Palmer left the house with
out demanding 70 know where the in
FAINT was. After the physician made the
woman as comfortable as possible he
= left After his departure Mrs. Healy
L said that a search was made every
where for the child. but It was not
l. found until midnight. when Mrs. Healy
, discovered IL in the cellar. It's head
n had been crushed in by some blunt i'm
/ strument. The child's body was taken
. upstairs and placed on a bench. where
, 1t remained until DR.. Palmer arrived
q the next day He notified Deputy COro-
il ner Chandler. who took charge OF the
body.
/. | W iiO hll4l4ED lfiL DADLs
n On Friday night Mrs. Healy said that
y Hoffecker paced up and down the room
5. talking TO himself when I learned
q the true state Of affairs ] asked Hof-
. fecker IL he was The cause OF my daugh-
81 ter's ruin" continued the woman. "Ht
said yes and he further stated that
he had been intimate with her all
y along. I asked him II he had caused
d the child's death "a nd he said: My God
y not On Saturday morning he left my
70 house without saying a word. and We
have not seen him since"
~ Mrs. Healv said that her daughter
= also denied killing the child.
SAID TO HAVE CONFESSED.
On Tuesday last, IL Is said by Deputy
% Coroner Chandler and DR.. Palmer thai
the woman made confession to them
in which she stated that 1t was she who
IS killed her babe. and that she crushed It's
"A head with a hammer
,e Mrs Healy said this morning that hel
y daughter never confessed TO DEPUTY
\ Coroner Chandler and DR.. Palmer ''W'
n have no hammer in the house." saiS
!, Mrs. Healy, "and besides. Elizabeth ha.
been out of her mind. and. therefore
10 was not accountable for what she said
IA II any confession was gotten it wal
n wrung from her.
5; DEPUTY SHERIFF ON GUARD
~ After the woman made the supposed
confession to Deputy Chandler he noti
fed Deputy Attorney-General Cooper
who swore out a warrant for the wo
rs mans arrest. Since the warrant ha'
~ been sworn out Francis Bradley ha
I'd been deputized to watch the house. Tn
inquest has not been held. Hoffecke
is supposed to be either in Chester o
Kenton. Nd
lg