The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-10
KILLED HER OWN CHILD
The Brutal Crime of an Unnatural
Mother.
SHE CRUSHED ITS SKULL
Gave Birth to the Child in an Old Pros
pect Hole and Then Murdered It to
Conceal Her Shame-No Gu
Discovered.

a horrible case of infanticide was re-
ported TO the sheriff and CORNER yes
terday afternoon and the officers are
now looking for a most unnatural
mother, the perpetrator of the crime,
who killed her babe by crushing its
skull with a stone and burying its body
in an old prospect hole.
About 4 o'clock Saturday afternoon
Edward Metlander was walking over
Little Butte. southwest Of the Stephens
addition. and passed by a small incline
shaft or prospect hole OF the Black
Chief ledge, right on top of Little Butte.
Metlander was above the haf and his
attention was attracted by some noise
coming from the hole. He stopped to
listen, but from the point where he stood
he could only see one side of the opening.
He waited a homer and hen saw a
young woman come put and stop at the
mouth Of the shaft to arrange some
thing about her dress. Her back was
turned to Metlander and he, conclud-
ing that her presence there was for
some purpose different from what aft
erwards developed. made a slight noise
and walked away. The woman looked
up and then walked in an opposite di-
rection. She went slowly. but walked
perfectly erect. Metlander watched her
as she went east on Porphyry street
and passed jackson. going toward
Washington, where he lost sight Of her.
Metlander thought no more about IL
until yesterday afternoon. when he
again passed the shaft on the Little
Butte and looked into it, and was
startled to see a big pool of blood at
the mouth of the shaft, where he had
seen the woman standing on Saturday
afternoon. A trail of blood led him
into the hole for 5 or 10 feet, and at
the end of 1t he found a little mound
of stones, from which an sinfant's foot
was ~protruding. He picked some of
the stones away n uncovered the
body Of a child. Near by il he found
a gold pin in the form OF 10y leaves
with four pearl settings, which had
evidently been dropped. Metlander i'm
mediately went to the court house and
notified Coroner Tremblay n Sheriff
Regain.
The coroner and Under Sheriff Muir
ply and Undertaken Tachell at once
went with Metlander to the scene OF
the infanticide to secure the body and
make an investigation. Upon an
] ~ ~ 'Sos "a 80
horrible discovery was made that u
had been born alive n most brutally
murdered Its skull had been crushed
with a stone, an ugly wound on tn
forehead indicating where ii had beer
struck. The body was that of a per
fectly formed male child and weighed
probably II or IL pounds. 1t is cvi
dent that the woman went to the pros
pect hole and there gave birth to thu
child. which she murdered and tried t.
hide under a little pile Of rock. aftei
which she coolly walked away and re
turned to her home. Unless someone Il
interested in secreting her she vii
doubtless soon be apprehended. Tn
coroner and Mr.. Murphy made some in
quiries yesterday. but could find m
trace of her. Metlander describes he
as "A woman slightly above the medium
in size. He had but a glimpse of he
face and did not think he would ID
able to recognize her again. but he oh
served while she had her back turne'
to him that her hair was a light. al
most a blonde color. She wore a stray
hat with a high crown.
The body of the murdered infant wa
removed to Tachell's undertaking room
and an inquest will be held.