The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-10-29
THE CHILD STARVED.
The Case of Hannah McDonough, It's
Mother, Heard In Court.

The hearing on the case of Hannah Nc
Donough, charged with neQlecting her
infant child and allowing it to starve to
death, occurred Saturday morning IN the
Municipal court before Judge Hill. The
case was not concluded but was contin-
ued until Monday morning when Judge
Hill Will render his de cision.
County Attorney Libby appeared for the
state and John b. Kehoe and Levi
Greenleat for the defense.
DR.. Stephen II. Weeks was the first wit
ness for the state. He testified as to tbs
autopsy he had made with DR.. Leighton.
He gave it as his opinion that the child
had been given nothing to eat for week
and that it's death was due to starvation.
Dr.Leighton corroborated this testimony
Mrs Catherine Valente testified that
she had been in Mrs. McDonough's room
and seen bottles of sour milk there.
Officers Greeley, Frank, SkilIings and
Special Officer Valente and Undertaken
Feeney testified as to the condition Of the
room in which the baby's body was
found. Mrs. Lizzie +. Turner said she
had visited Mrs. McDonough and not
only offered her work but gave her
money. She saw Mrs. McDonough give
the child sour milk, She asked Mrs. Nc
Donough why she gave the child sour
milk and was told that this was all she
had to give her baby. Mrs. Turner en-
gagged Mrs. McDonough to work for her
but she never came.
Mrs. Mary j. Frazier testified that
she owned the room in which Mrs. Nc
Donough lived. She had heard the baby
cry during the night, She complained |
about this and Mrs. MoDonough told her
she was absent at work. Mrs. Frazier told
her to move. She saw the mother give
sour milk to the baby and asked her why
she did so. Mrs. McDonough said that
the baby liked sour milk best.
Vina Abby said she saw the baby and
thought 1t looked thin and poor.
Linda E. Burnett said that Mrs. Nc
Donouph came to her room. She asked
how the baby was and Mrs. McDonough
replied that she thought 1t could not last
long. She asked her why she didn't get
doctor and Mrs. McDonough turned and
looked out OF the window, but made no
reply.
Fanny Abrams testified that she heard
the baby cry Sunday night and thought
it was making so weak noise that it
could not last long.
This closed the testimony for the state.
Hannah MoDonough was then put on
the stand by the defence in her own BE-
half.
The woman testified as to the birth of
the child which occurred in August. She
had no medical attendance at the time
and only the neighbors to help her. A
week after the child was born she went
to work on Commercial street for three
dollars and half week. She bought
milk for the baby twice day but the
weather was hot and it sometimes soured
when she threw it away. She never gave
the child sour milk. Her husband had
left her last February. She has had five
children, all boys, the Oldest of whom
is alive but the others have died in in
fancy. Mrs. McDonough said the child
SO emed siokly from the time it was born.
She had no medical attendance but did
what she could for theschildshersel.
On cross examination she said she was
going to tell her sister of.the child S death
and then get an undertaken but she did |
not reach be undertaken because she was
arrested before she had chance to do So |
She said the milk she hal for the child
looked like sour milk but it was not sour
and when shaken up 1t was all right.