The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-05-14
MURDER SAYS JURY
Mary Marx Held for Killing
Her Own Child.
DETAILS OF THE INQUEST
Mrs. Stanton Tells How Crime
Was Discovered.

me 4o4-JNAl5 FEEl4-l LGS Deel EeLl-
dered.
State Of Kansas. Sedgwick county. IS:
An inquisition holden at the coroner S
Office, Wichita. Kansas. the 18th day OF
May, 1891. before me. " N 8IcCollIster.
coroner Of Sedgwick county, on the dead
body OF a male child there lying dead.
BY the jurors whose names are hereunto
subscribed. The said jurors, upon their
oatbs do say that from the testimony
given. the deceased came TO his death
by strangllation BY the hands Of his
mother. Mary Marks. by being buried in
sand and water and that the grand
mother, Katie Marks, was accessory to
the crime.
"Jury-John F. Little, John A Osler.
James Baird, R. ". Vansant, u L. Cope
land, J. o. Beck.
In testimony whereof. the said Jurors
have hereunto set their hands. the day
and year above written.
Attest: II. N. MCOLLISTER, Coroner"
The above is the verdict Of the cor
oners jury which investigated the death
Of the infant child dug from the sand Of
the big Arkansas river last Saturday.
Their finding puts the commission Of
henious crime on two women and it is
the intention of County Attorney James
Comfy TO prosecute them both for murder
The investigation OF the coroners jury
attracted a great crowd TO the court
house where the investigation was con-
Quoted. Undertaken Gil was present and
laid the body OF the dead child on the
table in front Of the jury II was dressed
in its little blue dress and a white handk-
erchief was tied tightly around its neck.
The little face and its head, which was
covered with q thick coat Of black hair,
were smeared with the white sand OF the
Arkansas river. People looked at it and
turned away with expressions OF sor-
row in their faces. One man said thar
even babies had rights which the law
would protect.
County Attorney Comfy was engaged in
the district court and Deputy Henry
Huttmann conducted the examination Of
witnesses before the coroner. Attorney
George Adams was present TO represent
Mrs. Marks and her daughter. The cor
oner's jury asked that they take the wit
ness stand and tell what they knew
about the case, but AIr. Adams objected
and Coroner McCollister sustained the
objection, and they were allowed 10 re-
main silent.
During the taking OF the testimony
Mary Marks cried Historically. but her
mother watched the proceedings with
interest. but with no indication that she
had anything TO regret. The husband and
father Of the accused parties realized
that something had happened that was of
great moment TO his family. He looked
nervous and heartbroken and consulted
frequently with his attorney
The testimony of the witnesses only
confirmed a little stronger the story in
last Sundays Eagle about the killing of
the baby and then burying its body in
the sand Of the Arkansas river.
Mrs. Stanton. matron Of the Rescue
Home, told about Mary Marks coming
there and about the birth Of her child
and of her trying TO get it into ST.
Mary's Orphan Home and falling She
told OF Mary's mother coming to the
home last Saturday and of the two wo-
men taking the baby away with them.
She identified the body of the babe as
the one taken from the home BY Mary
Marks and said the clothing was the
same as that worn when It left the home
except the undersllp which Mary brought
away with some other things and had
evidently put IL on the child after coming
away. She said it was between 8 and 4
o'clock when the two women left the
Rescue Home. Mrs. Williams one OF
the helpers at the home. said that the
Lord told her when the two women left
the home with the child that something
would happen and that was the reason
she came down 10 get the officers TO see
what they did with the baby
Harry Sutton told about Mary Marks
taking him 20 the river and Of her dig
ging up the body of the child. It was the
same iubuman. cruel story. that has been
told before County Attorney Comfy said
he did not like to prosecute such cases
because he was made before he com
menced it. He had no patience with peo-
pie who would commit such a henious
crime.
People discussed the matter and said
many things but there was one state
ment that seemed TO take with the crowd
and that vas If the women at the Rescue 1
Home had kept quiet, nobody would ever
have found out what become Of Mary