The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-18
HELD FoR MANsLAUGHTER.
Foster Mother Charged with Beat
ing Infant TO Death.

ing Infant to Death.
An inquest was held by Coroner Keller
yesterday afternoon in the Police Court
room over the body of Marguerite Ander-
son, the 1O-months old negro infant who
is alleged 10 have been beaten to death
in Anderson street lane, Wednesday af-
ternoon, by her foster mother. Emma An
derson, alias Ella Walker alias Emma
Flowers. The investigation lasted nearly
two hours, and the jury returned YER
dict of involuntary manslaughter. The
jury did hot take the testimony of jamie
Bennett, who was in the house when the
infant was killed, into consideration.
Abbie Ryals, who reported the homicide
at police headquarters, was the first wit
ness sworn. "A little after o'clock l
was in my house in Anderson street lane,
between Habersham and Price streets,
said the woman. II heard Ella walker
spanking the little baby, Marguerite. rms
first attracted my attention. l heard three
distinct blows, and at the fourth mex the
child stopped crying. Ella set the oapy
on the window, and mopped its race l
saw her do this, and the child was dead
then / live directly across the lane ana
could see perfectly well. After Ella lei
the blind down 1 could see no more
saw Ella hit the baby with her mana.
She was in the habit of drinking, but l
don't know IL she was drunk. Then
reported the matter at police headquaF-
ters"
For the information of the jury Coro-
ner Keller stated that he had examiner
the body and found the nose ana arm
both broken. There were several bruises
and Commissions on the face, and the IN
- 90.
handled.
jamie Bennett, who was in the house
at the time the homicide was committed
made an unsatisfactory witness.
81 am Emma Flowers cousin ana hVed
in the same house with her." she saId.
Il was washing in the yard and went
in the house and started to cook. Emma
first had the baby in the yard, but picked
1t up and ran into the house with it, ana
went into her room. \ little later the
child started to scream, and Emma sald'
Hush Marguerite l went in the room
about two or three minutes Afterwards.
She had the baby in her hand and | ask
ed what was the matter with IT, . ie
said it had the 'hixterics.' l said you
should rub It with some camphor She
said that / should get some from my
room. but there was none there. She SAID
all right and I said l would go over to
and told Miss Ryals what I wanted. She
said that ] needn't tell her anything for
she saw it and heard it, too l gave
Emma the camphor and she rubbed 1t
around the child's mouth. When ii didn't
do any good, | put mustard plaster on
its stomach, and that is all l know about
it."
On the cross-examination the, witness
said, 81 didn't hear Emma hit the child.
About 2 hours and a half after Emma
took the child into the room, she told
me that it was dead. did not wash the
childs face, but Emma did. l washed Its
stomach. / don't know why / didn't wash
its face / didn't see any blood on the
child's face until it was shown me last
night Emma was drinking in the morn
ing. but l don't know II she was drunx.
J. didn't hear the child cry yesterday. Oh
yes. the child did cry IN the yard 1 have
seen Emma whip the child with a httle
strap"
Edmund Bennett, JAMES husband. told
the most Ineligible story of the affair
His statement in fun is as follows:
Il got home at 4:30 o'clock and found
the child Marguerite, sitting up in its
mothers room. Her name is Ella Hen
derson. The child was crying when go;
there, and I only staid five or six min
utes. l didn't see anything until came
pdck, Httle after 5 O'Clock. As soon
as | got in, Emma sent my wife for me
and went TO her room. Before / had
time to look around, Emma asked me Il
knew anything about persons pulse,
and told her yes She asked me TO see
if the child had any. pulse, / tried to
feel for the pulse and couldn't find any.
| then felt the little Infants heart. and
it had stopped beating. The baby was
dead. told her there was no hopes. the
child had died. Emma didn't say any
thing. My wife was there when I told
Emma the child was dead, but she went
over 10 Miss Ryals for some camphor.
! told her that neither camphor nor mus
tard could do any good. l saw bruises
on the face and blood around the nose.
Emma had been drinking during the day.
She loved liquor Emma had been in the
habit of whipping the child with a long
strap, nailed to stick. Emma had said
on one occasion to the baby. D it, III
kill you
Lavenia Devaux. colored woman, liv-
ing in the neighborhood, testified that the
Anderson woman frequently whipped the
infant.