The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-06-22
SEEKS SHELTER IN VAIN
The Mystery of the Dead Babe on the
Asylum Grounds.
The SICK MOTHER PLACED UNDER ARREST
Coroner's Jury Impuies no Crime to Her and
al Last She is Received in Rex Hos
pitaI For Treatment Last
Night.

The mystery OF the dead babe found
Wednesday on the Insane Asylum grounds
has been solved.
The solution reveals sad story of an
unfortunate woman's unavailing search
for shelter under which to lie while her
child comes into the world, of the in
fant's DEATH of the daZed mothers burial
of it and of her tottering steps back to
her lodging place. From this, sick and
suffering she was taken yesterday morn
ing to the city station house where after
some time she told her story and after
the meeting of the coroners jury last
night was taken as an emergency case to
Rex Hospital.
Yesterday morning Capt. M. Thompson
and Private C. NJ Walters, of the police
force, continued their investigation OF the
case. This finally led to the arrest of
Fannie Cooley, negro woman of about
81 years of age. She was found at the
house of Hannah Pope on West Jones
street, between West and Harrington.
The arrest was made about one o'clock
and for time the woman denied any
connection with the case, but finally told
it all.
She is from Johnston county and came
to Raleigh about month ago. Feeling
her time of trial coming on her and Han
nah Pope telling her she must not be
confined in her house, she went
to DR.. James MCGEE. Jr.. AMI
asked to be sent to hos
pital He sent her to DR.. Hubert Roys-
ter, as the latter had asked that the next
case of this kind be sent to him that
"a
Hospital. He being out of the city DR.. w.
/. Register gave Der a card of admittance
to Rex Hospital
TO this place the woman was taken in
a hack Monday morning by Norman
Freeman, a negro hackman, who left her
there. She asked to be admitted but
was refused, the reason given being that
there was no vacant room, no unoccupied
bed
The sick woman. thus turned away,
turned to her own color for aid. She
sought admission 10 two, perhaps three
houses on Cannon street, begging at one
place to be allowed to lie on a blanket
on the floor. This was not allowed her
and she wandered on. crowd of chill
dren followed her and she went into the
Asylum grounds.
Here at some distance from the road,
in a little clump of trees, with no friend
near the woman passed her hour of
travail Her girl child born, she wrapped
about the dead body part of her cloth
ing, and laid the still form in newly
plowed furrow, covering it slightly with
earth where it was found by some chill
dren at play on Tuesday.
Faint and sick she crept to the house
of q negro woman near the place and
rested Then she went back to Hannah
Pope's.
The body having been found notice was
sent TO DR.. j. l.. Moore, the coroner, az
Apex Sickness in his family prevented
his coming to Raleigh to hear the case
and yesterday he resigned his position.
In this emergency Clerr cf the Court Russ
appointed Mr.. ]. c. Maroon as special
coroner to investigate the case.
Coroner Maroon summoned as jury
Messrs. ]. T. Rowland, w. w. Parish, C.
b. Park j. A. Briggs, Walter Woollcott
and NJ. ]. Edwards. This jury met at
the undertaking establishment of Mr. Jno.
w Browns shortly before six O'Clock
yesterday afternoon and viewed the body.
They then met in Mr.. Marcom's office
and Witnesses were heard.
Or. Jas. MCGEE, Jr., was first examined
of the infant
DR.. J. r. Rogers, who had examined
the body of the infant next testified. He
said that it was impossible to tell wheth-
er the child was still born or had been
killed; that he found no marks of vio-
lence on it now; that it was a fully de-
veloped child and that he could not tell
whether it was white or colored, that il
looked very much like white child: that
the condition CT the body showed that il
had been delivered without medical at
tention and though there was posi-
bility that it might have bled to death ii
did not look so.
Captain Thompson then testified, his
evidence giving the facts as TO the find
ing and arrest of the woman, who had
acknowledged that she was the mother
that it's father was a bright mulatto oil
Johnston county. He said the woman
who was of dark ginger cake color, hao
told him that she had lief. the child be-
cause she was "afraid they would xii
her" as the doctors had told her to ge
off the streets and that the child was
born dead between 10 and l2 o'clock Mon.
day morning: that she had tried to fint
stopping place in the hospital and IL
some houses but had been turned away
The evidence of Private Walters con
Irmed that of Captain Thompson. Chic
Mullins was the last witness and he told
of the finding - 80 body of the child OF
Tuesday and that the ground showed tina
the child had been born after the frs
hard rain on Monday and before the othel
rains.
The jury then conferred in private ant
reached verdict. After recit;ng III,
legal form their finding was, THAT Fan
ME Cooley colored, is the mother of tn,
said dead infant having given birth Il
same on the Asylum grounds near the cit,
of Raleigh, NJ c.. and after giving brit
TO said infant did bury same wher
found"
On this verdict Coroner Maroon did no
issue warrant Last night the city au
thorities released the woman, and on a
emergency card given by DIR. Jas. w. Nc