The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1901-04-12
Boys Ran Across CHASTITY Finds
while Playing Surveyors on
Pinnickinnick Mountainside
Sunday Afternoon.
Bodies Of Two Infants Found
Buried in Soap Boxes with eight
inches Of Dirton Top-Parent-
age Traced-Had no funds
for usual Decent
burial.

win Pike, Ray ChilderS and Clar-
.ence Underwood, mere boys, made
chastity find about 4 O'Clock Sunday
evening, while on their way to bring
cows from pasture. They began play
ing surveyors in the meadow on Pin
pickinnick muuntainSide and one of
the BOYS drove staff down in broken
SPOT of earth northeast of the Hornor-
GAYLORD wholesale house. The stick
appeared to strike something and
their attention was attracted. Ex-
animation disclosed the fact that they
had found grave and further exami-
nation resulted in finding another
grave fifty yards from the first, both
on the hillside. Fifty yards farther
M the hill an unoccupied grave was
also found. The last had been refill.
ed. without u body being placed in 1t.
The proper authorities were notified.
A guard was placed over the graves
for the night, and Monday morning
Coroner w. r. Alexander and Others
went to the scene and exhumed the
bodies, which proved those OF two in
fants, both male. One was white and
the other black.
The bodies were found in soap boxes,
with about 8 inches of earth on top.
The bottom of the boxes were about
u feet under ground. One was dress
ed in a flannel shirt, while the other
had fora shroud old rags and blanket.
They we're brought to the Stealey-
Osborn Companys undertaking estab-
lishment and inferred Tuesday even
ing at the county's expense in the
county graveyard on the poor farm.
At first it was believed infanticide
had beenc ommitted and the authori-
ties began ADMINISTRATION under that
impression, but later developments
clearly established the fallacy of that
belief. BY consulting DR.. Eyster, the
company physician, the parentage OF
the children was traced to Mr.. and
Mrs. Elmer Constable white, and
Mr.. and Mrs. William Ross, colored,
who acknowledged that the dead chill
dren were their offspring and confess
ed to this uncommon ma lner of the
burial of their dead, assigning as their
reason an utter lack of funds with
which to purchase burial lots and 10
defray funeral expenses.
The Ross child was born premature
ly February 9th and died next day. 1t
was buried on the hillside. About
three weeks ago DR.. Eister was told
the child'S body had been uncovered
and he informed Ross about it. The
latter told the doctor the next day
that he had attended to the matter
and that the child had been buried In
box.
The white baby was dead at birth,
and the parents told DR.. EySter, the
attending physician, that they had
buried 1t by the railroad. The doctor
was not present at the birth Of this
child but arrived about 30 minutes
afterward This child was born about
March 10.
The bodies were in good state OF
preservation. No marks OF any kind
indicating violence were found on
them, except a sunken spot on the
forehead of one, resulting from de-
composition.
The Constable family is composed
Of the husband and wife and five chill
dren, all in abject poverty. Officers
found them clothed in rags and there
was only one bed in their one room Of
squalor.
Constable and Ross are both miners
at Pinnickinnick.
These circumstances should be a
suggestion to Pinnickinnick Company
to lay of and maintain a graveyard
for the use of It's employees aud also
emphasize the urgency of the city's
haVtnGa public cemetery, where the
poor may bury their dead.