Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-08-07
BABY THROWN INTO RIVER
GRUESOME DISCOVERY SATURDAY MORN
To Escape the Expense OF Burial Joseph Le-
brick Throws his Dead Baby into
the Wisconsin River.

A nude babe lying in the water of
the Wisconsin river was the startling
sight that met the eyes of those who
crossed the wagon bridge early Satur-
day morning. f. w. Bremen was the
first person to report the gruesOme
discovery. His story is as follows:
'While crossing the bridge about 7
O'Clock Saturday morning L was
hOrritied to see little child floating
in the water near the main sewer
perhaps two or three feet to the south.
| at once went and told DR.. Walters
and Officer Gibson Of the find. When
/ came back TO the river the corpse
had changed its position to the north
OF the sewer. The child had no cloth
ing and was nOG enclosed in a box or
other kind of d vessel"
DR.. Frank Pomainville arrived
about O'Clock and took the infant
from The river. The examination
proved that the baby had been born
dead. From it's purified condition
the belief seemed TO be that the baby
had been exposed TO the action of
the water long period. A cOrOner's
jury was Immediately impanelled to
sit in inquest on the case. The jury
after being sworn, viewed the dead
child after which it was given a
decent burial. Justice Brown ad-
jOurned the corOner's inquest until
| O'Clock Monday afternoon in order
to receive more definite information
bearing upon the case.
The city was rife with all kinds of
rumOrS and solutions to the mystery
Saturday morning. Some went even
SO far as to say that the infant had
been dug up from a certain strange
neW-made grave in the NekoOSa ceme-
terry All rumors. however, were set
at rest when it was learned that one
Joseph Lebrick was the guilty party,
who had thrown the child into the
river, and that he haG been placed
under bonds to appear at the inquest
the following Monday.
At ! O'Clock p. IN. Monday Justice
Browns court room was crowded. The
witnesses were, Joseph Lebrick, f. w.
Bremen, DR.. Humphrey, Mis-. Mary
Peruse, Joe Peruse, Jim Walsh and DR..
Pomainville. Lebrick's testimony
was in part: 81 have lived in the
city since June 26, coming here from
NekooSa, and am employed in laying
the water works on High street. July
81 at 4 O'Clock p. M, | was called from
my work to come home. | requested
DIR. Humphrey to come as soon as
possible. When | came home l was
Informed by my wife that child had
been born and that it was dead. DR..
Humphrey also said that it was born
dead. | did not see it. About s
O'Clock ] nired a rig for the purpose of
taking the child out in the country
for burial. | had made an appoint
u to in
matter but he did not come as he
promised. [ therefore placed the
child in paper shoe box, tied the
cover on, and carried it to the bridge
and threw it into the river. I would
have buried it if | had had some one
TO help me-"
DR.. Humphrey corroborated the
testimony that he had been called to
Lebrick'S home and examined the
child. DR.. Humphrey said: when [
learned that baby had been found in
the river, | went to LebriCk and asked
him if he had buried the child. He
answered, Yes Learning shortly
after that Lebrick had not purchased
lot in the cemetery | again asked
him if he had buried the child. This
time Lebrick answered, "You know
what | done with it,"
At the close of the testimony, the
jury consisting of G. H. Kerneen, J. Ii.
Hooten, j. K. Scott, Clark Lyon, A.
n. Palmer and f. w. Bremen, brought
in the following verdict: A female
child born dead July 81, 1902, at 4:3O
O'Clock to Joseph and Luella Lebrick
was cast into the river by said Joseph
Lebrick at a point near the west end
of the wagon bridge in the city of
Grand Rapids, July 81. 1902, where it
was discovered August ,, 1902.