The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-29
MURDERED A BABE
Mary Williams, the Mother, and
Two Men Charged With an
Inhuman Crime.
Little Child Probably Thrown From
q High Bridge Into the Mis-
sissippi River.
Special TO The Journat,


Brainerd, MINI, Aug. 2s.-The testi-
mony is all in in the preliminary hearing
Of the case Of the state against Mary
Williams, John Burrig and George Dill,
charged with numbering the babe Of Mrs.
Williams on Aug. 3D. sy 4a sg -
The case is the outcome Of one Of the
most inhuman murders In the history Of
the state. Shortly after the arrest. OF the
s trio, the mother told a narrowing tale
Of how she had been led by the two men
into the city park and there debauched,
and afterwards taken across the Missis-
sippt to some box cars. All this time the
little girl Lilly, was dragged along with
the mother. and at about the hour Of 8
o'clock Sunday morning she was hurled
into the Mississippi river, where she
drowned.
The theory Of the police from the start
WAS to the effect that all three were i'm
plicated in the murder Mrs. Williams
said that John Burrig had time and again
advised her to get rid Of the baby; that
she could make a better living without
the child. Her story goes that Burrig
hired Dill to do the work for a consid-
Grafton The three started out together,
but Burrig finally left the other two. Mrs.
Williams and Dill then walked across the
Mississippi river to a string Of cars near
the Northern Pacific sanatorium, where
Dill wanted her to stay all night. They
finally decided to come back over the long
wagon bridge and sit on the bank Of the
river a few feet from the brink. She says
that about 8 o'clock in the morning Dill
grabbed the child. and, giving it three
swings In the air, hurled st into the river.
Burrig and Dill went upon the stand
and swore positively that they had never.
mentioned a plan Of numbering the child
to the woman and when they left her that
night, Dill as late as 2:S0 o. clock a. M,
1,n "oh11 NTH 10 f,n,~
alive. ## z3ss*$% 3 w.
That one OF the three murdered the
child there is no doubt but there is an
opinion prevailing that the mother knows
more about the case dnan the authorities
have yet BEEN abb. at#e out Of hssThs
to the effect that she was awakened by
the cries OF baby abdW 3 clock Sunday
morning, and that she heard the little
one say, Mama, mama, don't hurt me. .
has caused some grave suspicious.
The evidence Of one of the physicians
who held the postmortem that the child
stomach contained no water is evidence
that the, little one must have been I'M
conscious when she struck the water and
the theory now is that she was thrown
from the big bridges4a distance OF some
fifty or sixty feet.
Albert Williams, husband Of the woman,
has been working iii the harvest fields
in North Dakota and he could not be
reached, but a sensation was created
yesterday afternoon when he walked into
the courtroom una.nnounced. When Mrs,
Williams eyes fell upon him she became
frenzied. It was necessary to remove her
to an outer room where she had silent
consultation with her husband. She main
tanned her innocence and her husband, Ii
1 is said, believes her.
The case has been one. Of the most
sensational tried In this city in years,
much Of the testimony being Of such a ma
ture as to be unfit for publication.
Judge Warner to-day held Mrs Williams
and Dill on a charge Of murder and dis
charged Burrig, their alleged accomplice.
Later the last named was rearrested on
a charge Of adultery.