Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-06-09
BoDf OF INFANT hoy FOUND.
Grucsome Discovery that Leads to
Unearthing of Villainy.

The peaceful serenity and quiet of
Walhalla was considerably disturbed
last Saturday afternoon by the dis
coyery, in the Walhalla mill village.
of dog dragging about the ground
the body of an infant boy, which,
mutilated by the animal that dragged
1t, and partially decomposed, gave
notice that at some recent date a
crime had been committed. The
discovery was made by several per-
sons who w the dog dragging about
the suspici ous object, roughly wrap
ped In larSU piece Of cloth, which
the animal hal torn almost entirely
from the body of the infant.
Sheriff Kay deputy Sheriff Jones
and Chief Davis were soon on the
scene, and tracing the steps of the
dog, 1t was found that the animal
had scratched up the body from the
rear of the house occupied by Francis
j. Russell and family. Coroner Kerr
and others were summoned, jury
or inquest was empanelled and wit
nesses brought in. Drs. j. w. Bell
and b. F. Sloan were also summoned
and made an examination Of the
body. From the expert testimony Of
these physicians, together with the
evidence produced from witnesses
more or less familiar with the family
on whose premises the body was
scratched up, the jury returned the
following verdict:
THAT the said unknown infant
came to its death at a time unknown
and in manner unknown, but at the
hands Of Mary Russell, Frank ]. Rus
sell, Eugenia Russell.
And so the jurors aforesaid, upon
their oaths aforesaid, do say that
the aforesaid Mary Russell, Frank J.
Russell and Eugenia Russell, in the
manner and form aforesaid, then and
there did unlawfully, feIoniously kill
the said unknown infant, against the
peace and dignity of the State afore-
said.
"ln witness whereof, l, Lee Kerr.
Coroner aforesaid, and the Jurors
aforesaid, to this inquisition, have
interchangeably put our hands and
seals, this the 5th day of June, AID.
1909.
&c. E. Gaillard, Foreman; NJ. M.
Jarrett, G. e. Willis, S. d. Nicholson.
Joe Siegler, G. B. Fuller, G. w. Alex
ander, j. D. Vissage, J. F. Rochester,
): 5. Rutledge, w. T. Vissage, j. A.
Nicholson, J. c. Bentley, J. E. Hear
iihS' hSS HeIE, coroner.
After the rendering Of this verdict
the three parties named therein were
remanded to the Oconee Jail to await
trial. The case will doubtless come
up at the approaching term of Crimi-
nal Court for Oconee.
There is evidence tending to show
that Mary Russell, a girl about II
years of age, unmarried, was known
to be about to become a mother; that
since Wednesday night of last week
her conditions have changed; that
Lettle Kelley, a midwife, was call
ed Wednesday night and was out
practically all night; lhat she re-
ported having attended at the birth
or child, but refused to give the
names Of the parties concerned, saw
ing they did not want ANYTHING
known about it. Then comes the
finding of the body three days later,
1T having been buried Just to the
rear OF the Russell house, only a few
inches below the surface of the
ground, and scratched up by dog
on the premises. There is other tes
timony which we do not mention
here that is really stronger evidence
or guilt than the facts given above
tending to show and fix the crime.
When the body was found the
race and other parts were badly de-
composed, and the dog that dragged
1t about had eaten the feet almost
entirely away. 1t was horrible
ind, an awful spectacle-in it's de-
tails exceeded only by the horror and
awfulness of criminals responsible
for the existence Of the child and for
its death, and the ghoulish attempt to
hide the crime.
This case will doubtless attract no
small attention. 1t is another blot
on Oconee's name that must await
the convening Of Court to sift it
thoroughly.