The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-14
Anonymous Letter Starts a PO-
lice Investigation.
IOTHER is SWEATED.
Admits Births But Denies Re-
sponsibiIity For Deaths.
Arrests Will Be Made at Con-
clusiOn of Investigation.

The digging up of the bones OF two
| babies by a squad of police last night
practically solves the mystery Of the
sudden disappearance of the twins born
to Anna Belle Hamilton, colored, on
the night of May Is. It is also the
cause of great excitement in the negro
colony.
The bodies of the babes were located
| last evening by Detective Hutton who
led the police squad accompanied by
Coroner Keith and County Attorney
schenck. Not more than Is inches be-
low the surface of the ground the rot
ten wood of a small box about a foot
square was struck and breaking It open
revealed the skeletons of the two babes
of whose birth and death no report was
made.
The first information of the supposed
murder of the infants came to the po-
lice yesterday when Chief Eaton re-
ceived the following anonymous letter:
ITO the Chief Of Police:
Anna Belle Hamilton had 2 twins A
boy and a girl in the month of May
between the second and third Sundays.
The babies were born alive and
healthy.
Mrs Mary Anderson was her mid
wife and they were born at Mrs. Mary
Scott's up on the hill. Mrs. Mary An
derson lives on Fifteenth street. I
wish you would please take the matter
in hand and see what she did with
them. Anna Belle Hamilton and her
mother the Washam hotel and
her mother works for Monroe's.''
Detectives Hutton and Wonderly
were assigned the case and got Mrs.
Anderson and Mrs. Allen who is a
sister-in-law of Mrs. Scott all together
at the house of Mrs. Scott UP on the
hill south of Fifteenth street on the
Highland Park car line. Mary Scott
did not hesitate to admit that the chill
dren were born there She said that
Anna Hamilton had come there to
work and soon fell ill And it was she
who told the officers where to find the
grave in the rear of the lot.
Mrs. Anderson told the officers freely
of her service as midwife. 1.-THE twins
were born between four and five o'clock
the evening of the 18TH she said. IT
went home later in the evening, leav-
ing the babies strong and healthy. On
the 18th they were no where to be
found and there had been no report of
them of any kind"
Then she reflected a moment and
continued: mo sooner were the babies
in the world than the people wanted
some one said something about where
to bury them and another remarked:
Wei we can't bury them until they're
dead"
Mrs. Allen denies that the children
were born at all and denies any knowl-
edge of the affair at the Scott home.
Anna Belle Hamilton was found by
the two detectives about o'clock in
an alley between Quincy street and
Kansas avenue between Sixth avenue
and Seventh street. At first she adj
mitted haVino the children but taken
| to the police station and faced by Chief
eaton and County Attorney Schenck
she denied it. Then began a vigorous
sweating lasting two hours and during
| which the girl confessed their birth but
| insisted they died the same SEening.
| She also said that Allen. the father of
| the children, ought to be prosecuted il
| she was.
Then the mother of Anna was found
at her place of employment and sweat
ed. That she had been present at the
birth had been told by other of the wo-
men, but she denied that the occur
renee ever took place, stoutly maintain
ing that her daughter had never been
in that condition.
The police convinced Of the connee-
ton of Plug Allen, Immediately began
a search for him but found that he
has gone to Chicago.
Arrests will be made following the