Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-29
Mrs. Eta HarreII, Alias Miss
Harrell, Held for Investiga-
ton by Grand Jury on Core
ner'S Recommendation.
BABY'S BODY PURPLE
AND MARKS ON
THROAT, SAID WITNESS
Child Was Left Alone With Mother
for Fifteen Minutes Before Its
Death-Had Been Strong and
Healthy.

Healthy.
An investigation was made by a cor
oner's jury, Thursday morning, into the
death of the two days old baby of Mss
or Mrs. Eta Harrell, aged n
years, who has been rooming
at 164 Richardson street since Decein-
Der Z, and verdict of death from strarg-
ulation was rendered and the recommend
alton was made that Mrs. Harren be he'd
for further investigation by the grand
jury Immediately after the rendering or
the verdict, Coroner Donehoo issued a
warrant for the detention of Mrs. HarrelI
and placed 1t in the hands of the sheriff.
She now lies on a white iron bed over
the room where the inquest was held, ig-
norant that she has been in any wise i'm
plicated in the death of her baby. Her
condition is still such that a nervous
shock might prove serious, and for this
reason it is probable that it will be sew
eral days before she will be told of the
verdict of the jury. She never asks for
the baby, but she cries weakly now and
then. After its death, she asked once to
see it and was shown its dead body.
Found Baby Dead
The baby was born Monday morning.
Wednesday morning, for the first time,
the mother was left alone in the room
with it. One of the roomers at 164 Rich
ardson heard her call for the attending
nurse. Another nurse, who lives at 1s4
Richardson street, went into the rcom
and found Mrs. Harrell raised on.one ell
bow looking down at the baby. She said
ii was cold. When the nurse picked il
up, she found that it was dead.
Mrs. A. II. Dawes testified before the
coroner's jury Thursday morning that
there were finger prints on the baby's
throat and that it's face and chest were
purple. The attending nurse testified that
when she left the room the baby was in
a perfectly sound and normal condition.
and that she had not been out of the
room for more than fifteen minutes when
the other nurse, entering. found the baby
dead.
Both nurses testified that the baby.
could not have been smothered TO death
by the covering, and DIR. Hurt, city pny-
stefan, gave it as his expert testimony
that suffocation would not have produced
the congestion shown in the baby's face
and chest.
Mrs. HarreIT is from Stockbridge, Ca.
but she has not made her home there for
some time. About five years ago she was
a telephone operative at Jackson, Ga.
December It'll she rented a room at 164
Richardson street, which is the home OF
Mr.. and Mrs. z. Z. Watson, and had
been living there since that time. On first
renting the room she said she was mar
ried, but that her husband was a travel
ing man, and would be on the road until
after Christmas.
When the baby was born she requested
her attending nurse, Mrs. B. G. Gearson,
not to notify her husband. She said that
she wished to surprise him. After the
baby's death, however, Mrs Yearson sent
a telegram to sLuca, Miss, where Mrs.
Harrell said her husband was. She adj
dressed it to S. B. Harrell. but 1t came
back marked to indicate that there was
no such person at Luca as S. B. Hanell.
Known as Miss
Evidence was introduced to prove that
Mrs. HarrelIs mail was addressed to
Miss" Harrell, and that when she was
telephoned it was Miss" HarreiI who
was inquired for. None of the witnesses
introduced had seen Mrs. Harrelrs hus-
band.
None of the witnesses. with one excep-
tion is personally acquainted with Mrs.
Harrell, or Miss Harrell. Mrs. ]. l.. Hoo
ten, Of 556 Woodward avenueG testified
that Mrs. Harrell had boarded with her
five years ago in Jackson, Ga At chat
time Mrs Harrell was employed at the
local telephone exchange. About eighteen
months ago Mrs. Hooten came to Atlanta
and found that Mrs. Harrell was living
here. They renewed their former ac-
quaintance, but Mrs. Harrell did not mem
ton the fact that she was married. All
her mail, Mrs. Hooten testified, was adj
dressed to Miss Harrell. She said that
Mrs. Harrell's home is in Stockbridge,
but that she is unacquainted with any or
her family.
The principal witnesses were the two
trained nurses One, Mrs. A. II. Dawes,
lives at 164 Richardson street. The other,
Mrs. B. c. Yeargan, of Columbus, NESS
was visiting her at the time, and was
retained by Mrs. HarrelI as attendant
nurse.
She testified that the baby was born
Monday morning between and 10 o'clock
1t was a boy weighing about 3 pounds
She testified that she kept the baby by
her Monday night, letting it sleep IN
rocking chair that she was with II Iues-
dav. that it stayed on the cot with her
Tuesday night, and, in fact that IT was
never alone with the mother until wed
nesdav norning-the time of its death, ex-
cent for a brief instant at a time, and
tbap not on the bed with the mother.
.sI)id YOU have a purpose In keeping
che habv off the bed with its mother?"
the coroner asked
Was Not Surprised
YES" she said. 81 didn't know any
thing about the mother"
Were you surprised to hear Of ITS
death?" the coroner asked
II can't say that 1 was" she replied.
"Why?" he asked.
because / knew nothing about the
mother" she replied.
she was asked what was the cause OF
death.
Il don't know the cause" she SAID. Il
wasn't in there. The baby was purple
when 1 saw 1t. Its face was purple, its
hands were purple / have never before
secu a baby of such color after death.
attribute its death to the condition that
caused this discoloration-"
..r1rhn- could have nrndnced such q con-