The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-10
PARENTS LOSE BY
DEATH OF infant
GRAND FATHERS LEGACY OF xIs,-
900 NOW GOES TO OTHER
RELATIVES.
MOTHER TELLS STORY
COR0NER'S INQUEST FAILS TO
CLEAR Up MYSTERY OF DEATH
OF SHIRLEY CARTER
NELSON.

! hiSS'e COVERING the cause Oh tie
death OF Shirley Carter Nelson. nine
months old, Coroner William Fl. Tay-
lor last night ordered a halt IN IN.
/ quest proceedings until a report can
be obtained from the chemist who is
dnatyzing the contents of the stom
ach of the infant IN an effort TO learn
II the organ contained opium.
This analysis viii not he completed
! for week and therefore the inquest
Will not be resumed until the expira =
4 ton OF seven days. but In order that
no time will be lost in trying to solve
J the mystery. Cogoner Taylor will con-
unue PERSONAL investigation assisted
by detectives who have been detail
/ ed by Captain Mcmahon
Three interesting and probably vital
I facts were revealed by the witnesses
before the coroner's jury but the reve-
I To deepen the mystery rather than
! throw light IN the cause of the death
of the infant girl.
/ The first important fact revealed
] was contained in the testimony Of DR..
T.. H. Terrell and Or. T. A. Blantori.
! physicians who ATTENDED the child,
both OF them declaring that they were
! inclined to the belief that Shirley Car
ter Nelson died from opium poisoning.
but they are not positive
Mother Tells Of Gossip.
Mrs Florence Nelson. mother Of the
baby. was the witness who brought
70 light the second salient feature re-
Nealed In the testimony. She testl-
He'd that guests at the Guerrant
Hotel, where she and her husbanu.
Robert b, Nelson. have been stopptn z
FOR three months gossipcd among
/ themselves that her baby was being
ill-treated
Mrs. Nelson termed the gossip
false accusations" She said she IN
derstood her husband mad been accu~-
ed of threatening t. choke the baby.
and that there we're ruuors among
the GuerraAt guests that she and her
husband beat the infant with a strap.
Mrs Nelson said she learned of these
fuinors and ~ once took steps to
prove herself and husband guiItless Of
this charges
Mrs. Nelson testified that she sum
moned 10 her suite at tae Guerrant
An agent Of the Humane Society
who mad" 81 careful investigation es
the treatment given the baby and re-
ported that shirley Carter Nelson.
was receiving tire best care aud al
t"nl0n by her parents After III. IN
quest Mrs. Nelson told reporter thar
she then started 10 institute suit for
slandeT against the Woman who Gre
ated the ranors SHE says that b.
fore papers could re served ON fefs
woman, she fled from Richmond Mrs.
Nelson testified that there was no
foundation for the reports that the in
FAINT Was being maltreated
Legacy Lost To Parents
The third fact OF importance re-
Neaied also VAS brought to light by
Mrs Nelson. Ii concerned "A legacy
of Sls, zoe left 10 Shirley Carter Nel
tAE he Etsg.s az
money. Mrs. Nelson testified vas Ia
have gone To the child on the death
Of the bahS's father. The mother
declared that by the terms of the VIII
the money r"Verts TO six legate.s ~
the grandfather OF the baby Mrs
Nelson placed emphasis Oh the state
ment that neither she nor her has
band could benefit financially Is the
death Of the baby
The inquest was rather q SLOW pro-
ceed!ng, lasting from O'clock I'm fna
afternoon until O'Clock at nirnt
when the temporary Adjournment
Mas taken. Coroner Taylor conduct
cd the hearing. asking questions or
the witnesses and seeing that the re-
plies We're property recorded DR.
Terrell. OF sea East Grace street. was
the nrst witness. His testimony was
as follows
HtS1Sf Sp~tisisNs.
was summoned BY Mrs Npixan
70 her rooms at the Geurrant about
I 20 O clock Monday afternoon.
f.&Td thsts baby In "a fn,ytiefgt, ~sttit,iYr
with which gradually deepened sue
gested that another physician be call
ca, ana br. ktanton WAS summoned
We examined the child and then she
was carried to Memorial Hospital A,
the hospital We treated The baby nm
uer the presumption thar she might
q" suffering from opium poisoning
me symptoms were such as could
not readily be ascrlhed TO an ordi
nary brain disease was nresant
at the autopsy and II was thorough,
performed. bat did not positively re-
Veal the cause of death. | ann in
clined Ia think the child died frnr,
opium poisoning. but l am not nnsi-
tive in this opinion
lr, Bianton, OF 300 West Grace
street. the next witness examined
gave brief testimony, corrnhoratin..
the statements of his predasess1r -,
the witness stand Or. Elanton saf5
Il attended the child IN .ans,Iltati4,
with Or. Terrell, ! fuie con ,ur win
him in his opinions and conch sions
concerning the cause of the dsata OF
the child"
Nurss Tells Story.
Sophia BROADLY. thirty-one veara
o. colored nurse. living 1T 3ol
last Preston street, Aas rext exam,
med She said: II have been a nurse
Ior some time. nat have been with
Mrs Nelson only since last Friday
when was not attending Mrs. Mel
sons baby | was at my home doing
laundry work. While l was attending
the enid she did not act strange in
any way. She was playful and o,I,et
but Wakeful. The baby was fed from
a bottle.
Il never saw Mr.. or Mrs. Nelson
treaf the hahy badly No. never
gave any baby any medicine exrant
when doctor prescribed for my own
baby long time ago. 1t was ahout
Q o'clock Monday morning that tool
the baby from the hotel. l carried
bottle of milk with me to feed her
/ don't know who filled the bottle
took the child to CANDLES Hill Park
and put her in the shade. II Was
about 10 O'Clock that I gave her the /
milk.
She drank all of the milk In the
bottle. | rinsed the bottle with water
as / always did when | could get the
water. 1t was few minutes after /
IL o'clock that / started back to the
hotel with the baby Mr. and Mrs !
Nelson were not In their rooms when |
got there. / undressed the baby |
and placed her on the bed. left
her then and went home. She was |
awake and crying little at that time. |
No, i did not notice anything strange I
In her appearance. I left about half |
an hour after noon"
Mother on Stand.